4 Things to be observed in Canada. 



the occurrence of pearls in the fresh-water mussels, and Mr. Bell 

 of the Geological Survey has collected many species in the lower 

 part of the river. 



Many members of this Society have opportunities of collecting 

 marine shells in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, — this is also a useful 

 field of inquiry. Rear Admiral Bayfield has made large collections 

 in the course of his survey. My own collection contains 

 many species. More recently Mr. Bell exhibited to us a very 

 interesting collection from the head of the Gulf between; Gaspe 

 and Quebec. I have no doubt that much may still be done, and 

 these shells would be of great interest for comparison with those 

 found fossil in the tertiary clays, long since deserted by the sea. 

 While speaking of the marine fauna, I may add that the echino- 

 derms, the zoophytes and crustaceans, also afford fields of much 

 interest and promise, still very imperfectly cultivated. 



Of the huge province of the articulates I am almost afraid to 

 speak. There is work here for all the naturalists in Canada for 

 the next century. Mr. Couper of Toronto has collected and iden- 

 tified several hundreds of species of coleoptera ; and his collection, 

 now in the McGill College, affords a good basis for any one desi- 

 rous of commencing the study of these creatures. Mr. D'Urbain 

 of our own Society has entered on the investigation of the but- 

 terflies. With the exception of what has been done for us by 

 the Arctic explorers, and the naturalists of the United States, the 

 other orders of Canadian insects are almost a terra incognita. In 

 the mean time the country is suffering so seriously from the ra- 

 vages of many of the insect tribes, that the attention of Govern- 

 ment has been attracted to the subject, and the essays produced 

 in answer to its call, by Prof. Hind and others, show that com- 

 paratively little examination of these creatures or inquiry into 

 their habits has been made within the limits of the Province; 

 nearly all the facts contained in these essays, having been col- 

 lected from abroad though the value of the essays published, and 

 the large number of competitors, show that we have persons 

 qualified for the work. For hints very useful to the young natu- 

 ralist, I may refer to the papers on collecting insects, and on the 

 distribution of insects, by Mr. Couper, published in the Natu- 

 ralist. 



Who knows anything of the myriads of minute crustaceans and 

 aquatic worms that swarm in our waters in summer. I have 

 seen enough to be assured that their name is legion, but I am not 

 aware that any one has collected or determined the species 



