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The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grSce d la g6n6rosit§ de I'dtabliasement pr§teur suivant : La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul cliche sont film^es d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant ie nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la m^thode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■ A LECTURE ON Of BY HENKY T. BO VEY, M. A, M. 1, M. E, A. M, I. C. E, &c. Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science, McGill University, MONTlMvVL. (Delivered umler tlie uiispiccs of tlie St. J'aiil'.s Cimicli Y. M. C. A., Febniiiry 22iul, ISHli.) "MONTREAL IIEIIALD" liEPOIlT. ill ■ <<•»■♦- A LECTURE ])EI.IVE1U:D I!Y PROF. IIKNRY T. liOVEV, M. A., M. I., M. K., Etc., 11) TIIK ST. I'AIM 'S V. M. C. A., On Monday, February 22nd, 1886. When 1 wafl invited tu j;ive a lecture on tlie Kiilij(>''l of tlie Pro<;rc'HM of Science in Cai.'aiia, I must coiife.-s that I undertook tlie lank wiih considerable liesitaiioo. My ueneral itupresHion wan that Hcience in Canada waH much lii\e the country itsi If — a large area with a very nparne popula- tion. On more mature rellection, how- ever, it appeared that there were some good reiiHons for Ktiulyiii;^ tlie Hulij^ct, apart fmrn the (piestion of jrivin;? one more aspect of the jieneral view ot Canada which thi8 winter's course of Itcturen in desij;ned to supply. In the first jjlace it seems as if there in a natural tendency to undervalue the j^reat- neso which lies at our doors, eiiner in time or place. As Tennyson says : — The past will always win A glory from lis bein^ fa.' And orb into ll'.o perfect star Wo -saw not wliou wo moved tlioroin. It is, tlierefore, well now and then reso- luteli/ to turn oar eyes on the near. Af^ain, Science in this country is yet in its infancy. 8oine day, wnen it lias per- haps developed into a tirawny j;iant, men may look hack and ask ahout its early characi.er and about the iidluences that moulded its youth. It is not in our hands to supply the breath of j:;enius but we can, so lO speak, yive the air to breathe and fniii}i p:irt of the Kcd- t)ath Mnsenni. Altiioni:li, as will appear troiT) the precei|ii);j; remark's, ^ood j;eolot;i- cal work had alrealy lieen done, still it was Oi a very dillu-e kiiid, the otiservations extenditijz; over vast retrions, and little if anythinj^ was known ;aii the first of those assaultH on the rtiliu}^ powers, wliicli after a series of strufij^ies, continued at intervals for nearly 10 v-ars, resulted iu the estalili-^hment of the Geolo;;ical Sur- vey of Cacada. liaeV petition for •'pecuniary a^^sistance to prosecute a geological and statistical survey of the Province," juet with the fate so common to almost all lirst pt'titi(>ns — it waH unsuc- cessful. In the lollowinj: Decemh'jr a tietition similar in its (iesires and suc- cess was jiresented l>y the York Literary and i'hilo-ophical Society. The next step was taken in WM\. when a commiuee wan appointed hy the lloU'^e of Assembly to report *' ujion a phiii for the ;^eolof;;ical "^ - I' ■ ~ I ' r , — f-> o survey of the Province," which report was print d but not considered. One niember of the committee, Mr. II. G. Duniop, having put his hand to the piough, was determined not to give u|) without a liard light, and in the December ot the same year, endeavoured, though again iinsuccesH- fully, to introduce a bdl for the geological examination of the Province. By liis energetic persistence, liowever, he had succeeded in rousing the atteutiou of the House, for we find that it went into Committee of the Whole to consider tiie (piestion.and that it even favoured tiie pre- sentation of an aeldresH on the subjec*. to Sir F. H. Head, the Lieutenant-Governor. 