25G 



COLEOPTERA COLLECTED IN CANADA. 



[1855. 



of this formation, with tbeir peculiar calcareous triclinic feldspars, is 

 of eminent scientific interest, while the fact, that the famous iron 

 mines of Sweden, Russia, and those of Lake Champlain in the United 

 States, belong to this series of roclis, gives them a great economic 

 importance. The immense deposits of iron ore at Marmora, Madoc, 

 South Sherbrooke, South Crosby, McNab, Hall, and elsewhere in the 

 same reo'ion are contained in this formation. It is interesting as illus- 

 trating the connection between the geology and the agricultural capa- 

 bilities of a district, to observe that wherever in the region of these 

 Laurentian rocks the calcareous feldspars, above alluded to, are met 

 with, their decay gives a fertile soil, strongly contrasting with the 

 barrenness of those districts, where the more silicious portion of the 

 formation prevail. 



In speaking of the economic results of the Survey, the examinations 

 of our mineral waters must not be forgotten. From their medicinal 

 value mineral springs often become centres of attraction and of popu- 

 lation ; Bath and Harrowgate in England, the famous watering places 

 of Germany, and those of Virginia and Saratoga in the United States 

 among others, owe their importance to mineral springs. Canada 

 abounds in mineral waters of almost every kind, and their investiga- 

 tion has occupied much of my time during several years. The Annual 

 Eeport of Progress of the Geological Survey for 1853, contains a list 

 of fifty-sis springs, with references to the pages of that, and of pre- 

 vious reports, in which the analysis may be found. The number of 

 mineral waters, whose composition is thus made known, is greater 

 than that of .all the others yet described in America, and the published 

 results will show that, probably nowhere but in France and Germany, 

 have the examinations been made with the same degree of minuteness 

 as in Canada. A great proportion of the waters liave been analyzed 

 quantitatively. 



Among the most remarkable of our mineral springs thus made 

 known, are those which contain large portions of iodine and bromine 

 salts, and others holding in solution salts of the rare bases baryta and 

 stroutia, which had hitherto been detected only in a few springs in 

 Germany. We may also mention the numerous alkaline waters, re- 

 markable for the great proportion of carbonate of soda which they 

 contain, along with silicate, phosphate and borate of soda, or borax. 

 This rare salt hitherto unknown in the waters of North America has 

 been found in several springs in Lower Canada. The waters of Tus- 

 carora, Chippawa, and St. David's in Upper Canada, remarkable for 

 containing large quantities of free sulphuric acid, with sulphuretted 

 hydrogen and sulphates of alumina, iron, and lime, may also be men- 

 tioned, and the sulphur spi'ing of Charlotteville, near Simcoe, C. W., 

 surpassing in the amount of sulphuretted hydrogen the famous Har- 

 rown-ate waters, is also worthy of especial notice, for it is destined at 

 some future time to become an important watering-place. The results 

 of these analyses have made known to the medical profession the 

 Chemical composition of all these various waters, and will enable the 

 enlightened physician to prescribe them with discrimination in the 

 various forms of disease. 



The study of these different springs has at the same time been made 

 with especial reference of their geological position, and many curious 

 and important relations between their soluble mineral contents, and 

 the composition of the sedimentary rocks, have been shown, throwing 

 light at the same time upon the theory of the formation of mineral 

 waters, and the chemistry of the strata through which they flow," 



It was one of the objects of tlie Committee to ascertain liow 

 far the Geological Survey of Canada had been appreciated by 

 distinguished scientific men abroad ; and here we may inciden- 

 tally remark, that no one who perases the evidence of which we 

 have given an abstract, can fail to notice the kindly feeling 

 which appears to exist among the officers of the Survey, and 

 especially between those whose position and labours have at 

 this juncture been most prominently brought before the public. 

