218 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June, 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 

 Annual Meeting. 



The annual meeting of the Society was held in its rooms on 

 the evening of May 18th, Principal Dawson, President, in the 

 chair. A large number of the members were present. Mr. J. F. 

 Whiteaves, the Recording Secretary, read the minutes of the last 

 annual meeting; after which the usual annual address of the 

 President was read, as follows : — 



Address of the President. 



Gentlemen, — I labor on this occasion under the disadvantasre 

 of having had twice in succession to prepare the annual address 

 of the President; a circumstance which should not ordinarily 

 occur in a society of this character, in which, following the usage 

 of our older sisters, we should endeavor to have a new mind 

 brought to bear on this work in each successive year. I shall 

 however take advantage of this circumstance to deviate somewhat 

 from the course usual with us on such occasions, and, after merely 

 glancing at the scientific work of the Society, to direct your atten- 

 tion to some speculations of my own on subjects now attracting 

 the attention of naturalists. 



The scientific papers laid before this Society in its session just 

 concluded, if not quite so numerous as in some previous sessions, 

 are not inferior in point of interest and importance. In geology, 

 Sir William Logan has continued in our journal the discussion of 

 the age and distribution of the Quebec Group of Rocks. Dr. 

 Hunt has given further and important facts in chemical geology. 

 Professor Bell has illustrated certain portions of the superficial 

 deposits, and has described one of our most important quarries 

 of roofing-slate. Mr. McFarlane has contributed an elaborate 

 discussion of the interior condition of our planet and of the 

 mode of formation of Metamorphic and Igneous Rocks. Professor 

 Bailey has elucidated an obscure portion of the Geology of New 

 Brunswick, indirectly of much interest to Canadian geologists. 

 Mr. Billings has contributed a paper on a disputed genus of Bra- 



