APPENDIX FIELD DAY. 223 





FIELD DAY. —Institute of Natukal Science. 



The Institute of Natural Science, pursuant to notice to its members, 

 had an interesting Field Day, on Thursday, the 24th, August. 



It happened on this occasion that pressing avocations on the part of 

 some, and absence from Halifax on the part of others, prevented a gene- 

 ral attendance ; but fourteen gentlemen assembled, making a fair repre- 

 sentation of the Sections which compose the Institute. They left for 

 Grand Lake by the 8 a. m. train, and commenced explorations on their 

 arrival at the Wellington Station. These were chiefly Geological, led by 

 the Rev. Dr. Honeyman, the Honorary Secretary of the Institute. Seve- 

 ral places were visited, where the smooth surfaces of the Lower Silurian, 

 or even Lower Rocks, were exposed, and the glacial striation very plainly 

 marked, the direction of which was S. 30°. W. by compass, with some 

 slight variation caused probably by erratic movement of the abrading 

 glacier, by which the country at one time must have been entirely covered. 

 This course differs somewhat from the more plainly marked strias of 

 Point Pleasant, close to Halifax, where with slighter variation, it is about 

 S 30°. E. I he Lower Silurian is here, (coasting tie Grand Lake,) 

 entirely metamorphosed clay slate, penetrated by small bands or veins 

 of quartz. It is the Gold district Onward, on the opposite side of the 

 road, at a short distance, is the remarkable phenomenon of a knoll of 

 carboniferous conglomerate, the remains possibly, of a carboniferous 

 beach, lying on the upturned edges of the older strata, the intervening 

 formations being all absent ; but this being left, shows the changes our 

 solid earth must have undergone during the past, almost unlimited, period 

 of its eventful history. Other places were visited of Geological interest. 

 Indications of travelled drift were frequent — syenite, greenstone, porphy- 

 ries, and further onward, amygdaloid and other trap, — all serving to 

 illustrate the conclusion of Dr. Honeyman, of their passage in one direc- 

 tion from the Cobequid range, in another from the region of Blomidon, 

 and the Trap District of the Bay of Fundy. 



Dr. Sommers, of the Botanical Section of the Institute, made an in- 

 teresting collection of plants for his herbarium, assisted by other members 

 of the Institute. 



The Zoological Section had very little to do in the way of observation 

 or collection, so far as wild nature was concerned. .Some beautiful 

 butterflies disported in the summer sunshine The snakes, frogs and 

 toads made themselves very scarce on this occasion. 



In this way the time passed, until near 1 p. m., the party arrived at 

 Oakfield, the extensive estate of Colonel Laurie, where they were met by 

 the hospitable proprietor, and conducted to the top of his mansion, to 

 view a splendid panorama of the surrounding country, embracing the 