'iliisaddresH never readied IIIh Excel- lency. Yet anotliei etlort waH made by Duniop, but in vain, ami it was not until the year l.Sll, during the first HesHion of Parliament after tlie union of the two Provinces, thai the Itjng-deferred succeHH was at last achieved. A petition askinj; for aid in conducting a geological survey, strongly endorsed liy the then Governor- General, Lord Sy denliam, was presented by the Natural History Society of Montreal and the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. Tlie G(jvernment now took up the ipiestion in earnest, and made a grant of •JLl,i")00 sterling for the purpose. Lord Sydenham's sudiien death threw the apj)oinlment of tiie first provincial geolog- ist into the hands of his successor, Sir Cliarles Ijagot. The ap|)ointment, as you are all well awnre, fVdl upon a man, tlian whnm perhaps none could have bee i found better tilted for the task he was to undertake \vii,i,:am rooA.v. Logan liad already made his mark as a keen and skilled obsei ver, a most diligent worker, and a true man of science. He haii, moreover, anotlier advantage, which is much apfireciated by CanadiatiH in gen- eral, namely, ttiat lie was himself a genuine Canadian, having been born in the city of Montreal in the year 17t>8. It would bi' impo-silile, within the scope of the present lecture, lo give anything like a detailed account of Logan's career, and I would refer those who desire to have a better idea of the extent and importance of hiH labours, to Dr. Harringlon'H " Life of Sir Wni. Logan,"' a work full of interest and of valuable information, and to which 1 am indebted for many of the facts of the present lecture. I need i.ardly say that Logan's a(ipointm"nt in IH42 gave the utmost satisfaction, and witn characteristic energy he immediately set to work. During the years of I84!{ and 1K4I he was occupied in exploring the Gaspe regions, but by that time the original grant of Ul,, 500 sterling had tieen expend- ed, and more tlian X'800 sterling out of hie own poclcet, f.ir Logan, on liis own respon- sibility had liireit a house as museutn, office and lauoratory. Respect'ng the museum begun in this humble manner, I may here stiite that it gradually increased to its pre-ent large dimensions, being now an institution worthy of the country whose geological character it represents, and a lasting monument to Logan's untiring in- I'ROniiERS OF HCrr.NCE IN CANADA. (lufitry. Fortnnalt'ly in tin- criticui comii- tion of the liiitiiicPH tu wliicli I liiive rcf'errcil, Ij )j.'aii was rciiucHlciJ by (he Govfriimeiil to jirepare (in C'Htiinal(! of lln* cost of ccjritinuiiii; the Hurvey. llin report met with unaiii- iiioijH approval, and an aiiinuil j^raiil of X'2,000 Hterlinj; a year f'.)r live yar.H wjh iiiaiie for the purpose. In 1H|,> Lo^^iin cx- plorcii liie Upper Ottawa, anil liin o()Herva- tioiiH ill 181() extemlei) in the West an far ftH Lake Superior. IIi« work, imicc'l, cin- braced the whole oouiilry, ami wan oi the moHt lahonoiiH and varied ki.id. To f;;ive you anythint!; like a co'iiplete account of iiiH W(.rk is inipOHHihle, liut you iiiiiy, jier- haps, obtain noine idea of its inai;iiilude and importance from tiie followin;^ words of Sir K. Murchinon on 'he occa-ion of re- ceivint! on Lofran'H hchalf the \Volla"toii gold meilai : 'In a very able manner he has elaborated the full ami accurate huc- ceHHion of the iiio-t ancient rocks of the vaHt refiionn he baH Hurveyed . . , He lias clearly t-eparated the threat nerii-s of tunda- mental, nedimentary, unfcjHsiliferoUH rockH termed Laurcntian, or Cambrian, from tho-e Silurian rocks whicli, in common wiih all ^eolo- giHtH of tlie United Stites until the present moment, he has placed in parallel with the lower as well as tlie upper Silurian oJ Bri- tain and Eurooe , , . 1 lie skilful manner in wliich he lias followed out tlie course of these ancient Silurian deposits from their undisturbed and unbroken secpience over varil tracts in the West, to the Hea-boar(i or eastern ret;ion of North America, where tiiey have been contorted, brokt-n up, metamorphosed and mineralized, will doubtless be consiiiered anion,;; his most remarkable labours ■ . . His maps and sec- tions, illuHtraiing the Htructure of the Crii.a- das, prepared in the vast wild" of that coun- try, amidst hardships and privations un- known to European explorers, will be the imperish'ible reconl-^of his (aim as a |irac- tical geologist." In the year l.'