358 TEREDO NAVALIS IN NOVA SCOTIA — MUEPHY. 



tion with the ground. But however efficient these borers may- 

 be, science comes to the rescue, and means are being successfully 

 adopted in both Europe and America to not only resist, but to 

 effectually destroy their attacks. 



I need only allude to the universal knowledge of the danger to 

 be apprehended, arising from the growth and development of the 

 Teredo within the bearing timbers which support our railway 

 bridges ; to the annual loss to both the Dominion and Provincial 

 Governments arising from their destructive powers upon our 

 public road bridges, wharves and breakwaters, to satisfy the 

 most sceptical that a stud}? of this subject is worthy of the deep- 

 est scientific interest; and that a minute knowledge of the extent 

 and mode of formation of those belonging to our own shores 

 must be of paramount importance, were it only with reference to 

 the preservation of timber from their attacks. For although 

 efforts are being made to replace our timber bridges by iron, still, 

 when it is remembered that owing to our great extent of sea 

 coast, to the many indentations of the sea, or harbours which run 

 far inland, and that are necessarily crossed over tidal water, and 

 that timber is within easy distance, and labour, skilled in fashion- 

 ing it into desirable form, is always available, it may yet be a 

 long time before all the timber bridges in this country will be 

 superseded by more permanent materials. The same remarks 

 will more fully apply to the wharves and breakwaters of the 

 Maritime Provinces of Canada ; for until timber in this country 

 becomes much more expensive than it is at present, it will be 

 more economical to adopt in many situations the class of wooden 

 structures, or stone and wood, as at present existing. 



These facts suffice to show that the reasons so far given for 

 the necessity of investigating the ravages of the Toredo, and the 

 other destructive species of its class, are in themselves a subject 

 well worthy of investigation; and the author of this paper would 

 respectfully solicit the aid of the President and members of this 

 Institute, many of whom are much more conversant with nature 

 and its fauna and flora than he could pretend to be, the object 

 in view this evening being more to explain what is being done 

 by Engineers to prevent, or at least to lessen, the evil consequences 



