40 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



All," the essayist thought the work of the man of science or 

 observer was hardly begun, and when the storehouse of facts was 

 filled, the work of the philosopher would begin. He concluded by 

 adverting to the great advantages the naturalist received from some 

 attention to drawing and languages, and the necessity for some 

 enthusiasm in the work. 



7th November, 1873. 

 Mr. J. Allan, Yice-President, in the chair. 



PAPER READ. 



Mr. D, Gregorson read a paper on " The Development of Life." 

 In his introductory remarks he stated, that although the prirLcipal 

 work of a naturalist should consist in conducting experiments and 

 making observations, yet it was often necessary that he should 

 quit the solid ground of facts, and attempt to penetrate into the 

 distant past or future, deducing his conclusion as far as possible 

 from the state of Nature as we find her at present ; and the useful- 

 ness of the procedure was, in his opinion, borne out by the great 

 impulse the Darwinian hypothesis had given to the study of 

 biology. He then gave a sketch of the nebvdar hypothesis of 

 Laplace, the growth of inorganic matter being necessary before 

 organic life could flourish ; then gave a resume of the various 

 speculations of scientific men regarding the origin of life upon the 

 globe, mentioning the recent controversies upon the spontaneous 

 generation of life; and finally gave an outline of the various 

 phases and forms by which life is represented. 



2 1st November, 1873. 



Mr. Allan, Vice-President, in the chair. 



The Chairman announced that the Secretary had given in his 

 resignation of the office on account of his leaving the city; and 

 moved that the thanks of the Society be given to Mr. Gregorson 

 for his services during the time he held that offiice. Mr. John 

 Harvie was afterwards elected his successoi*. 



specimens EXHIBITED. 



Mr. Cameron exhibited an undescribed saw-fly, which he pro- 

 poses to name Nematus graminis, the larvse of which feeds on 



