LVI ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



when its meetings were discontinued in favour of the botanical section. 

 The subjects studied were arranged under ten ditîerent classifications, 

 each led by a different member. 



Each of the sections above enumerated, as well as the parent 

 society, look forward with anticipations of much greater usefulness and 

 increase of membership upon occupying the new suite of rooms which 

 have been secured and aie now occupied. 



The Montreal branch presented its twenty-third annual report, 

 which showed a very marked increase in the membership. Eight meet- 

 ings had been held during the course of the year at which ten excellent 

 papers had been read, and the financial status was explained to be in a 

 very healthy condition. The president's annual address was a very im- 

 pressive one, urging upon the members to undertake and work up 

 some special subjects, among the very many open and now neglected, 

 enumerating a long list of such. 



XII. — From The Nova Scotian Institute of Science, through Mr. Harry 



Piers. 



On behalf of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, I beg to com- 

 municate the following report on its proceedings during the past season, 

 which was the thirty-fifth since its organization. 



Monthly meetings were held from November, 1896. to May, 189Y, 

 inclusive. At the opening meeting the president gave an address re- 

 viewing the work done by the society during the previous year, and also 

 presenting an account of the system of instruction for mining officials in 

 Nova Scotia. 



The finances of the society continue in a satisfactory state. This is 

 largely owing to the liberality of the provincial government. 



The transactions are sent to a large number of institutions in every 

 part of the world, and in return are received many extremely vahuible 

 publications. As a result the library is growing with great rapidity, 

 and the need of more room in which to house the volumes has become 

 absolutely imperative. 



The Proceedings and Transactions, volume ix., part 2, for the 

 session of 1895-6, have been distributed, and the volume for the past 

 session is in press, and will be issued ere long. 



The following were elected officers for the year 1896-7 : 



President, Edwin Gilpin, Esq., LL.D., F.G.S., F.E.S.U., F.E.M.S. 



1st Vice-President, Alexander McKay, Esq. 



2nd Vice-President, A. H. MacKay, Esq., LL.D., F.E.S.C. 



Treasurer, W. C. Silver, Esq. 



Corresponding Secretary, Professor J. G. MacGregor, D.Sc, F.R.S.S., 

 E. & C. 