^.'SI ij;gan was elected a Fellow of the Koyal Society of England, being the lirst Canadian who attained to that great di-tinciiTii. He was also a memlier of many other learned societies, aU.C.L. of the univer- nities of McCiill ami Lcnm-xville, and in the year LSiili his services to his country iu tlie ilevelopment of its natural resource-', received the titling and royal recoirnition of knighthood. He died in June 1871, much regretted by all who knew him, and leaving beliiud iiiiu a na:/ e which will ever rell^ct high honour on his country. His place on the survey ih now filled by Ur. A. R. C, '^°lwvn, F. U S., who is succeshfully > ^ . .inuing the work, ably asHisted by Ur. G. M. Dawson, alreaily well known in Jie Hcientilic world, and I'rof. Hell, whose ex- tensive e\|)loralions, so recently described to you by himself, need no further amplili- cati'Jii from me. In tiie lirst rank of the band of workers surrounding Logan in the early days of the survey must be placed Alex- ander Alurray, an Ennlishman.who proved himself an indefatigable worker ami a most valuable ally. He was Hubseijueritly ap- pointed Director of the geological survey of Newfoundland, and ban done that island inestimatile service in opening out its geo- graphical and geological capabilities. Much of the preliminary work of Logan an' on thin globe. From a careful and elaborate Htudy of the chemical chariicteri^tic.^ of the Luiirentian rocl^ruu' could be distinctly traced. To the new fossil Dawson j^ave the name of Euzimii Canu- dense, and his conclii-ions rcsiji'ciiii.i; iis structure and or;;aiiic nature are now j^en- erally accepte'^. Forty yearH a^o T. STKlUiY HUNT, tlien a young man, was selected to fill the post of chemist and mineraloi^ist to tlie Burvey. Alttiough American burnjIthiiiK Hunt may be justly claimed as a Cana- dian, since he has spent llie t^reater part of hiu life in Una country, and in it his researches have been chiefly carried on. His impuitaut investigations and excellent work s.iou won for him a European as well as an Aiu-rican reputation, :u evidence of which 1 may remind you that he hart been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Englatid, lias been maile an Honorary L L.D. of the University of Camlirid};e, and has fjeen presented with tlie Cross of the Legion of Honor. It will <^ive you a better idea of tfie extent and variety of his labors if! run over the headings of his new book now in ihe press, in wliich lie may be said to have gathered up much of his life's study. They are as follo^vs: — Nature in Thougiit and Language. Tiie Order of the Natural Sciences. Tlie Chemical and Geological itelations of the Atmosphere. Celestial Chemistry Froiu the Time of Newton. Tlie Orig'D of Crystalbne Rocks, with a Statement of the Crenit.c Hypothesis. The Geognosy of Ci7st;illme Rocks. A Natural System in Mineralogy, with a Claasilicatiou c: Native Silicates. The History of some CauViriau Rocks iu America and Europe. The Geological History of Seriientines, in<;ludmg studies of pre-cambriaii rocks. The Taconic (piestion in Geology. Hunt has devoted much attention to the composition of pigments, imd is welt i;nown as the inventor of that greenback colour so peculiar and so f the mineral Dawcoiiiti- will, it is to bi' hojied, prove the earnest of still f renter success. Another inleresiing writer on sulji'Cts rehiting to miiierali gy and geoKigy is Aldie Ijall.iiniiie, nor siioulil 1 omit a refer- ein;e to the name of Janus Richardson, an enthusiastic geologist long co;iuected with the survey. The late Professor Croft, who, from 1818 to LS78; held tiie Chair of Chemistry in the University of Toronto, was an I riginal worker of great merit. It may intere.-^t you to know tlial he came to this country in order to fill the post which had been previously awarded to Sir Lyou Playfiiir. Playfair's portmanteau was packKl and he was on the eve of starting for Canada, when Sir R(jlieit Feel re- quested him 10 remain and sent him to T'^eland to investigate llie condiiiou of af- fairs at the time of the famine. Dr. Williamson, oi' King't.jii, is also a good cnemist and lias done good work 111 Miineralogical and aeohigical analysis. He is an ardent lover of s,ienci', well versed in mathematics and astronomy, and even iiow at the advanced age of eighty, carries on his a-lronomical ohservations with the ulmo't vig(^ur. This reference to astronomy may call to mioo the fact that Canada was representul at the Wash- ington conference held in 1884, tor the fiuipose of dttermiuuig the prime meridian for the civilized world, by tfie dis- tinguished engiiieer, SANDFOUD FLEMING, who is also well known as the prime mover lu favour of Staiidard Time at d a zealous advocate of the 1 to 24 o'clock system of reukouiug time. I'Roaiujss OF scifcxcn in Canada MANV OTIIKIIH Iinve contribiit'il vtiluable iiif'ortniilion in kiixlrpil lininciieH of