The fonds reflects the scientific and literary outreach activities of the Montreal Natural History Society over the course of its existence and contains correspondence, minutes, financial records, council and committee reports, membership lists, donation lists, catalogues of holdings, newspaper clippings, lecture advertisements and weather maps. In addition, the fonds includes reference material to other societies and information regarding the publication and creation of the Canadian Naturalist and Quarterly Journal of Science, Canadian Naturalist and Geologist and the Canadian Record of Science.

The fonds is composed of the following series: 1) Accounting Records (1860-1917); 2) Administrative Records (1833-1887); 3) Catalogues (ca.1829-ca.1925); 4) Correspondence (1871-1896 with gaps); 5) Essays and Lectures (1829-1852); 6) Minutes (1827-1832,1844-1923); 7) Montreal Microscopical Society (1884-1906); 8) Reports (1828-1881 with gaps); 9) Weather Maps (1895-1897).

Title says March 7, but opening date is March 6 ; Last date seen was April 14, 1925 (but 8 more pages of inventory after this).

The substantial catalogues series covers most of the inventory of both the Society’s museum and library. Museum catalogues provide detailed information regarding the genus, species and origin of their Mammalia Collection while catalogues of donations to the museum also point to interesting objects in their collection. Library catalogues list publications in the Society’s holdings. The series also provides important lists related to the Journals of Assembly and to the visitors of the museum.

The minutes series comprises eight bound volumes, two publications and one envelope of loose duplicate minutes. The minutes document proceedings from the annual, general, monthly, special, ordinary and extraordinary meetings held by the Society. It consists of the minutes from the Natural History Society (1827-1923), the Natural History Society Council (1827-1922), and the Natural History Society Committees (1906-1908).

The handwritten and typed minutes document the Society’s activities, including lists of members, newspaper articles, donations to the Society, elections, advertisements for sponsored lectures, and reports from committees. Handwritten copies of letters from Dr. Meade, Mr. C.U. Shepard, Major Delafield (File 5.2) and Robert Burn (File 9.1) to the Society as well as letters sent on behalf of the Society (Smithsonian Institute, File 5.1) are included with the minutes.

Collection of handwritten and typed minute notes - Annual General, ordinary, monthly; Includes newspaper clippings about society activities, typed advertisements for lectures by the society, original letters to the society and expression of sympathy by the society to those who have had deaths in the family; Loose handwritten report from the Lecture Committee 1917 included in the pages; Last items chronologically out of date.

Minutes of meetings. Includes printed meeting notices, commitee member appointments, programmes and lectures, typed house committee report (p. 146), and correspondence letters concerning matters discussed at the meeting and yearly reports and declaration of bankrupcy (p382). Loose newspaper clipping inserted in page 28 regarding the petition against the construction of a trolley line to the top of Mount Royal Park (Dec. 26, 1895) and ad for public building that the society could purchase on page 417 (Dec. 15, 1920). Newspaper notices of selling property on p. 430 (1923).Petition draft regarsing the establishmet of a stable on Drummond St. (p. 205-6). Pages 431-600 blank, with misc. notes inserted on p. 564.

Handwritten ledger of accounts ; Prited and pasted description of property and their sale or purchase on first 3 pages: University Street Property, 152 &154 Drummond Street Property, 365 Mountain Street Property Diagram of the property of the Natural History Society ; Closing account perhaps, for May 31st 1905, 1914, 1915, 1916.

The accounting series consists of three account books detailing different financial dealings and assets of the Natural History Society of Montreal. The accounting details are varied, one being the treasurer’s ledger of income and expenses kept by Treasurers James Ferrier Jr. and E. E. Shelton (file 13.7); another showing closing account balances for 1905, 1914, 1915, and 1916 and sales clippings for properties: 52 University Street Property, 152 & 154 Drummond Street Property, and the 365 Mountain Street Property Diagram of the property of the Natural History Society (file 15.1); lastly an address book shows an alphabetical list of assets and their value, as well as a note in the front tracking “Field Day” surpluses and deficits from 1882-1890 (file 16.3).

Collection of handwriten and typed minute notes ; Last items chronologically out of date, Letter of "Robert Burn".