The Matthew family members shared a scholarly enthusiasm for trilobite fossils, and what's more, they made the long-extinct creatures a part of their day-to-day lives. In 1885, their fossil-hunting efforts paid off famously when George F. Matthew and son William found one of the world's largest trilobites not far from their home near Saint John. Some of them even made it into Katherine's kitchen as baking casts, and guests at Natural History Society Ladies' Auxiliary functions snacked merrily on the result - Mrs. Matthew's exclusive "trilobite cookies."

Below are six specimens of Arthropoda Trilobita that Katherine herself donated to the Museum. They are all from the Saint John area and measure 0.5 to 1 cm long.

 New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 1249

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 1251

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 8484

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 8485

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 8486

New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, N.B., NBMG 8488