hcietice. llaancl, of Coliimri;, lias idtji; f»iv('ii hpecial attention to the line ol tlie lilowijijie, on whicli lie in coiiHiiiere.l an iinlliority. Elkaiwvli Ijillini;-, wlio wan ajipQiiited palii' intoloi^iHt, to llie Hurvey in llio year 1S')(J, alily lilleii tl'e pof^t for more than 20 years, ami ilurin;j lliat tune did niucli original work, lie was succeeded by tlie present liol ler of the olhoe, J. F. Whiteaven, wiioce Hjucial work liaw heen of an einineiitly i-atinfactory character, and who i-al^o well known as u c mcholcj^iht. Tli" man, liowever, who in this ccuiiiiy has dime most to promote tlie knowh'dt;e of ccSncholojjy in the lute Dr. Pliilip (larpenter, wiio.-e labcjiir.s in ihiH Hcience, exltiidiii)^ over the greater part of his life, are hut slitrlitly represented hy llie noble and iiiii(]ne colli ctioii of shi'lls whicii lie presented to tiie Mi;(jidl University Museum. in aiitiiropoloiiy our highest i.ulhorities are perhapH Horatio Hale, who was em- ployed aH ail explorer under Wilke.s some foriy years ago, and Dr. Wilson, of Toronto University. Prof. Campbell, of Montreal, and oihers liave alno published copious investigations on this brancti of science. 'J'he hwgesl collection ill the Dumiiiion, illiisirittive of unliirofio- Jogy, 18 that III the mu-euiii of the J^aval University, which was male by tiie late Mr. Taclie, a Deputy Minister of Agri- culture, tind brollier of Archbisiiop Tiiche, In meteorology very iittit has yet been done, though the patient ai. i careful work ol Prof. Carp'iiael, «t Toronlu, and Pruf. McJieod, ill Montreal, must tie followed liy good results. Of course, 1 cannot venture to criticise the theories of our weather prophets, which are kept jirofoufi fly fecret, only to be divulged for a munev consideration, and which invariably prove to be too profound for their authors. The chief promoters uf entomological research arc Dr. Saunders, of London, Ontario, and Dr. liethume, also fiom Upper Canada. Hio'ogy lias a most able representative in Prof. 11 llamsay VVrigiit, of the Uni- versity College, Toronto, who has contri- buted valnaole pujiers on zoology, and made inijiortant investigations into the huliitH of parasitic animals. In botany excellent work has been done by Prof. LawHoii, of Halifax, Prof. Macoun, of Ottawa, who is now preparing a detailed list of Canadian Flora, by Messrs. Fowlerj A. T. Drumtiioiid and Others. Turning now to THK I.K.VltXKI) SiiCllTlK.-l OK TIIK 0>! r.VTIlY, we find that the olde.st of these is tire Lit- erary and Uistorical Society of Quebec, wliicli was founded in 1824. As imlicated by the name, this Society pays special at- tention to historical research, iiut from the first, papers relating to Canadian geology and similar subjects have been read at its meetings and published in the voluines of its transactions. Next in point of age comes the Natural History Society of Montreal, founded in tlie year 18H2, with a view to acquire and promote a knowledge of ttie natural history of llie country. It possesses a small geological museum, and many valuatile papers tiave appeared in its piibliijatioiis, wliich were long issued under the name of the Canadian Natural- ist, but now under the name of the Record of Science, 'i'he N. 11. Society lias always been ready to take active part in any scheme for the furthering of tlie interests of science, and was mainly instru- mental iu bringing about the Mont- real meeting of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science in the year 1857. As you all know, this has lieen followed by meetings in the year 187'J of the American institute of Mining I'^ngi- neers. mi 18H1 of the American Society of Civil Hiigineers, in 1882 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for the second time, just twenty- five years after its first meeting, and, final- ly, liy the meeting in the year 1881 of the IJritisii Association for the Advancement of Science, 'i'he great labour willingly un- dergone, and the large exptMise willingly undertaken to gather together the most distinguished men of science from all parts of Europe and America, have been amply rewarded by the brilliant and uri(pialilii'd success of these meetings. They may also, 1 think, be taken as a jiroof that Canadians, although generally looked upon as a commercial people, are ever ready to do homag'-- for the advantages which can- not but result from