68 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [March 



has not yet attained to the estabhshmeut of ODe scientific school, 

 while in the mother country, in the various states of the continent 

 of Europe, and also in the United States of America, such schools 

 largely supported and admirably appointed exist in great numbers, 

 and are productive of immense results in the promotion of the 

 scientific arts and manufactures. In the Christmas vacation I 

 enjoyed the pleasure of visiting some of these institutions in the 

 United States, in which the means of old University foundations 

 are made available, along with modern donations and grants, for 

 the cultivation of practical science. Such institutions are furnished 

 with laboratories, museums, scientific libraries and apparatus ; and 

 their courses of study embrance such subjects as Mining, Metallur- 

 gy, Agriculture, Botany, Zoology. Geology, Mineralogy, Engineer- 

 ing, Architecture, Drawing, Military Science and Tactics, Practi- 

 cal Mechanics, Astronomy ; all eminently practical, and arranged so 

 as to suit the wants of young men entering on a variety of useful 

 trades and professions. Although these institutions are numerous 

 and largely attended, they have not yet reached the limits of the 

 demand for their work, and large grants in their aid have recently 

 been made by Congress, while State Legislature and the munifi- 

 cence of private individuals are daily adding to their number and 

 efficiency. It should be a fact that requires but to be mentioned 

 to excite earnest inquiry and effort, that while all the older univer- 

 sities in the United States have scientific schools, and while mul- 

 titudes of similiar schools are supported by the several States and 

 the general government, we have in this Dominion four States. 

 certainly equal in resources to any of those in the American 

 Union, without a scientific school. In the mother country the 

 subject is attracting great attention. I have just read a report 

 presented to the House of Commons last year by a select Commit- 

 tee on Scientific Instruction, which after hearing the evidence of a 

 number of leading Professors, Fcachei's and Educationists, strong- 

 ly recommends to Parliament to proceed at once to organize the 

 technical education of the country, and to add to the existing 

 means as far as possible ; and further, to recognize natural science 

 as an indi-spensable element in such education. This report will, 

 no doubt, be acted on soon, probably before anything can be done 

 in this country, and we shall have the satisfaction of being another 

 step behind the mother country in this most important matter. It 

 may be asked what connection has all this with this Society, and 

 with the present occasion. One such connection is, that this 



