XX ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



Maich 5. rheiioiiuiKi of Plant Growth, by Prof. 1>. P. Penlmllow. 



March 12. Cholera, by Dr. J. B. McCoiinell. 



Marcli 19. Time-Observing and Time-Keeping, by Prof. C. H. MeLeod. 



March 26. The Valley of the Nile, by Sir William Dawson. 



X. Fi-om the Mnrchison Scientific Society, Belleville, through Mr. W. R Smith: — 



In presenting this Eeport of the Murchison Scientific Society of Belleville, being the first which 

 has been read before your Royal Society, I beg to give the following information as to its present 

 position and standing. The Society was formed in June, 1873, as the Murchison Club, with the 

 object of promoting research and of making known the general natural history and characteristic 

 productions of the district, as well as of promoting scientific knowledge by reading papers and com- 

 munications, etc. It was carried on under this name with varying success until 1882, when it was 

 reorganized with the same aim and objects as the Murchison Scientific Society. A number of papers 

 had been read during that time, some of them of considerable interest ; but, owing to the smallness of 

 the membership (about thirty) and the want of funds for the purpose, no transactions or papers 

 were printed. After having agitated the question foi- several years, it was decided in 1883 that an 

 etibrt should be made to form a museum in connection with the Societj^ The authorities of Albert 

 College, Belleville, on hearing our decision, offered to provide us with the room and to place their 

 collection with ours. As their collection contained a good disjilay of minerals and a lai'ge number of 

 casts of leading types of fossils from ditferent formations, this ofller was accepted, and we have since 

 carried on the museum with the utmo.st hai-mony and .success. Our attention has been turned since 

 then principally in the direction of obtaining specimens of the living fauna of the locality, and during 

 the last two years we have placed over sixty species of birds and ten of mammals, stuffed and mounted, 

 in the museum, besides rC25resentatives of other orders. A good representation of the characteristic 

 fossils of the Trenton formation of the neighboui'hood has been made, some of them very rare. We 

 have also a fine display of the woods grown in the locality, numbering some fiftj- species, cut so as 

 to show bark, quality and grain. As the County of Hastings contains large deposits of iron and 

 other ores, specimens of all the mines that can be obtained have been placed on exhibition, so that a 

 good idea can now be formed of the gi'eatness and extent of our mineral wealth, which, gentlemen, 

 I can a.ssure you, will in the future be of the utmost importance, not only to our own county but to 

 the country at large. Although our Societj^ is small, it proves, as the preceding facts will show, that 

 we have not been idle, considering that we have not had anj- municipal or other grant of any kind 

 to assist us. The officers for the present year are : — 



President Thomas Wills. 



Vice-President Dr. H. James. 



Treasurer Jas. Marsden. 



Secretary- W. R. Smith. 



XI. Dr. Ellis, on behalf of the Canadian Institute, made a brief statement showing the woi-k of 

 that association dui-ing the past year. 



XII. In the absence of Mons. II. J. J. B. Chouin.\rd, the following Report of the Geographical 

 Society of Quebec was received : — 



Depuis le mois de mai de l'année dernière (1884), la Société de Géographie de Québec a continué à 

 travailler dans la mesui-e do ses forces à faire connaître la géographie physique de la province de 

 Québec en particulier, en prenant pour objet de ses études les terres peu connues situées au nord de 

 cette province, dans la direction du Mistassini et de la Baie d'Hudson. 



