GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

OTTAWA, December 6, 1878.

DEAR SIR,-I am desired by His Excellency the Governor-General to say with what gratification he witnessed the beautiful illumination of the city on the night of the fourth instant, and to ask you to convey to the citizens of the capital of the Dominion his sense of the hearty loyalty shown, and of the good taste and beauty of the display so generally made.

I have the honor to be, sir,

Your obedient servant,

F. DE WINTON, Major, R.A.,
Governor-General's Secretary.

To His Worship the Mayor of Ottawa.

On the fifth His Excellency held a levee in the Senate Chamber, which may be said to have closed the reception ceremonies, and thereafter he may be regarded as having been "at home" in Ottawa.

The reception throughout, from the wharf at Halifax to the door of Rideau Hall, for it extended "all along the line," was most loyal and enthusiastic, and gathered force and strength as it went; for the telegraph sent ahead of the Royal pair the story of the courtesy and affability of Her Royal Highness, and the speeches and actions of His Excellency created so favorable an impression in advance, that those who at first were only prepared to love the Princess "for her mother's sake," and to respect the Marquis as the representative of Her Majesty, were ready to love and admire Her Royal Highness for her own sake, and to respect His Excellency for the sound common sense, good taste, tact and judgment he had displayed; and to augur, from the first impression created by him, that he would prove one of our most popular rulers-a promise which has, so far, been amply redeemed.

SCIENCE.

Canada, unfortunately, has not many original workers in Science. Those whom she does possess are chiefly the officers of the Geological Survey and some of the professors in the colleges. During the past year, although we cannot boast of any brilliant scientific discoveries or great inventions having been made within the Dominion, a good deal in the aggregate has been accomplished by the labors of the gentlemen just referred to, towards the progress of Science; while the various scientific societies of the country are doing much to encourage original research and to diffuse a knowledge of what is being done in other countries.

In the present outline it is proposed to notice briefly the operations of the Geological Survey during the year (1878), the progress of the scientific societies, and the labors of individual workers, as far as these may have been published in our journals, public reports, &c.

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

The Nova Scotian Institute of Natural Science, which meets at Halifax once a month during the winter, has accomplished its usual amount of scientific research, and its Transactions for the year 1877-78 have been published, forming Vol. IV., part 4. One of the most interesting contributions to this volume is a paper by the Rev. Dr. Honeyman on the geology of Nictaux. From palæontological evidence, he considers that "the age of the iron deposits of Nictaux is approximately Clinton, being the same as that of the fossiliferous iron bed of Arisaig (N.S.) and the fossiliferous iron bed of Blanchard at East River, Pictou." These iron deposits would, therefore, belong to the same formation as the "iron-ore band" of the Middle Silurian of New York State and Ontario, thus showing an identity of conditions at this period in widely separated regions. The present volume also contains original articles on mineralogy, zoology, botany, ethnology and meteorology. During the summer, two field excursions were held under the auspices of the Institute, which had the effect of disseminating more widely a taste for scientific pursuits.

The Natural History Society of St. John, N.B., has devoted itself mainly to botanical researches during the past season. The loss of the museum of this Society by the great fire of 1877 has proved a serious blow to its progress.

The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, under the presidency of Mr. J. M. Le Moine, has been showing signs of renewed vigor. It is now taking steps to increase its zoological collection, especially of the larger mammals of the Province.

The Natural History Society of Montreal has now completed the fiftieth year of its existence. During the past session six papers on geological and two on

zoological subjects were read, and the six Sommerville free lectures were delivered. An excursion of the members and friends of the Society to St. Jerome took place in the month of June.

The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal has held its monthly meetings regularly and issued the four quarterly numbers of the Canadian Antiquarian and Numismatic Journal, containing a great variety of articles on historical and ethnological subjects. The Hon. P. J. O. Chauveau is president and Mr. L. M. Lewis secretary.

The Murchison Club of Belleville, which was organized in 1873, is doing a good work in popularizing the study of the natural sciences, especially geology and botany.

The Ottawa Natural History Society held a few meetings during the year, at which papers were read and discussed. The Society has a small general museum in Sparks street:

The Canadian Institute, Toronto, held fortnightly meetings during the greater part of the year, at which a considerable number of scientific and historical papers were read. The Canadian Journal was published quarterly, the volume for 1878 being the 15th of the new series and the 97th of the whole number. The Rev. Dr. Scadding is the general editor. The Institute is now housed in a fine new building of its own, and an increasing interest is taken in its affairs by the public.

The Entomological Society of Ontario, whose headquarters are at London (Ontario), with a branch at Montreal, has issued the twelve monthly numbers of The Canadian Entomologist for 1878, completing the tenth year of publica tion. The present volume contains descriptions and figures of a number of new species, and valuable notes on insects both beneficial and injurious to agriculture and horticulture. This journal is considered the best of the kind in America, and is contributed to by entomologists residing in the United States as well as those of Canada. The Society also issues a copiously illustrated annual report, which is published at the expense of the Government of Ontario. Mr. William Saunders of London is president, and Mr. James H. Bowman, of the same place, secretary of the Society.

