PruceeiUvfjs. xi 



vellons to think what the early naturalists had achieved with the 

 means at their disposal. Mr. Aldous' i)aper was illustrated hy a 

 number of diagrams of early forms of the microscope, as well as 

 by some old and valuable examples from his own collection. 



April 13th. — "Notes on a Ten Weeks' Trip to the United 

 States and Canada," by Mr. E. B. Sturge. In this lecture, 

 which was lai'gely attended, and which was illustrated by a fine 

 series of slides shown by the optical lantern, Mr. Sturge gave an 

 interesting account of the various American and Canadian towns 

 he had visited, and of Pike's Peak, which he had ascended. 

 The heat, he said, was in some places very great, the thermo- 

 meter standing as high as 101° Fahr. A number of slides 

 showed some of the leading features of New York, which were 

 graphically described, as also were the Niagara Falls, and the 

 wonderful Hoosac Tunnel. The magnificently wild scenery of 

 the Eocky Mountains was next referred to, and many beautiful 

 slides were shown ; some of these being photographs of some of 

 the gigantic forest trees of that locality. At Pike's Peak, which 

 is 14,115 feet above sea-level, the ascent can be made by the cog- 

 wheel railway, recently opened. On the summit is a signal 

 house belonging to the United States Weather Bureau. The 

 journey to San Francisco was then described, and Mr. Sturge 

 said that the ferry boat which crosses the Straits of Carquinez is 

 considered to be the largest in use, being capable of taking 

 twenty-eight Pullman cars at one journey. Puget Sound Avas 

 stated to be a remarkably fine expanse of water, with the banks 

 so beautifully wooded that the forest -growth extends right down 

 to the water's edge. Near Banff and Winnipeg, Mr. Sturge saw 

 some magnificent scenery. At the latter place is situated the 

 head-quarters of the Hudson's Bay Company, with large ware- 

 houses and stores. The distance of this town from Vancouver is 

 1,482 miles. The lecturer said that he had not very great faci- 

 lities for noting the Natural History features of the country 

 through which he passed, but he had seen during his visit 

 whales, prairie-dogs, Califoruian grey squirrels, chipmunks, 

 foxes, cow-birds or starlings, prairie fowl, jays, grouse, humming- 

 birds, and last, but not least, mosquitoes. The lecture, which 

 much interested the audience, was illustrated by a number of 

 objects of general use collected from the various tribes of North 

 American Indians, and which were exhibited by the President. 



May 11th. — " Abnormal forms and variations in the Animal 

 Kingdom," by the President. In this paper reference was made 

 to the various ways in which abnormalities occur, such as 

 albinism, melanism, and even monstrosities. But the paper 

 dealt with such comparatively normal variations as might result 

 from any change in the surrounding conditions, either geological, 

 climatological, &c. And cases were cited in which such variations 



