IV ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



from the Assciciatioii oil this subject is dcsiM-ving of special Coii.siilerati()ii, not uioi-uiy as a matter of 

 courtesy, hut as likely to lead to measures highly advantageous to the Dominion. 



" Tliat the great deficiency in our knowledge of facts, on which to base trustworthy predictions of 

 the tides for the ditterent parts of our coasts, is a subject that might before this time have engaged the 

 attention of the Royal Society, had it been longer in existence, notonl}' for the high scientific interest 

 of the problems involved, but also for the direct utility to seamen of the results depending on its solu- 

 tion. The Council, acting on behalf of the Society, desire therefore to urge with the utmost earnest- 

 ness the importance, not only of establishing stations to obtain the requisite observations, and of 

 reducing these observations, wheu obtained, by the methods of the British Association, but of doing 

 this as speedily as possible, in order that information of such great value to the commerce of the 

 country may be procured with the least possible delay. That your petitioners would also respectfully 

 urge that besides observations, at fixed .stations, on the rise and fall of the tides — which are specially 

 connected with questions of 'soundings,' — a survey should be made by a ])roperly equipped vessel or 

 vessels to determine the rate and direction of the Tidal Currents at dirterent times of the tide, want of 

 knowledge of which has been the cause of the loss of so much life and jJi'operty. 



"They would gladly hope that before long they may see published in their Ti'ansactions papers 

 with regard to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as valuable as those published in th<! Philosophical 

 Transactions of the Royal Society of London by the late Admiral Beechey, giving the remarkable 

 results of his survey of the currents of the Irish and English Channels and North Sea. 



" Your Petitioners would, therefore, pray that your Honourable House will be pleased to take into 

 your favourable consideration the foregoing facts, and sanction such measures as may .secure those 

 Tidal Observations on the coasts of Canada, which cannot fail to be of great practical value, not only 

 to the scientific world at largo, but to (he many thousands of seamen who resort to the waters of the 

 Dominion, and in that way to the growing commerce of the whole country. 



"And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. 



" (Signed) Dr. T. Sterry Hunt. 



Alex. Johnson. 

 Sir W. Dawson. 

 John Geo. Bourinot, Hon. Sec," 

 and others. 



The customary invitations were sent to eminent scientific bodies in England, France, Belgium, 

 and the United States, but they have been unable to send delegates to the present meeting for various 

 reasons not necessary to state at length in this i-cport. The following paragi-aph, from the reply of 

 the Piesident of the "Association française pour l'avancement des Sciences," demands the considei'a- 

 tion of the Eoyal Society of Canada : — 



" Our annual session will be held at Grenoble from August 12th to 23rd next, and we shall be 

 much pleased if the Royal Society of Canada can be represented on that occasion. If this is possible, 

 I shall be much obliged to you if you will let me know the number of delegates who, during their 

 stay at Grenoble, will be the guests of the city and of the Association franyaise." 



We direct the attention of the scientific Sections to the tlesirability of appointing delegates in 

 accordance with the tbregoing cordial invitation. 



The .several scientific and literary Societies in the Dominion which have been affiliated with the 

 Royal Society have been invited by circulars of the Honorary Secretary to elect delegates, to take part 

 in all general and sectional meetings for the reading and the discussion of jiapers, and to communicate 

 short statements of original worU done and papers published tluring the year, and to report on any 

 matters which the Royal Society may usefully aid by publication or otherwise. The following Societies 

 have a|i])iiiiited Delegates, all of whom, we Ii0]>e. will be ])r(>sent at this meeting: — 



