166 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



naturalists and explorers to the rich field for observation that awaits 

 them in New Brunswick. Dr. Ganong has pointed out that the 

 highest mountain in the province is as yet a matter of conjecture > 

 that the heights of but very few mountains have been determined 

 with any degree of accuracy; and that a vast amount of information 

 in the location of tributaiy streams, in the size and depth of inland 

 lakes, with thorough and accurate measurements of mountains, lakes, 

 streams, is yet required before the maps in many sections of the 

 province can be reconstructed with accuracy. While the distribution 

 and occurrence of the flowering plants of the province have been 

 determined fairly well in a few sections, others have had only a pass- 

 ing glance by a few of our botanists, while vast areas of the province 

 have not been examined at all for plants. With the exception of our 

 mosses, ferns and algae, no attempts have been made since Professor 

 Fowler's list was published in 1879 to publish lists noting the occur- 

 rence of our lichens and fungi, the investigation of which promise to 

 yield rich results to the botanists of the future. 



The examination into the occurrence and distribution of animal 

 life has not been as complete as one might wish, and there is conse- 

 quently much ignorance } r et as to the distribution of species, even of 

 the larger animals, found in the province. Since Mr. Chamberlain's 

 list of birds and mammals was published many years ago, no additional 

 results have been made public. Dr. Cox has been steadily working 

 up the fishes. No cne appears to be occupying the field of inverte- 

 brate zoology since Dr. Ganong published his results twelve years ago, 

 and the field of insect life, in which Mr. Mcintosh has made so pro- 

 mising a beginning in our own vicinity, has no worker outside of our 

 society in the whole province, — -at least no worker who publishes 

 results. When this Society last year, through the generosity of a 

 friend, offered a series of prizes for the best collections of weeds, 

 insects and fungi, the results were meagre and disappointing, so far as 

 the province at large is concerned. And yet the work done by our 

 Society is on the whole very encouraging. It is to be hoped that as 

 many as possible of our members will meet on the Restigouche this 

 year with the Summer School of Science and give what encouragement 

 we can to that bodv in its efforts to encourage the study of science. 



But the workers are too few. Why is it 1 There should lie hun- 

 dreds of workers, not only in the cities but in the country districts, 

 where now there is but one, or at least only a very few. These should 

 be investigating and publishing their investigations iii local papers, or 



