MAMlLvTON vSCIBNTlFlC ASSOCIATION 149 



ever expressed any desire to furnish to the public at the 

 present time what perhaps it may look upon as still 

 incomplete, the very interesting "Flora" it certainly 

 possesses of this neighborhood. That Section may entertain 

 as valid objections as our own. The intended publication 

 may well be postponed to a future time. To carry out such 

 an intention at present would assuredly be looked upon as a 

 serious mistake on the part of our Association. 



I received the following comment from a letter con- 

 tributed to a published paper furnished to this enlightened 

 Ontario, not more remarkable for its adhesion to the olden 

 Theological views of a few centuries ago, than for the 

 marked unwillingness it displays to accept any knowledge by 

 more recent Scientific study. The statements contained in 

 the paper received may be accepted as the views of many 

 individuals utterly opposed to Scientific pursuits which do 

 not exactly agree with what they early learn. By all means 

 let the writer express his views however opposed to more 

 modern investigation, that appears to me the sole means we 

 possess in combatting with that dense ignorance prevailing in 

 Ontario, regarding matters long since recognized as finally 

 settled in other civilized countries. ' ' As regards the 

 discredited theories that never had a particle of solid proof," 

 remarks the writer, (pray note what follows): "Even if 

 they were based on well-ascertained facts and sound inductive 

 reason, the^^ should not be taught in our schools, inasmuch as 

 they are opposed to the religious beliefs of the majority of the 

 Canadian people affiliated iviih the Orthodox Churches T 

 What an admission, if the gentleman truly represents their 

 views — truth is not what they require. Between the true 

 and false we recognize no distinction. 



I have recently received the address of Dr. E. Ray 

 Eankester to the British Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, as President, the following extract shows how 

 utterly mistaken a member of one of the Orthodox Churches 

 is in asserting that Evolution has been discarded by leading 

 Scientists. "In the field of Geological research, the main 



