1855.] 



EEVIEWS. 



327 



(?) CHKYSOCEPHALrs — Toronto. Very rare. 

 EXTJLANS — Erich. Toronto. Mr. Couper. 



CEYPTOBIUM 

 BICOLOR — Giv. Micr. Toronto. Not common. 



PH^DERUS 

 LiTTORARius — Giv. Mon. Canada E. and W. Kare. 



NOTES ON MR. COUPER'S DESCRIPTIONS, 

 Published at page 210 : 



CiCiNDELA PURPUREA — I found more than common. 



" PUNCTULATA — May be found pretty plentifully 



on the sandy road near Toronto Cemetery, about the middle of 

 August. 



Agonum cupripenne — Larger than A. S-pwnctafum. 

 " 8-PUNCTATTJM — Common in damp situations. 



OsMODERMA — I have found the 0. eremicola always after 

 sunset, but the 0. scaber invariably in the day-time, and gene- 

 rally flying. Of the latter, those of Canada West greatly ex- 

 ceed in size those of Canada East. 



NOTES ON PROF. CROFT'S ADDENDA. 



Clytcs erythrocephalus — Very common. 



Strangali.v fugax — Not uncommon. 



Caeliditjm atennatum — antennatum ? 



Lepiura Canadensis and proxima — Not uncommon. 



ur present object, however, is not to discuss the relative merits 

 of either society, but to examine and comment on the contents 

 of the welcome publication now before ns.* 



Of the first article, then, let us frankly observe that, how- 

 ever interesting the subject may prove to many, as a long by- 

 gone historical episode, perhaps a topic more apropos to the 

 onward course of young Canada might have been selected 

 by its writer ; but we willingly acknowledge having perused 

 his pleasing narrative of the truly remarkable twenty years' 

 siege of Candia, with considerable interest. Passing over, for 

 the present, the valuable and timely Paper on the Island of 

 Anticosti, we rejoice, even as Torontonians, to notice such, 

 though minor, local articles as that of Lieut. Ashe on the 

 Water Power of Quebec ; and sincerely trust that the very 

 commendable exertions of the citizens of " the Ancient 

 Capital" to obtain an unfailing supply of so essential an ele- 

 ment as pure water, have been crowned with triumphant 

 results; and no one can help joining in the philanthropic desire 

 that the ingenious plan proposed by the same intelligent writer, 

 for the construction of a Ruft for rescuing passengers from sink- 

 ing vessels, may speedily be brought into successful practice. 

 Of the valuable contributions of Lieut. Noble to the depart- 

 ment of Meteorology, nothing need be said in this Journal, 

 whose pages have so frequently been indebted to the same 

 scientific observer. 



We are now, therefore, left at liberty to retrace our steps, 

 for the purpose of not only re-avowing our high estimation of 



Eeviews, 



Transactions of the Literary and Historical 

 Society of Quebec, Part 3d, Vol. IV. : 



1. On the Twenty Years' Siege of Candia, hy E. T. 



Fletcher, Esq. 



2. Notes on the Resources and Capabilities of the Island of 



Anticosti, by A. R. Roche, Esq. 



3. On the Water Power of Quebec j and 



4. On a Plan of the Construction of a Raft to Rescue Pas- 



senyers from SinTciug Ships, by Lieut. D. Ashe, 

 R.N., F.R.A.S. 



5. On the Mean Results of Meteorological Observations at 



Quebec, during the Winter of 1853-54, by Lieut. 

 Noble, R.E. 



We hail with much satisfaction the appearance of the valu- 

 able little book, of which the foregoing heading gives the title 

 and contents, as pleasing evidence of the continued, sure, though 

 slow progress of a sister Association, in whose success the Ca- 

 nadian Institute must ever naturally take a lively interest ; 

 and we trust it will not be long before we shall have to welcome 

 a fourth part, at least, to complete the Volume. 



In characterizing the progress of the Historical Society as 

 slow, we hope we shall be acquitted of any unkindly feeling, 

 or desire to detract from its merits ; but when it is recollected 

 that the first part of the same volume dates so far back as 1843, 

 and the second did not appear till 1854, we think we shall be 

 borne out in our observations, — particularly after the rather 

 unfriendly comparison, lately made in a leading Quebec Journal, 

 between its own local Association and the Canadian Institute. 



* It may be proper to notice that the article alluded to, was the 

 Editorial in the Quebec Chronicle of the 5th instant, ^very natu- 

 rally lauding highly its own local Society, but unnecessarily doing 

 so at the expense of the Toronto Institute. The part to which ive 

 object is as follows : — " Comparisons have more than once been made 

 between the L. and H. S. of Quebec, and the Institute of Toronto, to 

 the detriment of the former. This, to say the least of it, is unjust, for 

 if any one will take the trouble of looking into the publications of the 

 two Societies, he will perceive that the articles of the Q. S., are 

 original, and that those of the Toronto Institute, with very few excep- 

 tions, are copied from other works. Now, if the aim of such bodies 

 be to give au impulse to studies, to develope abilities, as well as dissem- 

 inate knowledge, our Society with less pretensions is unquestionably 

 the better Institution. We cannot presume to say whether it was on 

 this account that the T. I., received a Government grant this year of 

 £850 in all, while the L. and H. S. obtained only £100." Kow, with 

 every wish to respect the opinions of the writer, we do not think that 

 such observations in so influential a local Journal, .arising either from 

 neglect of information or reflection should be allowed to pass unnoticed, 

 and we therefore take leave to point to the following indisputable facts, 

 as giving a more correct view of the matter: — 1st. Were the two 

 Societies even to labour alike, it would not be quite fair to compare a 

 hardy adult of thirty years, with a mere stripling, however stalwart, 

 of four years growth. But, 2nd., it so happens, as regards the com- 

 parative proportion of fruits matured by the two associations, that 

 though the Lit. and His. Society was instituted in 1824, the 1st volume of 

 its Transactions (a moderate sized Octavo) did not make its appearance 

 till 1829, and the 2d, in 1831 ; and that though the 4th part of 

 the 3rd volume, camo out in 1837, the 1st part of tho 4th., or 

 present volume was not issued till 1843, the 2ud., in March, 1854, 

 after a long interval of 11 years, and the 3rd part only recently this 

 year ; and when tho next will appear remains yet to be seen ; thus 

 yielding altogether four volumes, containing on a fair average from 

 100 to 120 original articles, in 31 years. Whereas, 3rd. the C. I., 

 founded so late as 1851, has during tho four short years of its exis- 

 tence, issued regularly during three of them a Monthly Quarto Journal 

 in which, besides a variety of (avowedly intentional,) miacellaiieous 

 and selected matter, will bo found scattered about 140 original articles 

 of various discriptions, including the valuable monthly meteorological 

 intelligence, which if bound up in the same form as the Transactions 

 of the L. and II. S., would have furnished about /oi/r such volumes 

 in as many years. 



