2 PROCEEDINGS. 



The President read a short note " On Hi/la squirella, a batrachian new to the Pro- 

 vince." [See Appendix.) It vt'as discovered by Mr. Arthur Silver on his father's 

 estate at Preston. 



Ordinary Meeting, January 6, 1868. 

 J. M. Jones, President, in the Chair. 

 Dr. Frasee read a paper " On the Magnetic Telegraph." {See Transactions.) 

 Dr. J. B. Gilpin read a paper " On some of the Fishes of the Coast." (See Transac- 

 tions.) 



The Pollack (Gadus virens, Gunth.), and the Hake (Phjjcis Americanus, Guntti.) were 

 descrihed, and very carefully prepared drawings of each exhibited 



Ordinary Meeting, February 3, 1868. 

 Dr. J. B. Gilpin, Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 Mr. T. F. Knight read a paper " On Oyster culture." (See Transactions.) 

 Mr. J. H. DuvAR stated that an attempt had been made at Prince Edward Island to 

 form oyster beds, but the result had not yet been ascertained. The oyster was found at 

 various places on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, but chiefly on the northern shores, 

 within the Gulf of St. Lawrence, viz., at Pictou, Tatamagouche, Merigomish, Wallace, 

 Pugwash, &c. They did not exist on the Bay of Fundy shore of Nova Scotia. 



Mr. Henry Poole's paper " On the Meteorology of the Caledonian Coal Mines, Cape 

 Breton, in 1867," was read by the Secretary. (See Transactions.) 



Ordinary Meeting, March 3, 1868. 

 J. M. Jones, President, in the Chair. 



The following Resolution having been duly moved and seconded, was carried by the 

 vote of a majority of the members present : — 



" That for the future the Ordinary Meetings of the Institute, for the reading of 

 papers, be held on the second Monday of each month, instead of the first, as formerly." 



The President road an extract of a letter from Dr. A. Gunther, F. E. S., 

 (British Museum,) relating to his recent discovery as to the Whitebait of England 

 ( Clupea alba, Yar.) being merely the young of the common Herring ( Clupea harengns, 

 Giiiith.) 



The President also read a communication from Mr. Hurdis, of Southampton, 

 England, {Cor. Memb.), embracing his views upon revolving storms, particularly those 

 of the North Atlantic. (See Appendix.) 



Ordinary Meeting, April 13, 1868. 

 J. M. Jones, President, in the Chair. 

 Dr. J. B. Gilpin read a paper " On the Mammalia of Nova Scotia," being the fourth 

 part of a series read before the Institute, and published in former numbers of tlie Trans- 

 actions. (See Transactions.) 



The author illustrated his paper with life-like dramngs of each species. 

 The President alluded to the "slides" made by otters on the marsrins of lakes 

 and streams, a flict mentioned by the doctor, and stated that he had seen such slides on 

 the sloping margin of a lake frequented by otters at the base of the Blue Mountains, 

 Shelburne Co. 



Mr. W. C. Silver stated that the otter, which was plentiful some thirty or forty years 

 ago in the neighborhood of Halifax, was extremely scarce now, and might, indeed,, be- 

 considered rare all over the Province. 



