50 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST, [Feb. 



since, for although they do not explain all the phenomena of silicifi- 

 cation, they go far towards showing the conditions under which 

 silica can be precipitated from its solutions in natural waters, and 

 deposited either upon or within organic bodies, or in the forms 

 of opal, chalcedony, and hornstone. See farther Silliraan's Journal 

 [2], xxviii, pp. 377, 381 ; and Bischof, Lehrbuch, ii, 1241. 



Montreal March 25, 1864. 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



ANNUAL CONVERSAZIONE. 



" The Second Annual Conversazione of the Montreal Natural 

 History Society was held in the rooms of the Society on the 2nd 

 instant, and was, we are happy to say, highly successful. We learn 

 with pleasure that since the last annual social meeting the Society 

 has made very steady progress, the year not having been excelled, 

 or even equalled, by any other in its history for the amount of sci- 

 entific work done, and the successful introduction of new and valu- 

 able 'features, which it is believed will be sources of permanent 

 benefit to the Society. But while the Society congratulates it- 

 self on this satisfactory state of affairs, there is of course room 

 for still further prosperity, were the members and the friends of 

 the cause to come forward more readily and evince greater inter- 

 est in its advancement. At the regular meetings a number of 

 interesting papers have been read, of which mention has been 

 made at various times in these columns ; and many elaborate arti- 

 cles, representing great scientific research, and having an impor- 

 tant bearing on the arts of life, and on the material improvements 

 of the country, have been contributed to the Canadian Naturalist. 

 The Geology of our own country, in which every one must feel 

 more or less interested, has received a large share of attention ; 

 and on points of the geology of the United States connected with 

 Canadian geology, important contributions have also been received. 

 In fact, in all the branches of study embraced by the Society, many 

 new facts have been made known, which looked at merely in a 

 scientific aspect, should be highly esteemed ; but the pursuits of 

 the naturalist are also of great utility to the country in their 

 economical applications, thus giving the Society a strong claim to 



