16 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. Vlii. 



existing plants and animals, as to indicate throughout a perfect 

 harmony of design and unity of purpose. To assume that the 

 evidence of the beginning and end of so vast a scheme lies 

 within the reach of our speculations, appears to be inconsistent 

 with a just estimate of the relations which subsist between the 

 finite powers of man and the attributes of an Infinite and 

 Eternal Beim?." 



I have left but a little time to speak of the work of our own 

 society in the past year. Six meetings for the reading of papers 

 have been held during the winter. The subjects discussed at 

 these might well afford some material for interesting remark ; 

 but, as the substance of them has been or will be published, 

 this is scarcely necessary. In geology, our papers have related 

 chiefly to the west. Mr. Whiteaves has described to us some 

 of the Cretaceous marine fossils from British Columbia, which 

 are found there associated with and underlying the remarkable 

 coal fields of Cretaceous age containing remains of so many 

 dicotyledonous trees. Mr. G-. M. Dawson has given us some 

 interesting expositions of the geographical features and superfi- 

 cial deposits of the little-known region along the 49th parallel, 

 between the Bed Biver and the Bocky Mountains, which are to 

 be illustrated in his forthcoming Beport on that region. In 

 ethnology, we have had papers on Indian Bemains from Lake 

 St. Francis, and Mr. Bichardson's Collections in British Colum- 

 bia ; and Mr. McLachlan has described some curious Indian 

 Pipes. Dr. Carpenter, Mr. Whiteaves, Mr. Caulfield and others 

 have directed our attention to a variety of zoological subjects 

 connected with the natural history of the Dominion ; and the 

 economic aspects of natural history were well presented to us 

 by the former gentleman in his memoir on our marine fisheries 

 and oyster beds. It is to be regretted that our dredging opera- 

 tions could not be continued last summer ; but it is to be hoped 

 that something may be done this year, if not by government aid, 

 at least by private enterprise. Should the arrangements to be 

 referred to in the Beport of the Council for the association of 

 the Society with the Fraser Institute be carried into effect, it is 

 to be hoped that they may give a new stimulus to our work ; 

 and may relieve the Society from much of the difficulty hitherto 

 experienced in sustaining its library and museum, leaving it 

 more free to pursue its work of scientific research and publica- 

 tion, and of popular education in science. 