true scientific enquiry, and to acknowledge that the best iuieresis of the country, both industrial and other- wise, can only l>e rightly served by making such enrjuiry as thorougii and as general as possible. The Canadian Institute of Toronto, founded in the year 1849, aims at cover- ing wider ground tlian either of the above societies and embraces in its proceedings subjects from the whole range of mathe- matical and physical science. Many of its papers are of great value and may be found in the publication which it issues under the name of the " Canadian Journal of Sciei\ce." 8 riiOGRRSS OF .SCIENCh' IN CANADA. The Royal Society of Canada wan founded only fonr years auo (in 1HH2) and met for the firet time in Ottawa in tlie following year. ItH wcope ih parlly literary and jiartly t-cientilic, ami allliough it Ih "yet too Boon to expect from it many wei>;lity contribulioiiH to our knowkdjre of lileralure and Hcicnce, it bliuuld dt velop into our moHt important Hociely, drawiu;; itH memliery, aH it doe^, from all partHoi' tlie Dominion. Tlie Manitoba Hihtorical and Scien- tific Society, waH loiinded at Winnipeg in l87H,chielIy by the exertions of I'rof. Hryce, and liau entered upon a viyoroun and useful caieer. There are alho (.Iher socielie.'-, as for example, the Montreal Niimii-m;iliu and Anli(jniirian Society, the Eutomoloj^ical and IJorlicnIliiral cocielies, iVc, ull having a laudable desire lo lifrhleii up the obscurity surrounding tiie subjects which they severally represent. Before going further it may be well lo consider THE FACII.ITIKS NOW Ot'KKllKU ."UKUfCiUOUT TUE DOMINION to students of these nciences. At the University of New Brunswick Prof. L. W. Bailey has for many years lectured on geology and chemistry, Imt very little, if anything, of a practical nature eeeiiiH to have been done in the latter. lu the Province of Nova Scotia there is a provincial museum, of a specially gcohgi- cal character, at ilalil'ax, under tlie sujter- intendence of Dr. Honey man, who also lectures on geology at DalhoiHie College. The chemistry at this college is taught by Dr. G. Lawson, and until recently has been mainly theoretical, but a laboiatory is now litted up and the course may be expec'ed to prove more edective in ihe future. Geology and ciieuiistry have long formed part of the course at King's College, Windsor, and are ai present taught l)y G. T. Kennedy, who succeeded Dr. Spencer, now Professor of Geology in the Uni- versity of Missouri. Both of these gentle- men are graduates of the Science Faculty ofMcGill. Some degree of attention has also been paid to geology and chemistry at Acadia College, Wolfville. The leading science iustiiution in the Province of Ontario is the School of Prac- tical Science, connected witti the Uni- versity of Toronto. Frof. Chajjinan, the author ot much original work, has long taught the geology, and in the chair of cbemietry the lute Prof. Croft was eiic- ceeded by the present holder. Prof. Pike, who Ih assisted by Dr. Ellis. Theory is mppkinented by practice in the laboratory, and the training i. very thorough. At Kingston, lectures ou chemistry are given by P"of. Bain at the Military Col- lege, and liy Prof. Goodwin at Queen's College. The latter succeeded Prof. Du- puis, now the Professor of Matliematics, and Diipiiis' predecessor was I'rof. Bell. Very little, if any time, is devoted to geol- ogy. Excellent courses in chemistry, with good laboratory work, are given by Dr. Uaiiiiel at Victoria College, Cobourg, and liv Dr. Hare at the Agricultural College, I'rovi ■ ion IS also made ttif I cience at Albert Col- Guelpli coiir.'-es in natural lege, Belleville. In the year IHoti Dr. T. S. Hunt was ele>;led to tci a protessorship in Laval Uni- versity at Quebec; ami was requested by the authorities lo organize a course of I natural science for that institution. The ordinary routine work was carried on by an ar-f islant. Dr. La line, a clever chemist, and pupil of the celelirated VVoorlz, of Paris, while Uunt conli'ied himself to a few lectures on the chemistry ot plants and aniii.als, and to a liale elementary instruc- tion in mineralogy and geology. There is also a museum connected with Laval wliich was arranged by Hunt, who re- signed his post in the year 1SG2, but still holds the title of emeritus professor. The present professor is the Abbe Lallamme. The lectures on chemistry to the students of the Bishop's College Meilical faculty are delivered by Messrs. J. Bemrose and J. T. Donald. Li McGiU College Medical Faculty chemistry was lirst taught by Dr. A. Hol'nes, then liy Dr. W. Su.herland, then by Dr. it. Craik. who is still an emeritus professor, and is now in the charge of Dr. (t. Girdwood, as.