 Mr. Hunt, with much taste, makes the following quotation 

 from a well known and able pen in the London Qiiarterli/ 

 Review for October, 1854, which is the only one, out of many, 

 which we have room to insert. " In Canada, especially, there has 

 been proceeding for some years one of the most extensive and 

 important Geological Surveys now going on in the world. The 

 enthusiasm and disinterestedness of a thoroughly qualified and 

 judicious obsei-ver, Mr. Logan, whose name will ever stand 

 hisfh in the roll of the votaries of his favourite science, have 



conferred upon this great work a wide spread fame." Mr. 

 Logan tells the Committee that he (Mr. Logan) is "by 

 profession a Miner and a IMetallurgi.st," and almost in the 

 same breath, while not forgetting to enumerate the well deser- 

 ved encomiums of distinguished scientific men abroad upon the 

 general results of the Survey, points to Mr. Hunt's valuable 

 contributions to the London Philosophical Magazine, as well 

 as other scientific publications, and to the American Journal 

 of Science; to his analysis of mineral species and his various 

 results with regard to them — adopted by Dana, — to the works 

 of Gerhardt and Laurent by whom he is quoted, and to his 

 communications to the American Association. 



Coleoptera Collected in Canada.* 



By William Couper, Toronto. 

 For Authorities and synonyms see Melsheimer' s Catalogue, ^c. 

 LEBIA 

 ? viTTATA Fabr. — Meh. Cat. Antennae black, about twice 

 the length of thorax ; head red : eyes black ; thorax red, orbi- 

 cular : margin very narrow ; elytra black, with a bright yellow 

 longitudinal stripe on the centre of each, and another on the 

 margin ; truncate behind ; body beneath and thighs red j tibise 

 and tarsi black. Length 2 lines. 



This little rarity was taken about one mile north of Toronto 

 in the summer of 1848 ; since then I have not seen another. 

 It is evidently a variety. 



SCARITES 

 SUBTERKANEUS. — Meh. Cat. Antennae reddish, 11-articu- 

 late, the two basal joints longest ; jaws curved, nearly the 

 length of head, grooved on top, each armed with an inside 

 lance-like tooth near the base ; head grooved on both sides ; 

 thorax smooth, polished, with a slight transverse protu- 

 berance on front, and a fine longitudinal groove on the 

 disc ; elytra with eight smooth striae, and three slightly im- 

 pressed punctures on each — one on front and two behind ; fore- 

 legs palmate ; shanks toothed ; body and legs with a few hairs. 

 Toronto penin.sula. May, not common. Length 7 lines. 

 AMARA 

 VULGARIS Lin. — Meh. Cat. Antennas dark brown, villous ; 

 head and thorax black, polished ; elytra black, highly polished, 

 and slightly tinged with copper-coloured bronze ; body beneath 

 and legs black. Toronto, common. Length 5 lines. 

 AGONDEEUS 

 ? LINEOLA Fabr. — 3Ieh. Cat. Antennas light brown, and 

 very short ; head reddish-yellow, with a black transverse fascia 

 on top ; thorax reddish yellow, on which there are two black 

 spots ; elytra yellow, striate, with two longitudinal black lines 

 on each side of suture ; body beneath and legs pale. Toronto 

 peninsula, very rare. Length 3 J lines. 

 Evidently an allied species. 



NECRODES 

 SURINAMENSIS. — -Meh. Cat. Antenna3 clavate, perfoliate ; 

 head and thorax black, the latter orbicular and polished ; scu- 

 tellum triangular, finely punctured ; elytra black, minutely 

 punctured, with three longitudinal raised lines on each, and 

 slightly depressed behind : each with a yellow transverse notch- 

 ed fascia, which in some specimens appear in the form of three 

 dots; hind thighs toothed. Toronto and Manitoulin, common. 

 Vary in length from J to nearly 1 inch. 

 THANATOPHILUS 

 CAXJDATUS. — Meh. Cat. ; tuberculata Gcvm. Antennas cla- 

 vate, perfoliate : head and thorax densely covered with short 



* Continued from page 212. 



