212 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June 



journal and in other directions. In England, such clubs have 

 proved very useful and successful. The modus operandi is very 

 simple, and is thus described by the honorary secretary of our 

 Montreal organization. " The club appoints a secretary, who 

 arranges for the meeting, and suggests a special subject for 

 illustrations at each. The host for the evening is the president 

 of the club ; minutes are recorded and read ; visitors introduced ; 

 miscellaneous business discussed and microscopic investigations 

 proceeded with. At 10.30 p.m., the president announces the 

 adjournment, the microscopes are returned to their cases, and a 

 parting cup of coflfee closes the seance." The chairman of the 

 Council, in his report, will doubtless refer to the Society's more 

 general social reunions, the field day at Belceil, and the annual 

 conversazione, both of which were very successful. The latter 

 occasion was distinguished by the presence of His Royal Highness 

 Prince Arthur, to whom the Society presented an address. It 

 was cause of great regret to the Committee to feel that, while they 

 could safely direct the special attention of the Prince to the 

 museum, at the extent and arrangement of which, indeed, His 

 Royal Highness expressed to me much gratification and approval, 

 they felt more than ever, that the library might be considered as 

 display ins: evidence of apathy and neglect — evidences which it 

 is earnestly hoped will soon give way to others of a more fitting 

 and gratifying character. 



One of the most important measures contemplated by the 

 Society outside its immediate sphere of action, during the past 

 year, is the dredging of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence. Those 

 who were privileged to hear Dr. Dawson's most interesting lecture 

 on deep sea-dredging, delivered during the past winter's Sommer- 

 ville course, will need no farther exposition of the importance for 

 pursuing such investigation, as will certainly not those who have 

 attentively read the proceedings of the last meeting of the British 

 Association at Exeter. Professor Forbes had previously surmised 

 as a result of his investigations in the ^gean and Mediterranean 

 Seas, that life probably did not exist in the sea below 300 fathoms 

 in depth. His views never received, however, anything like 

 oeneral acceptance with scientific men, and at that Exeter meeting, 

 a most interesting letter was read from Professor W. Thompson 

 on the successful dredging of H.M.S. " Porcupine," in 2,435 

 fathoms. Professor Sars, in a communication on the distribution 

 of animal life in the depths of the sea, has enumerated not less 



