234 PROCEEDINGS. 



The President, Dr. Gilpin, made some highly interesting and instructive 

 observations on specimens laid on the table :-»- 



1. On a specimen of the Head of a dead Pelican, found lying on the 

 shore at Upper Prospect. 



2. On a Stone Axe found in Dartmouth, and presented to the Museum by 

 Mr. Donald Ross, of Dartmouth. 



Mr. A. Dewae then read a paper entitled : " A New Theory of the Descent 

 of Man," after which a discussion took place in which the President, Dr. 

 Reid, Dr. Sommers, Honble. L. G. Power, and Dr. J. G. McGregor, took 

 part. 



Ordinary Meeting, January 13, 1877. 

 The President in the Chair. 



It was announced by Mr. Mellish that Dr. J. G. McGregor and Mr. J. 

 P. Hagarty had been duly elected members of the Institute. 



The Rev. Dr. Honeyman reau a printed communication from Principal 

 Dawson, giving am account of a recent discovery of Fossil Batrachians in the 

 Coal Formation of the South Jaggins. This discovery added new Reptiles to 

 the list already recorded as found at the Joggins by the author, and also threw 

 new light on the whole subject. The communication is to be found in Silli- 

 man's Journal. 



Dr. A. P. Reid then read a paper " On the Rates of Mortality in Ancient 

 and Modern Times." The observations in the paper were general in character, 

 and distinctly exhibited facts in favour of the view that the death rates have 

 been much lower in modern than in ancient times. (See Transactions.) 



Ordinary Meeting, Feb. 12, 1877. 

 The President in the Chair. 



The Secretary announced that he had received the Transactions of the 

 Academy of Sciences of Davenport, Iowa, and also the first number of a 

 similar publication from the National Historical Society of Brazil. 



The Rev. Dr. Honeyman read a paper " On Nova Scotian Geology at 

 the Centennial." After reading his paper, Dr. H. made some observations 

 on the " Eozoon Canadtnse" (Dawson). Its nature was illustrated by beauti- 

 ful microscopic sections prepared with great care by T. Weston, Esq., of 

 the Geological Survey of Canada, and by nummulites partially and entirely 

 filled with fjlauconite. Its forameniferal relations were illustrated by foram- 

 enifera from dredgings from H. M. S. Challenger. Dr. H. stated that there 

 was difference of opinion in regard to the true nature of the Eozoon, — some 

 regarding it as an organic and others as a mineral structure, while yet others 

 were undecided. (See Transactions.) 



