10 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [^^ol. 



VI 1. 



from the exploration of those great western territories of the Do- 

 minion, whose grand, pliysical features of mountain and phiin so 

 excite tlie imagination, and wliose structure and natural produc- 

 tions are so different from those of our eastern regions, and 

 therefore so stimulating to our curiosity. 



These explorations will, no doubt, serve not only to enrich the 

 annals of science but also to disclose those sources of material 

 wealth which will ere long attract large populations and capital 

 to the Pacific Coast. \\\ the meantime, perhaps, no features ex- 

 cite greater interest on the part of the geologist than the ap- 

 pearance of a comparatively highly altered condition in sediments 

 of no great geological age. and the occurrence of coal in Vancou- 

 ver Island, associated with animal fossils of Cretaceous date and 

 ■Tvith a flora composed of exogenous treos of very modern aspect. 



In addition to the papers on which the above remarks have 

 been based, we have had two interesting communications from 

 Prof. Nicholson of Toi-onto, whom we welcome as a valuable addi- 

 tion to our band of workers. Dr. Hunt has contributed a paper 

 on the structure of Mont Blanc; Mr. Billings has given us papers 

 on the Fossils from the Huronian rocks, on the Taconic contro- 

 versy, on the genus OholeJliwi and on new species of Palaeozoic 

 Fossils ; Prof. Bailey has given us a p iper on the previously lit- 

 tle known geology of the Island of Grand jNIanan ; and Mr. Mat- 

 thew, one on the Surface Geology of New Brunswick. Dr. An- 

 derson, of Quebec, has contributed a notice of a whale captured 

 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; Mr. iMacfirlane has given us his 

 views on the classification of crystalline rocks; Dr. Carpenter 

 has directed our attention to the death-rate of Montreal ; and Dr. 

 Smallwood has reported on ^leteorologic il Results for 1871. 



T cannot conclude without referring to a new^ branch of scien- 

 tific research undertaken by the Society in conjunction with the 

 Department of Marine and Fisheries — that of dredging in the 

 deeper and hitherto unexplored parts of the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence ; and we have to congratulate ourselves on important scien- 

 tific results obtained in a manner equally creditable to the Go- 

 Ternment, to the Society, and to its Scientific Curator, >lr. 

 Whiteaves. A knowledire of the fauna of the Gulf has been ob- 

 tained to a depth of 250 fathoms. Probably one hundred spe- 

 cies have been added to the known inhabitants of our Canadian 

 waters. Interestini>- facts have been obtained as to the distribu- 

 tion and food of fishes : and the attention of the Government of 



