11 PEOOEEDINaS OF THE 



F.L.S., at his conversazione ^ to Professor Caswell, of New Pro- 

 vidence, the Acting President, and to Professor Levering, of 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Secretary of the Meeting ; and on 

 the following day presented to them the official letter of the 

 President of the Linnean Society, of which he was the bearer. 

 Both gentlemen expressed themselves highly gratified with the 

 attention shown by the Linnean Society in sending a delegate to 

 the meeting, and showed him marked attention during its con- 

 tinuance. He was also introduced in his official capacity to Sir 

 "W. Eyre, K.C.B., Acting Governor- General of Canada, who com- 

 plimented the Linnean Society on the encouragement given by it 

 to the first meeting of the American Association held on British 

 ground. The meetings were held in the New Court House at 

 Montreal, commencing on the 12th of August and lasting for a 

 week. Professor Caswell opened the session with a powerful 

 speech, in the course of which he announced the presence of 

 delegates from the Geological and Linnean Societies of London, 

 and introduced Professor E-amsay and Dr. Seemann to the meeting. 

 In his reply. Dr. Seemann took occasion to express the high 

 esteem and respect of the Linnean Society for the American Asso- 

 ciation, and the deep interest vrith which the Society regarded its 

 labours, and to offer in the name and on the behalf of the Linnean 

 Society the most sincere wishes for the unabated continuance of 

 that success which had hitherto attended it. The number of 

 members attending the meeting amounted to upwards of five 

 hundred, the greater part of whom had come from the United 

 States, although Canada and the other British provinces of North 

 America were, in proportion to their extent and population, 

 equally well represented. It was generally considered to be one 

 of the most successful meetings that had been held in any part of 

 the American continent. Geologists were in great force; Phy- 

 sicists and Ethnologists were also numerous; but there was a 

 comparatively small attendance of Botanists and Zoologists. Dr. 

 Seemann attended daily, and at one of the meetings read a Paper 

 " On the so-called Parthenogenesis in Animals and Plants," in 

 which he presented a summary of the present state of that inter- 

 esting question. Two other Eellows of the Linnean Society were 

 also present at the meeting, viz. the Eev. William Hincks, Pro- 

 fessor of Natural History in the University of Toronto, and Lieut.- 

 Colonel Munro, in command of the 39th Begiment, stationed at 

 Montreal, both of whom showed Dr. Seemann great attention. 

 Of our Foreign Members, there were present, Professor Dana, of 



