American Asuociaiion. 243 



arts, and those attempts to improve the conditiou of our race 

 which have placed Old England in the van of nations, xit no 

 period of time has that patronage been more vpisely directed, or 

 those noble efforts more earnestly persevered in than under the 

 reign of the present illustrious Queen, whose virtues are alike the 

 ornament of her sex and Crown. There is something of special 

 fitness in our assembling here at this time — at a moment when 

 England and America areshaking hands with each other across 

 the broad bosom of the Atlantic, when that electric chain which 

 is to bind them in perpetual friendship, is being placed securely in 

 the depths of the ocean far out of reach of any temporary storms 

 which may impair its repose or lessen its efficiency." 



The Association Avas then welcomed to Canada, on behalf of 

 the Province, the Local Committee, and the Natural History 

 Society, in few but fitting words, by His Excellency the Adminis- 

 trator of the Government, Sir W. E. Logan, and Principal 

 Dawson. 



The division into sections is not so perfect in the American as in 

 the British Association. The smaller number of scientific men and 

 of papers, afibrds a reason for this; but we think that much more 

 and better work could be done by a more nainute sub-division. At 

 the late meeting, after the primary division, established by the 

 constitution, into sections of Physical and Natural science, but 

 one sub-section was formed, that of Ethnology and Statistics. We 

 shall take the matters presented to these sections in their order ; 

 dwelling especially, however, on the subjects more appropriate to 

 ihe sphere of this publication. 



SECTION OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 



THE ZODIACAL LIGHT 



Is a phenomenon interesting to the Naturalist us well as to the 

 Physicist, and which like the Aurora Borealis, has formed a sort 

 of stalking horse for makers of hypotheses. Commodore 

 Wilkes, in a short paper, directed the attention of Section A to a 

 very extended series of observations made by the officers of the 

 United States Exploring Expedition, and more fully followed 

 out, and represented in maps of the heavens, by the Japan expedi- 

 tion. The result of these observations is to suggest a very simple 

 mode of accounting for this singular appearance. " When in com- 

 mand of the United States expeditions he had been especially di- 

 rected to observe this light, and orders were accordingly given to 



