124 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. vi. 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the Society was held at its rooms on 

 May 19th, the President, Principal Dawson, LL.D., F.R.S.. in 

 the chair. Mr. J, F. Whiteaves, the Recording Secretary, read 

 the minutes, after which the President delivered the annual 

 address. 



The Chairman of the Council, Mr. O. L. Marler, then read 

 his report, of which the following is an abstract : — 



The Council in making its report for the past year, does so with 

 feelings both of pleasure and regret; with pleasure in having to 

 acknowledge the many valuable scientific contributions which 

 have been placed on the Society's records, to which the President 

 has already alluded ; and with regret that the Society has lost 

 many of its members, the number of which is becoming less every 

 year. This decrease is to be attributed to various causes, chiefly, 

 however, to the fact, that the Committee wiiose special duty it is 

 to solicit and canvas for new members, has ceased its exertions, 

 and that the work of the Society and its valuable contributions 

 to science are not so generally known as they should be. During 

 the last year the Society has lost by death, resignation, or removal, 

 nineteeen members. Eiuht new ones have been added; the net 

 loss on the year is thus eleven. An appeal should therefore be 

 made to the present subscribers to induce their friends to join 

 the Society. 



Your Council begs leave to suggest one means whereby its 

 sphere of usefulness would be enlarged, to wit, by aflSliating other 

 Societies, and by bringing into one place the different Libraries 

 now existing in this city. The Society should especially urge 

 upon the Trustees of the Eraser Institute the advantages that 

 would accrue to both parties by such an affiliation. Not only is 

 the position of your building most excellent, but the vacant ground 

 adjoiniiig, belonging to the McGill College, also makes the idea 

 very practicable; and although affiliated the institutions would 

 be distinct. 



The annual Conversazione again failed to draw as many per- 

 sons as we could have wished, notwithstandinii; the exertions of 

 the Committee in whose hands the matter had been left. Yet 

 your Council cannot but think that such reunions have a beneficial 

 tendency, that much Vi'Juable knowledge is derived from them, 



