208 TEREDO NAVALIS IN NOVA SCOTIA — MURPHY. 
tion with the ground. But however efficient these borers may 
be, science comes to the rescue, and means are being successfully 
adopted in both Europe and America to not only resist, but to 
effectually destroy their attacks. 
I need only allude to the universal knowledge of the danger to 
be apprehended, arising from the growth and development of the 
Teredo within-the bearing timbers which support our railway 
bridges ; to the annual loss to both the Dominion and Provincial 
Governments arising from their destructive powers upon our 
public road bridges, wharves and breakwaters, to satisfy the 
most sceptical that a study of this subject is worthy of the deep- 
est scientific interest; and that a minute knowledge of the extent 
and mode of formation of those belonging to our own shores 
must be of paramount importance, were it only with reference to 
the preservation of timber from their attacks. For although 
efforts are being made to replace our timber bridges by iron, still, 
when it is remembered that owing to our great extent of sea 
coast, to the many indentations of the sea, or harbours which run 
far inland, and that are necessarily crossed over tidal water, and 
that timber is within easy distance, and labour, skilled in fashion- 
ing it into desirable form, is always available, it may yet be a 
long time before all the timber bridges in this country will be 
superseded by more permanent materials. The same remarks 
will more fully apply to the wharves and breakwaters of the 
Maritime Provinces of Canada; for until timber in this country 
becomes much more expensive than it is at present, it will be 
more economical to adopt in many situations the class of wooden 
structures, or stone and wood, as at present existing. 
These facts suffice to show that the reasons so far given for 
the necessity of investigating the ravages of the Toredo, and the 
other destructive species of its class, are in themselves a subject 
well worthy of investigation; and the author of this paper would 
respectfully solicit the aid of the President and members of this 
Institute, many of whom are much more conversant with nature 
and its fauna and flora than he could pretend to be, the object 
in view this evening being more to explain what is being done 
by Engineers to prevent, or at least to lessen, the evil consequences 
