480 Canadian Reeorcl of Science. 



diate and pressing importance. In the few minutes 

 which I shall detain yon, I shall endeavour to prove to 

 you that this is so. 



We must first of all define the scope of ]S[atural 

 History. It is usually held to denote merely the study 

 of animals and plants, but in its original signification 

 it denotes the study of all surrounding nature, inanimate 

 as well as animate. Thus it corresponds to the old mean- 

 ing of the work Physics, which, as used by the Greeks, 

 comprised all natural knowledge. Just as the scope of 

 Physics has been gradually limited until it is confined 

 to the study of light, heat, sound, electricity and 

 mechanics, so Natural History has come to mean the 

 study of living nature. In Montreal, however, the 

 term is employed in a more generous sense, and an 

 important section of the Society is interested in the 

 structure of the rocks and their arrangement in the 

 crust of the earth. 



jSTow the study of Geology needs no defence from 

 me. The man in the street understands at once its 

 close and intimate connection with the development 

 of those mineral resources which form such an import- 

 ant part of Canada's wealth. On the other hand, the 

 study of plants and animals is often regarded in the 

 light of an amiable hobby of no practical use. 



Is'ow whilst it is true that any study may be 

 pursued as a hobby, and that no study which is 

 pursued in a dilettante fashion is ever likely to lead 

 to important results, yet nothing could be further 

 from the truth than to imagine that the systematic 

 study of zoology and botany is without practical 

 importance. 



In order to realize this let us trv to picture to our- 



