218 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June 



FIELD DAY AT BELCEIL. 



The third of these pleasant social gatherings was held on 

 Wednesday, June 9th — the place selected being Beloeil Moun- 

 tain. 



By the courtesy of Mr. C. J. Brydges, a special train was 

 provided to convey the party as far as St. Hilaire. A little 

 after 9 o'clock a.m., some 150 or more of the members and 

 friends of the Society, took their seats in the train at the 

 Bonaventure street station. At about 11 o'clock the excur- 

 sionists arrived at St. Hilaire. Here vehicles of various 

 descriptions were in readiness to convey the visitors part of the 

 way up the mountain. The more zealous naturalists, however, 

 preferred walking, knowing that many objects of interest would 

 be found at the base of the mountain. Nor were they doomed 

 to disappointment, for not only were several scarce plants found 

 that were not met with further up, but rocks of the Utica shale 

 and Hudson river group were seen in situ, with their character- 

 istic fossils. By noon the whole party had assembled at the 

 lake, when Dr. J. B. Edwards explained the programme for the 

 day, and stated that letters had been received from Major 

 Campbell, C. J. Brydges, Rev. Dr. De Sola and Drs. Smallwood 

 and Girdwood, in which they expressed their regret at not being 

 able to be present. Half an hour was then given for the 

 consumption of creature comforts, and after lunch. Dr. T. Sterry 

 Hunt gave a short account of the history of the mountain. 



He stated that he had expected Major Campbell would deliver an 

 address, but that gentleman had said there was little of historical 

 importance to relate. The mountain was known by three or 

 four different names, Beloeil, Rouville, Chambly, and St. Hilaire. 

 It was called Rouville, from the seigniory of that name, and 

 Beloeil, from Belceil seigniory opposite. There was a grand 

 religious demonstration here in 1841, when Monseigneur Forbin- 

 Janson, Bishop of Nancy, came out to the country, and by his 

 marvellous eloquence caused a great religious awakening among 

 the French Canadians. The Bishops of the province determined 

 to commemorate his visit by erecting a cross for pilgrimage upon 

 this mountain. Accompanied by their clergy, and an enormous 

 concourse of the faithful, they came here on the 6th October, 

 1841, and erected a cross on the top of the mountain, to repre- 

 sent the Crof^s of Calvary, previously making fourteen little 



