152 Natural History Society of Montreal. 



Montreal bad at last succeeded in founding a building like this, 

 which besides answering better tban any previous building for the 

 requirements of the Society, would also prove an ornament to the 

 city. He could inform them, on behalf of the educational and 

 literary bodies with which he was connected, that they viewed 

 the erection of this building with the greatest pleasure, and were 

 greatly gratified that at length the labours of the Montreal Natu- 

 ral History Society had met with such a reward as was witnessed 

 in the opening and inauguration of this hall. He was one of 

 those who believed that the material progress of a community 

 depends principally upon its intellectual progress ; and he thought 

 this was the general opinion. When such was the fact the inau- 

 guration of this building ought to be regarded by the community 

 as an event of no common occurrence. He had been glad to hear 

 that the names of Canadian men of Science and their labours 

 were so well known and appreciated in the United States, and he 

 was certain that the audience would listen with renewed interest 

 to the names of a few Canadian scientific men, names it would 

 not be out of place to recall on an occasion like the present. 

 (Applause.) Hon. Mr. Chauveau then read the following brief 

 biographical sketches: — 



Michel Sarrazin, Royal Physician and Correspondent of the 

 Academy of Science, appears to me to have been the person who 

 occupied himself most with Natural History in Canada. He was 

 a native of Nuyts, in Bourgoyne. His skill as a surgeon was 

 proverbial. In 1700 he wrote an anatomical description of the 

 beaver, which was read in 1*704 by Pitton Tournefort ; also, in 

 1721, his anatomical description of the muskrat. It appears that 

 so far he had had the modest sum of 600f, " without any reward 

 from those whom he served," because he was " the only doctor 

 in the whole country." The Dictionary of Natural Science, 6th 

 vol., says that his work is the most complete in existence. He 

 also employed his attention with other animals. The academy 

 demanded from him information on the botany of the country, 

 and I have reason to believe it was this that led him to discover 

 Sarracenea Canadensis. He died at Quebec in 1734. 



Gauthier, also a physician at Quebec, was known to have 

 greatly occupied himself with Botany. Of him I have nothing 

 better to tell than what Bibaud has already said. 



The Marquis Galissonniere (Governor from 1747-49) appears 

 also to have attended very much to Natural History ; and Kalm 



