NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. 71 



he paid scientific attention to nature. He was glad to see his 

 audience there. The society had left its former humble rooms ; 

 and with the occupation of better ones, seemed to have improved 

 in spirit. Let those who were not already members, become so, 

 and begin and prosecute the study of the works of their beneficent 

 Creator. 



The Chairman then rose and thanked Mr. Kemp for his excel- 

 lent address, saying, that the poet had said, there were "tongues 

 in trees ; books in the running brooks, and sermons in stones/' 

 but Mr. Kemp had found sermons in stagnant pools. 



Selections of music, from Verdi and Donizetti, were then per- 

 formed by the Band. When these were Over, the Chairman in- 

 troduced the Rev. Dr. De Sola, who said : — 



I believe that no member of the Natural History Society will 

 regret that it was decided to hold this pleasant social meeting 

 here, when he looks around and sees how readily and numerous- 

 ly the friends of the Society have come forward this evening, to 

 show their interest in us. And I am sanguine enough to believe 

 that all who have come to-night are friends of the Society, and 

 wish us God-speed in our efforts to promote its objects. And I 

 am also sanguine enough to believe as a consequence, that those 

 days in which the Natural History Society only vegetated, and in 

 which even this vegetative existence was scarcely known to the 

 public, are past, for ever past, without recall. At the same time, 

 I do not forget that though the claims of natural science are be. 

 coming better understood, still much misconception as to its ends 

 still exists, and some branches which this institution favors, are 

 even now regarded with suspicion, if not with positive dislike, by 

 many worthy persons who unaccountably fancy that the cause of 

 revealed truth may be injured by them. This is no occasion fully 

 to examine such an objection. We can only say to such timid 

 persons, "Become members of this Society, and judge for your- 

 selves, what powerful support science has giveu revelation." 

 With reference to this misconception, I may go further and say 

 that had carpers at holy writ been better naturalists, and possess- 

 ed greater knewledge of physical science, they had not advanced 

 half the fallacies they have. Thus, if the writer of a recent moat 

 crude and unfortunate publication, entitled " A critical examin- 

 ation of the Pentateuch and Book of Joshua," — called critical, 



