^0. 2.] NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 113 



'ciates, and that efforts should be made to collect their outstand- 

 ing subscriptions. 



The Council in retiring, desire to convey their thanks to the 

 officers who have so efficiently carried on the business of the So- 

 ciety during the past year. 



Montreal, 19th May, 1873. 



The subjoined report of the Scientific Curator and Recording 

 "Secretary, was next read by Mr. Whiteaves. 



J8EP0RT OF THE SCIENTIFIC CURATOR AND RECORDING 



SECRETARY. 



During the greater part of the past Session, the work done 

 lias been of an almost purely scientific character. After the last 

 annual meeting, active preparations were set on foot towards car- 

 rying out a second deep-sea dredging expedition to the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence. Before leaving the city, as the Society had 

 pledged itself to give the fullest publicity to the results already 

 obtained in a previous expedition, two papers embodying the 

 latest studies of myself and others on the specimens collected 

 were written. One of these was kindly read by Dr. Nicholson 

 of Toronto, at the last meeting of the British Association, and 

 the other was published in the ' Annals of Natural History ' for 

 November, 1872. The months of July and August were spent 

 in the prosecution of deep-sea dredging operations in the Gulf. 

 The task was beset with many unforeseen difficulties, and the- 

 time wasted, so far as I was concerned, was considerable. Still, 

 the number of new and rare specimens collected was very large, 

 a,nd many new facts beariug directly on the sea fisheries of that 

 region, were amassed. Such books as were not accessible here, 

 but which were essential to the correct identification of these 

 marine invertebrates, were ordered from England, and most of 

 the remainder of the session was devoted to the careful examina- 

 tion of these specimens. A somewhat elaborate report on the 

 results of the second series of investigations, was written for the 

 Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and submitted on behalf of 

 the Society. The document (of which copies are lying on the 

 table) makes a pamphlet of 22 pages roval octavo. Besides 

 some introductory matter, it contains, 1st, a diary kept during 

 my absence, shewing how the time was spent ; 2ndly, as careful 

 aa account as possible of the many specimens collected ; and 



^OL. VII. H No. 2. 



