— 178 — 

 ANNEXE O. 



(Voir seance du SO Juillet 1885, page 33). 



The Fossil Mosasaurus with au insight into the 

 Elements of Palaeontology. 



Gentlemen, 



Situated as we are in this remote corner of the 

 Globe, far from the great centres of Science, Art and 

 Literature, unblest with the innumerable advantages 

 which those centres offer to the student, our craving 

 minds are wont to peruse with eagerness the novelties 

 of the various branches of learning in the different 

 papers and periodicals we receive from Europe and 

 elsewhere. What with the valuable books that adorn 

 this Society's shelves and the scientific and other 

 periodicals laid on this table every month, we thus 

 one and all feed our fervent desires to draw the atten- 

 tion of our fellow-members to some new discovery in 

 the domains of knowledge. Wherefore I come to you 

 to-day, with great diflSdence, relying upon your indul- 

 gence in attempting such a vast and serious subject 

 as a peep into the falsely-so-called arid Science of 

 Paloentology, after having read in one of the papers 

 last received, of the discovery of an '^ almost perfect 

 skeleton of the Mosasaurus of the extraordinary length 

 of 55 feet long, 9 in. in a quarry at Mons " last May. 



It cannot be doubted that the study of Geology 

 (with which the science of Palcentology is so intimately 



