The Royal Society of Canada. 435 



inevitable result. He then treats of cataclysmal floods, and 

 shows that they are not within the limits of possibility. 



Dr. A. P. Coleman contributes a valuable paper on the 

 "Microscopic Petrography of the Drift of Central Ontario." 

 After giving a general description of the drift in Central 

 Ontario, the author enumerates the microscopic characters 

 of the various crystalline rocks (chiefly Lauren tian) found 

 in these deposits in the vicinity of Cobourg. He then pro- 

 ceeds to classify them according to Kosenbusch's method 

 under the two classes — acid and basic rocks, distinguishing 

 a massive and a schistose series in each. The drift of 

 Cobourg, which is derived from the north-eastward, is 

 shown to contain a large variety of the older archaean rocks. 

 Hornblende proved to be present in the greater number of 

 specimens examined. The presence of a considerable group 

 of rocks, characterized by containing scapolite as an essen- 

 tial mineral, is the most interesting point brought out in 

 the investigation. This paper is illustrated by six coloured 

 plates of microscopic sections of rocks. 



Mr. C. H. Merriam appeared before the Society in behalf 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, and pre- 

 sented an address relative to economic ornithology. He 

 laid special stress upon the ravages of the rice bird, and 

 indicated the steps that were being taken by the United 

 States authorities to check it. He also dwelt at some 

 length upon the English sparrow in its relation to insects, 

 and its value as a game bird. He also read a paper on the 

 " Migration of Birds," in which he pointed out that their 

 annual increase, which would otherwise reach enormous 

 proportions, was controlled by the conditions attending 

 their passage from one country to another, by reason of 

 which great numbers were killed. 



Mr. Ernest E. Thompson discussed a question of much 

 interest in his " Notes on the English Sparrow, Passer 

 Domesticus." Eeference was made to the extraordinary 

 rate at which this imported bird is multiplying in North 

 America and spreading over the continent, to the exclusion 

 of some of our native sparrows. Its influence on agricul- 

 ture must be great, and it is very desirable to ascertain as 