-isted by Dr. A. M. Kuttan, It is only during Gird wood's professorship, that practical work has been introduced. Li the Faculty of Arts the lectures on chemisfy were given by Dr. Dawson until the year 1875, except during a short inter- val about the year 18G0 when he was relieved by Dr. T. S. Hunt. The chair of mineralogy and chemistry in the Faculties of Arts and Applied Science is now held by Dr. Bernard Harrington. Under liis able superintendence practical w jrk of the most advanced character is carried on la the laboratory, which has recently under- gone extensive and long needed improve- ments, and has been tliereby thoroughly adiij'ted to present requirements. You may estimate the importance of such work if you consider that upon a PROGRESS OF SCIEACE IN CANADA. correct knowleilije of the priiiciiles rov- t'riiin^: meteonjlo^^iCfil umi iiiiiieri\Ioj»icrtl piietiotiiemi (icptMni in a very U\^h decree tlie proper ileVflopmi'iit of the copper, iron anil oieel iti'lu-iirif, liinl iinleed of all llie luiiicnil ri'ruiirce'< ut' lli«' Dominion. Ue-peotin,' ^i-oUi'j^y as tanalit at McGill, I need only nav, ilVil iliin nuiiject in Sir William Uiw.son'n sj -'al care, Logan'^ appreciation of the ^oienti(ic eiliu-aiiun given at M(:Gill wan emphatically demon- strated by iuH eniiovvment of the L^gan chair of geology and the Logan gold medal. Nor must THE ADMlUAnLE fXlVKRHITY MUSEUM be forgotten while enumeratiig the 'uivan- trtges eiijoyetl by tlie modern Himlent. Nothing, perhap-, will hetier illustrate the rapid advance iJi ll}^tnral t'cience than the growth of thi- collection. ') huty-one years asio, when Ur. Duw.-on fir.e high reputation of the McGill Medi- cal School, based upon tae exc Heme and breadih of the course, is mainly >iue to the fact that the members of the Faculty are not only ardent professional workers, but have obtained distinction in those su jects of which tliey severally have tlie care. Only two year- ago the cnair of PliyMology was held by a Gan.idiau whose Patnologi- cal resfarclies have made Ins name famous on l) '111 sides of tiie Ailan'ic— I mean Dr. W. O.-ler. He has been succeeded by others who are succes-fuliy continuing the work, and have been enabled widely to ex- tend it through facilities whi. h have been provided by the private liberality of our citizens. Laboratories have been added and thoroughly equipped, so that the causes of disease and the habits of disease-carrying germs may be now studied 80 completely as to justify the hope of valuable contributions in tue near future to our knowled;;e in this branch of science, Tlie importance of such stuiies lias been s|\own by the cholera investigations of Dr. Ivocli, liy Pasteur's world-fii'iied iiKpsiries into the cause and prevention of hydro- phobia, and bv the experimentM now being carried on in London, England, to discover whether a certain outbreak of scarlet fever did not originate from a vaccine disease, pointing to a po.-tsjh'e vacillation as the remedy. Finally let me direct your attention for a few moments to i«fc:t'nANICAL SCIENCE. Mechanical inventions of general utility have been lamentably few, although many Canadians Imve shown no lack of in- genuitv in re-inventing patents, a charac- teristic by no means uncommon m other countries. The work of the late Dr. B"aUinont, of Toronto, is de'^erving of special mention. He was burn in London, Lug., in the year 18().S, and came to Canada in LS41, where, acconfi g to tne following extract from ihe Caua'ln Lancet, he " invented and made for himself several surgical instrument'^, some of which are of great ingenuity and utility. Among otliers one for passing sutures in deep-seated parts [as in the operation for cleft i alate] which was examined and admirtd by Brunei, the great eng neer, and wa- refuted by New- man, the surgical instrument maker, to have bee 1 the orijiin of the Singer sewing machine." A few individuals uf a -an- triiine nature have rejoiceii in the hope that botli Etison and Bell are Canadians, and that, tiierefore, we might fairly claim some mea-ure