20 Iron Ores of Canada. 



mi^ht be considered regular. The Eanuncalas lias its Torus ^vitb 

 the dry, liard implanted Akenia. the Hydrastis its juicy berry, 

 while the Aquilegia is contented with nothing fewer than five 

 erect follicles. Seeing so great diversity of form pervading the 

 genera of this order in the most important parts of their struc- 

 ttrre, the flower and fruit, in all which however there is a con- 

 necting law. traceable by the philosophical and scientific botanist, 

 let US not be surprised at perceiving, that Ranunculacese love 

 change and variety likewise in their habits, their extension, resi- 

 dence, quantitatrve growth, numerous or rare distribution, <te. 

 Aitiiough the ablest minds will never be able to account for these 

 matters, these apparent whimsies and caprices of Flora, yet we 

 may be sure that a regulating law directs them also, and we may 

 be well content that it is so, since the study of such intricacies 

 and diversified subjects in nature serves so remarkablv to the 

 employment of man's best faculties, and the mental powers, while 

 the contemplations arising out of these studies are calculated to 

 impress us with so much delight. The Creator and Distributor 

 of the whole has thus magnified and multiplied our sources of 

 pleasure, and therefore to TTi'tp are all the praise and honor due. 



AETICLE in. — On the iron ores of Canada and the cost at 

 which they may he worked. 



The iron ores of this Province are chiefly confined to tibe Lau- 

 rentian svstem of rocks, in which they occur in such prodioaous 

 quantities that this may be styled pre-eminently the iron forma- 

 tion. The oriariu of those ores we know not. It is only certain 

 that durinof the period when the Laurentian rocks were in process 

 of being formed, iron was abundantly elaborated, while in the asre 

 of the Huronian deposus copper was principally produced and 

 iron not at aU in any great quantity. The following section is 

 intended to give an idea of the order in which these formations 

 xepoce upon each other. 



