▁class ▁members hips , ▁held ▁pic n ics ▁for ▁w ives ▁and ▁their ▁families ▁and ▁cur ated ▁a ▁large ▁newspaper ▁and ▁period ical ▁library ▁and ▁local ▁natural ▁history ▁museum . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁the ▁B MI A ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Mechan ics ' ▁Institute ▁and ▁Ath ena e um ▁( OM IA ) ▁to ▁reflect ▁the ▁City ' s ▁incorpor ation . ▁The ▁Ott awa ▁City ▁Direct ories ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁list ▁L ett ▁as ▁a ▁trust ee ▁and ▁the ▁corresponding ▁secretary . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 / 9 , ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Natural ▁History ▁Society , ▁of ▁which ▁L ett ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁member , ▁and ▁the ▁O MI A ▁were ▁merged ▁by ▁Provin cial ▁Act ▁into ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁Liter ary ▁and ▁Scient ific ▁Society . ▁Even ▁the ▁Institute ▁Canad ien ▁Fran çais ▁d ' O tt awa ▁recogn ised ▁L ett ' s ▁intellectual ▁contributions ▁with ▁an ▁honor ary ▁membership ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁May ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁despite ▁his ▁anti - C atholic ▁past ▁and ▁little ▁eng agement ▁in ▁French ▁Canadian ▁literature . ▁ ▁Natural ist ▁L ett ▁had ▁prof ound ▁knowledge ▁of ▁local ▁natural ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁Canadian ▁w ilder ness ▁derived ▁from ▁his ▁lif el ong ▁pass ions ▁for ▁hunting ▁and ▁fish ing . ▁He ▁published ▁and ▁lect ured ▁extens ively ▁and ▁learned ly ▁in ▁zo ology ▁throughout ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