342 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viii. 



THE EARTHQUAKE OF NOVEMBER 4, 1877. 



(Read at the November Meeting of the Natural History Society, by 

 Principal Dawson, LL.D., F.R.S.) 



In the Canadian Naturalist, Vol. V., first series, will be found 

 notes on the earthquake of October 17, 1860, with a summary 

 of facts relating to the previous shocks recorded in Caoada, and 

 some general remarks on their periods, local peculiarities and 

 probable causes. The subject was continued in Vol. 1. of the 

 new series, in connection with the earthquake of April, 1864, and 

 in Vol. V., new series, in connection with that of October 20th, 

 1870. I may refer to these notices for what is known on 

 Canadian earthquakes up to that time, and we may now con- 

 tinue the narrative in connection with the somewhat wide-spread 

 disturbances of the earth's crust in the present autumn. 



On January 4th, 1871, a shock was experienced at Hawkes- 

 bury, Ontario, but was not reported from any other place. A 

 more extensive earthquake occurred on May 22nd, 1871. It 

 prevailed from the city of Quebec to the western part of Ontario. 

 The time for Quebec is stated at ten minutes before two a. m., 

 and there was a second shock at twenty minutes past three. 

 The time for Perth, Ontario, is stated at half-past one. It is 

 noteworthy that this earthquake occurred at nearly the same 

 time with that recently experienced. Since 1871 several minor 

 shocks have been noticed from time to time, but did not attract 

 much attention, and I have preserved no details in relation to 

 them. 



That of the present month was probably the most considerable 

 since 1871. It occurred at Montreal, at ten minutes before two 

 on the morning of Sunday, November 4th. At Montreal there 

 was only one distinct shock, preceded by the usual rumbling noise, 

 and sufficiently severe to be distinctly felt, and to shake window- 

 sashes and other loose objects, causing them to vibrate for several 

 seconds. In so far as the published reports give information, 

 the shock would seem to have been limited to the area along the 

 river St. Lawrence, extending from near Three Rivers on the 

 east, to Kingston on the west, and in a direction transverse to 

 the St. Lawrence from Ottawa to the southern part of New 

 England. In a paper prepared for the American Journal of 



