448 THE CANADIAN NATUEALIST. [Vol. viii. 



in Gaspe and the west coast of Newfoundland, and lists of 

 some of these collections were published in the Reports of the 

 Geological Survey and the Canadian Naturalist. He contri- 

 buted many rare and interesting plants to the collections of the 

 University and of this Society. He entered with zeal into the 

 project of collecting a subscription for the erection of a monu- 

 ment over the bones of the pioneer American botanist, Frederick 

 Purshj and at the time of his death had succeeded in securing 

 nearly a sufficient sum for the purpose. It is a sad coincidence 

 that this subscription was commenced several years ago by an- 

 other of our young botanists, the late Dr. Barnston, who also 

 was removed by an early death. 



Dr. Bell was a man of excellent gifts for scientific pursuits, and 

 one whom we could have wished to give a larger, amount of time 

 to original research, but his noble and self-denying devotion. to 

 his high calling as a medical man, and especially to the relief of 

 the poor and unfortunate, constitutes a higher claim to our re- 

 gard than that which even brilliant scientific discoveries would 

 have merited. I may add that Dr. Bell was always ready to 

 aid our Society, and to give his valuable time to work in connec- 

 tion with our botanic il collections. 



Turning from the memory of the dead to the work of the 

 living, I find that in all seventeen papers or communications on 

 scientific subjects were brought under our notice in the past 

 Session. Besides the reading of these papers, one evening was 

 devoted to an exposition and illustration of the Telephone by Dr. 

 Edwards and Mr. Murray ; another t > the exhibition of the col- 

 lection of Canadian game formed by Dr. May for the Paris ex- 

 hibition, and its explanation by Mr. Whiteaves and Mr. Marler, 

 and still another to an exhibition of Microscopes and objects, for 

 which we were specially indebted to Dr. Osier, Dr. McEachren, 

 Mr. Ferrier, Mr. Muir, Mr. Murphy, and other microscopists. 

 The arrangements for these meetings were made by our inde- 

 fatigable Secretary, Dr. Baker Edwards, and they w r ere all 

 pleasant and successful. 



Of the papers read the greater part were on geological subjects. 

 Two eminent exceptions were that on the Locust in the North- 

 West in 1876, by Dr. G. M. Dawson, and that on the Colorado 

 Beetle by Mr. Caulfield. The former is the sequel to a series 

 of papers on the same subject published in the Naturalist, and 

 commenced when Mr. Dawson was geologist on the Boundary 



