MOLLUSCA OP LOWER- CANADA. 65 



some general thoughts which a very short study of Canadian land 

 and fresh-water shells, etc., has suggested to my own mind. It has 

 appeared to me that in order to speculate rationally on the geo- 

 graphical range of the mollusca in Lower Canada, we must take 

 into consideratiou all the physical changes which have occurred 

 since these creatures were first created. In other words, we should 

 study the post-pliocene fossils of the district in question, and insti- 

 tute a careful comparison between them and the recent shells of 

 the country. Knowing the difficulty of access to scientific works 

 in Canada, I have made a short summary of Edward Forbes's 

 famous essay, and have shortly epitomized Mr. Lubbock's paper 

 on the Swiss Pfahlbauten, hoping that attention drawn to the 

 subject, may possibly result in the discovery of works of human 

 art -in our Canadian tertiary or post-tertiary deposits. 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. 

 First Annual Conversazione. 



The society having determined to hold an annual conversazione 

 as a literary, scientific and social reunion of its friends, a com- 

 mittee, consisting of Mr. Stanley Bagg, Mr. Becket, Mr. Robb 

 and Mr. Rose, with Mr. Leeming, the recording secretary, was 

 appointed to make arrangements, and the meeting was accord- 

 ingly held in the Society's Rooms on the evening of Tuesday 

 February 3rd. The following addresses were delivered on the 

 occasion, after which the company enjoyed themselves in examining 

 the Museum and a large collection of works of art, microscopes, 

 etc., furnished for the occasion by friends of the Society. 



Principal Dawson, in opening the proceedings of the evening, 

 said; — I have much pleasure this evening in inaugurating 

 a new feature in the progress of this Society- — our Annual 

 Conversazione — an occasion on which the members of this As- 

 sociation, with all its beasts, birds and creeping things, an- 

 nounce themselves " at home," and invite their friends to a scien- 

 tific and intellectual feast, which we hope will continue to grow 

 in interest in each succeeding year, and will remain as one of the 

 permanent institutions of the society and of the city. The last 

 occasion on which we thus entertained our friends was that of 

 the opening of this building, an event of the utmost importance 

 in the history of the society, and which has more than realized 

 the most sanguine anticipations of those who promoted the remo- 

 Oan. Nat. 5 Vol.. VIII. 