The usefulness of some of our scientific societies would probably be much increased by giving more encouragement to the younger members and others who had no great pretensions to learning. On this subject a writer in a late number of the Science News says: "In many places, scientific societies have been allowed to fall into the hands of two or three unprogressive persons, who, by monopolizing them, have destroyed their vitality." He advises the friends of such societies to "guard against undue profundity in one or two members, particularly if they are talkative, as it discourages the younger and more timid ones, who may have suggestive facts to offer. We have in mind one of the most influential societies of the kind in the United States, whose rule for several years after organization was, that no professional naturalist or elderly man should be admitted."

METEOROLOGY.

The Government Meteorological Department under the direction of Professor Kingston, with head-quarters at Toronto, has been extended, and its

usefulness increased by the establishment of new stations and improved methods. The Observatories connected with the High Schools of Ontario are now supported by the Government of that Province. Our Meteorological Department co-operates with the Signal Service Department at Washington, and a full account of the state of the weather in the various regions, with the probabilities for twenty-four hours ahead, are telegraphed daily for publication in the principal towns.

THE HUDSON'S BAY ROUTE.

During the last thirty or forty years, attention has been occasionally called to the possibility of opening a route from our North-West Territories to Europe, through Hudson's Bay and Strait; and now that some progress has been made towards the organization and settlement of these territories, the question of the practicability of establishing such a route has been forcing itself again upon the attention of the public. At the last session of the Dominion Parliament a Committee was appointed to enquire into the matter, but no new facts were elicited. About the close of the year a pamphlet, accompanied by a map on the subject, was published by Colonel Dennis, Deputy-Minister of the Interior. This gentleman sets forth the great advantages of the route, should it prove practicable, and urges the advisability of sending a steamer during the coming summer to obtain information in regard to the navigation of Hudson's Bay and Strait.

PISCICULTURE.

The science of Pisciculture is being carried to considerable perfection in Canada, as well as the United States. There are now seven Government establishments in the Dominion for the artificial propogation of fish, all under the control of Mr. Samuel Wilmot, the Chief Superintendent of Fish Breeding. These are situated at Bedford Basin, N.S.; Miramichi, N.B.; Restigouche, Gaspé and Tadousac, Que.; and at Newcastle and Sandwich in Ontario. Within the last two years, Prof. Hind has been making enquiries with regard to the range of the cod and other food-fishes around the eastern shores of British America, and at the late Paris Exhibition he shewed some maps illustrative of the results.

ADULTERATION OF FOOD.

Now that the adulteration of food, liquors, spices, drugs, &c., has become a science, skilled analysts are required to check the growth of this kind of fraud. For this purpose the Canadian Government has appointed four chemists, namely: Prof. W. H. Ellis, for the district of Toronto; Dr. J. Baker Edwards, for Montreal; Dr. F. A. H. LaRue, for Quebec; and Mr. R. G. Fraser, for Halifax. The last report of these gentlemen forms a valuable book, and is illustrated by sixty lithographed figures showing the microscopical characters of both the genuine and the spurious articles. It contains the details of the researches of the chemists, which show that, on an average, about one-half of all the commodities which we consume in Canada are more or less adulterated. The report is very favorably reviewed by the British scientific press.

PATHOLOGY.

Dr. William Osler, the talented professor of the Institutes of Medicine in the Medical Faculty of McGill College, has, during the year, published the first of a proposed series of Pathological Reports of the Montreal General Hospital. The present report gives the details of a number of interesting cases, and is believed to be the only systematic attempt of the kind which has yet been made in America.

MINERALOGY.

A new metallic mineral found in the argentiferous vein of Silver Islet, Lake Superior, has lately been described by Dr. Henry Wurtz, of New York, formerly Professor of Chemistry in Queen's College, Kingston. The discovery of this mineral fills up a gap in the series of arsenical minerals, consisting as it does of arsenide of silver. The species has been called Huntilite, in honor of Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, who was for many years Chemist and Mineralogist to the Geological Survey of Canada.

GEOLOGY.

A valuable contribution to the literature of the Geology of Canada has lately been published among the Reports of the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, namely Report E., part I., by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt. It is an historical review of certain questions in American Geology, and is preparatory to a treatise on the igneous rocks of eastern Pennsylvania, by the same author. As in his essay on the Cambrio-Silurian question in British Geology, the object of the writer has been to give a condensed account of the labors and the opinions of the numerous workers who have contributed to our knowledge of American Geology, and to assign to each his proper share of credit for his service in this branch of science.

The Geological Survey of Newfoundland continues to make good progress under the direction of Alexander Murray, Esq., C.M.G., F.G.S., assisted by Mr. James P. Howley. Mr. Murray has now made a survey of most of the Province, in greater detail in some parts than in others, and has issued maps shewing the results of his investigations. It is understood that he is now preparing a general report on the geology of the whole island.

In connection with the Geology of British North America, one of the most important discoveries of the year was made by the United States Fisheries Commission. The party engaged in dredging on the Banks lying off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have obtained evidence tending to shew that the foundations of these remarkable and wide-spread submarine elevations consist of rocks of Tertiary age. This evidence, Prof. A. E. Verrill says, "consists of numerous large fragments of eroded but hard, compact calcareous sandstone and arenaceous limestone, usually perforated by the burrows of Saxicava rugosa, and containing, in more or less abundance, fossil shells, fragments of lignite, and in one case a spatangoid sea-urchin." Many of the shells contained in these fragments are not known to live upon the American coast, and some of them are probably extinct. George's Bank has furnished the richest collection, the specimens having been found in different parts of its area, and in depths varying from 35 to 70 fathoms; but similar speci