254 The Ottawa Naturalist. [January 



President of the Club, Prof. John Macoun occupied the chair and 

 gave a short opening address in which he pointed out the educa- 

 tional value of natural history studies to young people. Mr. W. 

 H.Harrington then read his paper on " Ottawa Diptera." He 

 spoke of the different species of flies, mentioning those that were 

 injurious to cereals, etc. He also referred to diseases, and to the 

 habit ot grocers placing fruits and oerries on the sidewalks 

 exposed to fli'^s which only a moment before may have come from 

 some decaying animal or vegetable matter. 



Dr. James Fletcher, of the Experimental Farm, then gave a 

 most interesting address on "The Rearing of Insects," and 

 showed what great pleasure and profit might be obtained from 

 watching an insect develop through all its stages. He also gave 

 many valuable hints to beginners as to the details. Mr. Arthur 

 Gibson, Mr. Fletcher's assistant, followed with a paper on '-Some 

 Interesting Moths Taken at Ottawa." All three papers were 

 illustrated by suitable collections, and Master Louis Burland 

 showed a box of minerals and fossils neatly labelled. An interest- 

 ing discussion followed, in which a number in the audience took 

 part, and further information was elicited by questions. 



The third soiree, was held in the Assembly Hall of the Y. M.C. A- 

 There was a good attendance of members and strangers. Zoology, 

 Ornithology and Geology formed the topics of the evening. 



Prof E. E, Prince, B.A., F.L.S., gave a most interesting 

 paper "On the Comparative Anatomy of the Ear," in which he 

 traced the unity of structure and arrangement in that organ from 

 the lowest organism up to the highest and the special adaptation 

 of that box or mechanical contrivance to receive vibrations and im- 

 part them to the nerves connected therewith. By means of a 

 beautiful series of coloured and exquisitely prepared and original 

 slides thrown upon the screen, Prof. Prince illustrated the ana- 

 tomy of the "true ear" in jelly fishes, worms, mollusks, birds, 

 fishes, reptiles and vertebrates. An interesting discussion follow- 

 ed this paper in which Messrs. Kingston, Whyte, Evans and the 

 lecturer took part. 



