1899] ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 47 



ous useful compounds obtained from coal, about 10,000 cubic feet of gas. Feat gas ia 

 more easily purified than gas made from coal, and it leaves no vile-smelling lime com- 

 pounds to be got rid of as is the case with coal. About 100,000 cubic feet of water gas 

 can be obtained from one ton of peat, and this gas without enriching can now be used for 

 lighting through the discovery of the incandescent mantle. As a fuel gas it would be 

 very cheap and of great heating power, as it is largely composed of hydrogen, whose 

 heating capacity is more than four times that of an equal weight of coal gas. For heating 

 it would be nearly as cheap as natural gas, and next in convenience and cleanliness to 

 electricity, used for that purpose, and at a hundredth part of the cost of the latter. 



Other peat beds are known to exist in the neighborhood. A majority of the 

 members of the section paid visits to the peat beds among whom may be mentioned Dr. 

 Woolverton, Mr. Fercival, Mr. Sangster and Mr. Kirk. 



Oil Wells. 



Dr. Woolverton reported on the developments in the Datton oil district. During the 

 year several wells, producing at first 25 bbl. a day, were struck. The production 

 diminished in a short time to 1 to 2 bbl. The Standard Oil Company is actively develop- 

 ing in that district. 



Mr. Kirk visited the Sarnia oil district where the Standard Co'y is also developing 

 a new oil territory. A well which produced 40 bbl. a day was struck there during the 

 month of July last. It continued to produce at that rate for about 3 weeks after which 

 it gradually fell oft to about 10 bbl. a day. The average production of the wells in the 

 Sarnia district is about 1 barrel a day. 



Parry Sound District. 



$Z - Dr. Woolverton spent several weeks in the Parry Sound district and made a most in- 

 teresting report on its rock formations., characteristic, minerals and its piospects as a 

 mining region. 'The Huronian rockp,' he said, 'are much disturbed throughout the whole 

 region, and dip in every direction, while intrusive rocks are very common. Most of the 

 surface rocks were metamorphic, the capping being usually gneiss. The boulder-strewn 

 surface is covered with a dense carpet of lichens. Among other samples collected here 

 are marbles, pure quartz of various shades from white to quite dark, jasper conglomerates, 

 mica, Bornite, Onalcopyrite and Copper pyrites. These garnets were obtained from 

 Parry Harbor. The mica specimens, of excellent colour and of merchantable size, are 

 found about seven miles from Parry Sound. A strongly mineralized zone extends from 

 Parry Sound to the Muskoka lakes, a distance of about 20 miles south east, while far to 

 the north the region is well mineralized. A number of companies with sufficient capital 

 are actively pushing the development of copper prospects and properties have changed 

 hands at high prices. Mention miy be made of the development work being doie by 

 The McGown Mining Co., The Wilcox Co'y., The Le Fex Co'y., The Parry Sound Co'y., 

 C. Copper Co'y. and The Bornite, the latter being a local concern. Not much nickel has 

 yet been found. The Bornite is found in rich pockets. A sample lot of six carloads 

 netted the owners about $5000. Copper pyrites is extensively found and is quite rich in 

 copper.' 



S. Woolverton, Chairman. 



REPORT OF THE MICROSCOPICAL SECTION. 



The section was organized on Oct. 22, 1898, with the following officers: — J. A. 

 Balkwill, Chairman ; S. Silcox, Secretary , J. H. Bowman and W. H. Rennie, com- 

 mittee. 



^JLmb Eight meetings were held during the winter, beginning Nov. 12th and on each 2nd 

 and 4th Saturday thereafter. At several of these the subject of Ecology was taken up, 

 following notes obtained at Chicago University by W. T. McOiement, M. A. of the 



