ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. MEETING AT OTTAWA. It was an important step, in the interest of the Science and Literature of the Dominion, which was taken by the Marquis of Lorne, then Governor-General of Canada, when he inaugurated, in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada. It has since increasingly formed a rallying centre for those engaged in scientific and literary research in Canada. As all local societies in the country, including the Natural History Society of Montreal, report their proceedings to the Royal Society, and individual workers in original research are encouraged to send their papers to the Society, if we wish to keep track of the progress made in either the Science or Literature of Canada, we shall find the best record of it in the journal of that Society. We believe, therefore, we are doing the readers of the "Record of Science" real service in presenting the following abstracts of papers read before Sections III. and IV. of the Royal Society, at its recent meeting, kindly furnished by Sir John Bourinot, Honorary Secretary of the Society, as containing a summary of what was accomplished during 1898 in connection with the Physical, Chemical, Geological and Biological Sciences, those subjects in which, it may be assumed, the readers of the "Record of Science" are specially interested. 66 The proceedings of the Royal Society were opened by an address by the President, T. C. Keefer, Esq., C.M.G., C.E., on Canadian Water Power and its Electrical Product in Relation to the Undeveloped Resources of the Dominion," a subject of exceptionable importance to Canada at the present time. The evening of May 25th was given up to Popular Science, when Professor Rutherford, of McGill, who has taken the place of Professor Callendar, delivered the admirable lecture, with which the patrons of the Natural History were favored, in the Somerville Course, last spring, on "Wireless Telegraphy," with experiments. SECTION III-MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL SCIENCES. 1-"The Need for a Hydrographic Survey Department for Canada" (Present state of the question.) By Professor Alexander Johnson, LL.D. 2. "The Synchronism of Terrestrial Magnetic Disturbances and Unusual Excitation in the Trails of Comets." By Arthur Harvey, President of the Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. The author communicated his discovery that the sudden increase occasionally observed in the brightness of comets, sometimes accompanied by changes in the form of their tails, and by their apparent disintegration, are synchronisms with terrestrial magnetic disturbances. He considers this to furnish proof that the cause of these phenomena is electrical, has its origin in the sun, and is probably related to auroral displays. 3. "Illustrations of Remarkable Secondary Tidal Undulations on January 1st, 1899." (From Recording Tide Gauges in the region of Nova Scotia.) (With 2 plates.) By W. Bell Dawson, M. A., Ma.E., Asst. M. Inst. C.E. 4-"La Vie, l'Evolution le Materialisme." By C. Baillargé, M.A., C.E. 5.—“ An Investigation of the Physiology of the Brain of the Bird." By Professor T. Wesley Mills, of McGill University. This is a preliminary communication, based on experimental investigation of the brain of the Pigeon, now in progress, and is in part a continuation of work already reported to the Society, and in part a research in a new field of brain physiology, involving the application of a variety of methods of investigation. 6.-" An Examination of Some Points in the Psychology of the Bird, based in part on the above." By the same author. SECTION IV. GEOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. 1.-President's Address. "Canadian Geological Nomenclature." By R. W. Ells, LL.D. The paper comprised a short sketch of the origin and introduction into Canadian geological literature of most of the terms now employed in the description of the several rock formations, found in the older or eastern provinces of Canada. A brief outline is also given of some of the changes of opinion which have been published from time to time, by the several workers in the geological field, regarding the interpretation of certain difficult problems which have arisen in this connection, and of the reasons which have led thereto, with a statement of some of the most recent conclusions reached from the systematic study of the rocks, both in the field and laboratory. 2." Recent Additions to the List of Injurious Insects of Canada." By James Fletcher, LL.D., F.L.S. In 1883, Saunders's important work upon the "Insects Injurious to Fruit" was published. Since that time a great deal has been done in economic entomology, both as to working out the life histories of crop-pests and as to means of controlling many of these. The above paper treats of several injurious species which have attracted public attention by their ravages upon crops of all kinds for the last twenty years. 3.- Catalogue of Canadian Proctotrypida." By W. Hague Harrington. This contribution toward a more adequate knowledge of the Canadian insect faunas, consists of a list of all the species in the family Proctotrypida, which are known to occur therein, but, owing to the absence of systematic collecting in other localities, it is virtually limited to the species obtained at Ottawa. Of the two hundred species enumerated, fully nine-tenths are recorded from Ottawa or its immediate vicinity. The insects are parasitic in their habits, either in the eggs or upon the larvae of other insects. They are all small, and the majority are so minute as to be difficult of identification without careful microscopical study. They, however, exhibit a considerable and interesting diversity of structure, and a large proportion of the genera are readily recognizable. Descriptions of several apparently new species are included in the paper, as well as some remarks on previous records, and on the habits of certain species. 4.-"The Geology of the More Important Cities of Eastern Canada." By Henry M. Ami, M.A., D.Sc. Communicated by R. W. Ells, LL.D. The paper discusses the geological formations as seen around the cities of Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, St. John, Toronto, Hamilton and London. In the last named place the information has been largely obtained by means of borings which have been made in the vicinity, since rockformations do not appear at the surface in that locality. 5.-"Origin and History of Some New Varieties of Wheat Produced at the Dominion Experimental Farms." By Wm. Saunders, LL.D., F.R.S.C., F.L.S., Director of Experimental Farms. In this paper the author traces the history of some of the most promising of the cross-bred varieties of wheat which have been produced during the past ten years at the Experimental Farms. The objects in view in undertaking this work are referred to and some of the more striking instances of success given. Particulars as to how these varieties compare with the standard sorts in cultivation are also given, together with facts indicating their adaptability to the different climates of the Dominion. 6." The Scientific Work of Prof. Charles Fred. Hartt." By G. U. Hay, M.A., Ph.B. The scientific career of Prof. Chas. Fred. Hartt, teacher and geologist, although extending over a period of less than a score of years, was one of brilliant achievement. The work of his riper years was confined to the States and Brazil, yet he was a Canadian by birth and education. Born at Fredericton, N.B., he was graduated from Acadia College in 1860, and pursued a course under Prof. Agassiz at Cambridge, Mass., extending over four years. He accompanied Agassiz in his expedition to Brazil; and after he was appointed to the chair of geology in Cornell University, he made several journeys thither accompanied by some of his students. The results were embodied in a comprehensive work entitled "The Geology and Physical Geography of Brazil," published in 1870. He was afterwards appointed Chief of the Geological Commission, to make a survey of the vast empire of Brazil. With a corps of talented assistants he pursued this work in the face of great difficulties until he fell a victim to yellow fever, in 1878, at Rio Janeiro. Hartt found time amid the absorbing labors of the Commission to study the language and traditions of the early Indians of Brazil, and had prepared a grammar and dictionary of their language. His genius, coupled with an extraordinary aptitude for linguistic studies, would have made him one of the foremost ethnologists of the age; and there is little doubt that inclination and sympathy had long been leading him to this broader and more fascinating field of research. 7.-" Studies on Cambrian Faunas, No. 3. The Upper Cambrian Fauna of Mount Stephen, B.C. The Trilobites and Worms." By G. F. Matthew, D.Sc., LL.D. This paper deals with the fauna of Mt. Stephen, British Columbia, Canada, which fauna is remarkable for the excellent preservation of the organic remains composing it. The author is able to correlate its genera more closely with European forms than has hitherto been done, and |