147 

 SOIREES. 



First. The ojjeiiing meeting of the Winter Course for the year 

 1887-88 was held on Tluirstlay, the 8th December, in the M.iseum of 

 the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society, when the President, Mr. R. 

 B. Whyte, delivered his address, which is printed in this number, and 

 which was listened to with much interest by the audience. On its 

 conclusion Prof. Macoun, who occupied tlie chair, invited a full dis- 

 cussion of the suggestions and statements contained in the address. 

 Mr. Fletcher thought that it was very necessary to carefully consider 

 the past history of the Club, before attempting any change in its (jJau 

 of operations. lie was pleased to see so many teachers, and e-pecially 

 ladies, interesting them-selves in the work of the Club, for if the future 

 work WHS to be useful there was no better way to secure this end than 

 by gaining the support of the teachers. J\lr. Ami did not think that it 

 was advisable at present to attempt an extension of the work, or 

 a widening of the sphere of labour. Dr. Wicksteed suggested that 

 desirable contributions to the season's programme would be papers on 

 the city drinking-water, and the reported discovery of natural gas ft 

 Ejstman's Springs. Mr. Fletcher, with reference to the suggested 

 extension of the operations of the Clul), considered that it was a ques- 

 tion of such vital importance as to merit a most ample discussion, and 

 one not to l)e rashly decided. There was still plenty of material 

 unstudied in this vicinity, and requiring o.xamination and description. 

 Ai all the Excursions abundance of specimens had been found of great 

 interest. Prof. Maooun said that about thirty years ago the late Mr. 

 Billings h\d started the Canadian Geologist anl Xaturalist, a journal 

 which still continues to lend its aid to science. Although the Club 

 had been working for eight years, there was no scarcity of material to in- 

 vestigate nor could it be exhausted for many years to cume, yet he was 

 strongly of opinion that much would be gained by making tlie Club the 

 nucleus, so Co speak, of a general Natural History Society tliat would in- 

 vite to it workers in all sections of the Dominion, and benefit by their 

 hibours. Under the present Constitution,- whereby only papers on local 

 subjects were invited, it was not possible for members whose duties 

 carried them far afield, as (or exan.ple the Geological Survey Staff, to 



