CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 327 



and its openings surrounded with minute cilia, the incurrent and ex- 

 current tubes instead of issuing from a common opening in a case cover- 

 ed by a bard envelope as in Polyzoa have sometimes separate remote 

 outlets in the mantle. A low condition of the nervous system is found 

 throughout this class, and indeed in the preceding, especially in the 

 lowest sub-class. In that which we are now speaking of the union of 

 many individuals in clusters having a common vitality is frequent, 

 among the Polyzoa all but universal. This is accompanied by gemma- 

 tion as an auxiliary means of extending the species, and in some 

 instances we have also the phenomenon of alternate generations, a 

 certain proof of the low position of the organisms in which it is 

 observed. 



On the whole it appears that the real number of classes in the 

 Molluscous series corresponds with that of the sub-kingdoms them- 

 selves, whilst these classes show in their peculiar habits and structure, 

 analogies with the several sub-kingdoms according to their order. 

 There are manifest common characters but these are modified to suit 

 different modes of life and grades of development so as to unite 

 uniformity of general plan, with that variety in its adaptation to particu- 

 lar conditions which may arise from the modification of organs and 

 principles common to all animal life, and which mainly consists in the 

 predominance in each case of some one of a definite set of tendencies 

 of development some one of which must in each case prevail over the 

 others. 



CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1865-66, FROM 

 1st DECEMBER, 1865, TO 30th NOVEMBER, 1866, INCLUSIVE. 



The Council of the Canadian Institute have the honor to present the following 

 report of the proceedings of the Society for the past year : 

 I. MEMBERSHIP. 

 The present state of the memberahip is as follows : — 



Members at commencement of Session, December, 1865 396 



New Members elected during the Session, 1865-66 13 



Total 409 



