Art. —Parer BY Wm. Gossip, Esa. 
(Read Nov. 10, 1884.) 
This 1s a Paper alluded to in the latter part of Mr. Gossip’s Report as one of the 
Delegates of the Nova Scotia Institute, at Ottawa, May, 1883, and not read at 
that Meeting of the Royal Society. 
Ir will be a consoling reflection to many whose years, like my 
own, have fallen into the sear and yellow leaf, that they have 
lived to witness in this young and growing Dominion the forma- 
tion of a Royal Society of Canada, wherein, as in a mirror, all 
the grand discoveries of past ages and of the present time, and 
dependent thereon, the progress of nations in population, wealth 
and prosperity may concentrate, as examples and incentives 
towards a diligent and industrious emulation in a further 
patriotic course of public inprovement. 
Much, however, will depend upon the direction that is given 
to the impulse thus communicated. If it serve only to inflate 
the mind with exaggerated ideas of personal importance, the 
Royal Society may become a distinguished ornament of the 
Dominion, but much good may not be expected to flow from it in 
a national point of view. In fact it might as well be dead. But 
if the impulse spread itself, and be made to permeate the com- 
munity with the usefulness which is undoubtedly a part of its 
nature, it cannot fail to awaken the dormant or latent talent of 
_ the country, and infuse amongst its enquiring minds the energy 
of robust life and active research. The benefits derived will 
then be great and manifold, commensurate with the utmost hope 
and expectation entertained by the friends and well-wishers of 
the Institution. 
Nor is there any reason, in all that has yet been done on behalf 
of the Royal Society, to anticipate aught else than a happy 
result of its labours. Certainly it has rarely been on this side of 
