76 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [March 



Logan, LL.D., F.R.S., &c., although it cannot add appreciably 

 to the many honours which he has received, desires to place on 

 record, not merely on its own behalf, but on that of all the 

 students of Natural Science in Canada, its high estimation of 

 the value of his services in creating, as well as directing, the 

 geological survey of this country, in promoting the development 

 of its mineral resources, in stimulating and aiding the efforts of 

 scientific institutions, and in extending throughout the world the 

 name of Canadian science. 



We desire also to express our high appreciation of Sir 

 William's admirable personal quaHties, and our hope that he 

 may be spared for many years to Canada and to science, and that 

 the relief from official cares may give him the opportunity to 

 pursue to completion the researches in physical geology in which 

 he is now engaged." 



Mr. E. Billings read a paper "On the occurrence of Gastero- 

 poda in the Primordial Zone." He commenced by giving a short 

 account of palgeontological discoveries recently made in other 

 countries, and then exhibited a fossil that had been collected 

 during the summer of 1869 by Mr. T. G. Weston, of the Geolo- 

 gical survey, in the Primordial slates of St. John, N. B, The 

 specimen was a small species of Ophileta, and its geological 

 position tvas several thousand feet below the lowest beds in which 

 any Gasteropoda had been heretofore found in America. The 

 rocks were of the same age as the Lower Lingula Flags of Wales, 

 the "Menevian group" of the late Mr. Salter. Another species, 

 but of a different genus, has been found by Mr. Murray in New- 

 foundland, in rocks which appear to be Primordial, but whose age 

 cannot yet be determined with certainty for want of sufficient 

 fossil evidence. 



Prof. R. Bell then read a paper " On the Intelligence of 

 Animals." He spoke of the reasoning powers in many of the 

 higher and larger animals as being too well established to require 

 a plea, and devoted the greater part of his paper to the considera- 

 tion of instances of what might be regarded as intelligence in 

 such small creatures as insects. Many arguments were adduced, 

 based on the organization and development of these creatures, 

 und more especially on their habits, for regarding them as pos- 

 sessed of something more than mere instinct. Amongst other 

 proofs of the possession of a reasoning power, the fact was men- 

 tioned, that insects, if baffled in one means of accomplishing 



