70 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. 



bright, at a considerable depth in the water ; it moved grace- 

 fully with every motion of the waves. I feasted my eyes on its 

 beauty, and thought if only I could secure it without injury how 

 glad I would be. To dive so deep and bring it up was not pos- 

 sible for me, so I got a long branch of a neighbouring tree, and 

 up to the knees in water, on a rock near by, I worked till at last 

 I caught it, and with joy pulled up my prize, But what do you 

 think it was ? Why, nothing but a bit of a soldier's red coat S 

 (Laughter.) I was very much disgusted you may be sure. But 

 yet it was so amusing that I enjoyed " the sell " amazingly. 



" I do not need to go far for the objects of my study. They are 

 everywhere — on the damp soil, the water spout, the pool, the 

 high-way, — in the streamlet, the river, and the ocean. Pools of 

 stagnant water, covered with a green mantle, were no contempt- 

 ible fields for investigation. They were not unhealthful, and they 

 were filled with objects, than which few were of greater interest- 

 When upon a large scale, they emitted carbonic acid gas, or 

 miasma the little things which covered them fed upon that gas, 

 and absorbed it, leaving globules of pure and healthy oxygen. Some 

 of these plants were exceedingly complicated and curious, and, to 

 his mind, the most beautiful in the vegetable kingdom. Mr. 

 Kemp here exhibited drawings of Spyrogyroe and Rivularice, and 

 explained the structure and growth of these minute plants, which 

 were constantly to be found growing in stagnant pools or on the 

 banks of streams, and were objects of great interest to naturalists. 

 They were exceedingly prolific, and he considered their peculiar 

 manner of propagation as a proof of the permanency of species, 

 in opposition to the Darwinian theory. Little and lowly they 

 were, yet on examining their structure, and studying their econ- 

 omy, we were led into regions of life most wonderful and myste- 

 rious exhibiting the wisdom, goodness, and power of the Creator. 

 Whence life came we could not tell ; what it was the microscope 

 could not discover. God concealed himself amidst his works, 

 even while he revealed his power and skill in the outward aspects 

 which they presented. In observing even these minute forms of 

 life one could not but feel the truth of the saying : " Canst thou 

 by searching find out God, canst thou find out the Almighty unto 

 perfection ?" For the speaker's part, though his special study 

 was, from choice and profession the Bible, yet he felt bound, at 

 the same time, to unfold and read the wondrous pages of creation . 

 He did not believe it possible for a man to be an infidel, whilst 



