110 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Yol. vii. 



■son in Yancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands, so ricli in new 

 fossils and geological facts ; Prof. Bell gave us a similar resume 

 of the recent discoveries in the metalliferous rocks of the North 

 and West of Lake Superior. To these great Western regions the 

 eyes of all men ar-e nov7 turned ; and the wonderful scientific and 

 economic discoveries made in the western territories of the Uni- 

 ted States, with the first fruits already realized in our own western 

 territories, stimulate our hopes and expectations. I have had 

 occasion lately, in connection with the departure of my own son 

 into these regions as one of the pioneers of scientific exploration, 

 to look over the literature of western geology ; and in doing so, I 

 have been struck with the amount of good work achieved under 

 difficult circumstances, in times previous to the annexation of 

 these reo'ions to Canada. I would mention in connection with 

 this the names of Dr. Bigsby, one of the earliest, and Dr. Hector, 

 €ue of the latest explorers of the west, as well as those of Richard- 

 son, Hind and others who come between. With reference to the 

 first mentioned, who is still living and working ably and usefully, 

 I may mention his admirable summary of the post-pliocene de- 

 posits in the west, published in the journal of the Geological So- 

 ciety many years ago, and I do so the more readily, as with 

 reference to the theory of drift deposits, he anticipated much of 

 what I have myself been endeavouring to illustrate in our jour- 

 nal in the investigation of this difficult subject. Dr. Bigsby's 

 paper of 1851 is still well worthy of perusal in connection with 

 what has been done subsequently by geologists in the United 

 States and in this country. . 



My own contribution on fossil foot-prints I may pass over 

 without remark ; and in conclusion of this part of the subject 

 would direct attention to the fact that Mr. Whiteaves has again 

 represented Canadian science as a dredger in the deeper parts of 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence, reaching in this last expedition the 

 deepest known part of the Gulf, and adding very considerably to 

 our knowledge of its fa.una and many new facts bearing on the 

 distribution and habits of useful fishes. The work was prosecu- 

 ted under some difficulties, the double task of watching poachers 

 on forbidden fisheries and of dredging in deep water, being evi- 

 dently too much for any one cruiser. In future if this work is to 

 be prosecuted as it undoubtedly should be, a suitable craft should 

 be put at the exclusive disposal of the dredging party for the sum- 

 mer mouths. If we are oblisred to leave the wide ocean to the 



