wey die rants trergre ees oe ot bd tem: Dyh ret t< axe re ° 2% te tte te orgs , ¥ 1 ue ere a eee ae. ee ete sas ane fe w-¥ oe ode oe restos oe : us ytd us pee kes eet os oe OR Oe pe rtes ts (mee bey Me eis beh ee oe hee ' : 7 eo ae oa ¥ebje. 8 . eee, : dere Mee bess Settee gail St SRE Re . & the re etiae — SS Soh! K a P) 0 ek Ro tye dont. ! Pp ‘ bore 4 7h bb at oP give ws ~ptan ve ea? t gh A Ned » PPo nt ae F . ore Pi ry a ' : EP Ag ae mee wi, y AS il Pe ee ’ b Beri goo cy Lh per wes 5p p . ue Srey eet) Lary SP Xe coo; : oe Pe Sapte eurad A eT SP ee ne &F ? pee teh e ae ® emma ee RD o: + ees * See aes . : - et a On wr) é ae em oe es ane ree te . . Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Toronto http://www.archive.org/details/canadiantieldnat21otta > i) a WV q a 7 ; 2 a _ Mc a 7 : ao, “ete Agiy 3. 7 a é a Lae @ an | i ve ‘ “ : i 5 2 ; f ie: ce i a OS ce i = a » . a? 7 = “wr. ‘ ~ . ns # tf ie * a oe @- es, a 7 = : J aa 7? ry i ne . ¢ i “4 bar 1 ‘§ ; i ie j ao 7a. i a) IX 1907. VOL. XXI. 1907. THE OTTAWA NATURALIST, Being Vol XXIII. of the TRANSACTIONS OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB. Organized March, 1879. Incorporated March, 1884. ee Uo? OTTAWA, CANADA: Tue Rotra L. Crain Co. Limitep, PRINTERS 1907 The Ottawa field-Waturalists’ Club, 190721908 Patron: THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL GREY, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA. President: W. J. Wilson, Ph.B. Vice=Presidents: A. E. Attwood, M.A. A. Halkett. Librarian: J. W. Baldwin. Secretary: Treasurer: Lal T..E. Clarke;-B.A. Arthur Gibson, (470 O’Connor Street). : (Central Experimental Farm). | | Committee : \ 4 Mr. J. M. Macoun Mr. A. H. Gallup. —Ie Rev. G. Eifrig. Miss I. Ritchie. Mr. H. H. Pitts. Miss A. L. Matthews. ef Mr. E. E. Lemieux. Miss Q. Jackson. Auditors: R. B. Whyte. Bea Shatt: Standing Committees of Council: Publishing: A. Gibson, J. M. Macoun, H. H. Pitts, G. Eifrig, J. W. Baldwin, Miss I. Ritchie. Excursions: A. Halkett, A. Gibson, G. Eifrig, E. E. Lemieux, T. E. Clarke, Miss A. L. Matthews, Miss Q. Jackson. Soirées: A. E. Attwood, H. H. Pitts, i fe M. Macoun, A. H. Gallup, E. E. Lemieux, Miss A. L. Matthews. Leaders: Geology: H. M. Ami, W. J. Wilson, D. B. Dowling, W. H. Collins, M. F. Connor. Botany: John Macoun, J. Fletcher, D. A. Campbell, A. E. Attwood, S. B. Sinclair, T. E. Clarke. Entomology: W. H. Harrington, J. Fletcher, A. Gibson, C. H. Young, J. W. Baldwin. Conchology: J. F. Whiteaves, F. R. Latchford, J. Fletcher, S. E. O’Brien. Ormthology: G. Eifrig, W. T. "Macoun, A. G. Kingston, A. H. Gallup, H. F. Tufts. Zoology: E. E. Prince, A. Halkett, W. S. Odell, E. E. Lemieux. Archeology: T. W. E. Sowter, J. Ballantyne. Meteorology: Otto Klotz, John Macoun, A. E. Attwood, D. A. Campbell. THE OTTAWA NATURALIST Editor: James M. Macoun, (Geological Survey of Canada). Associate Editors: Dr. H. M. Ami, Geological Survey of Canada.—Department of Geology. Dr. J. F. Wuiteaves, Geological Survey of Canada.—Dept. of Pal@on- tology. Dr. A. E. BARLow, Geological Survey of Canada.—Dept. of Petrography. Dr. JAs. FLeTcHER, Central Experimental Farm.—Botany & Nature Study. Hon. F. R. Latcurorp.—Department of Conchology. Mr. W. H. Harrincton, Post Office Department.—Dept. of Entomology. Rev. G. Errric, 210 Wilbrod St. —Dept. of Ornithology. Pror. E. E. Prince, Com. of Fisheries for Canada. —Dept. of Zoology. Dr. Otto Kiotz—Dept. of Meteorology. Membership Fee to O.F.N.C., with “Ottawa Naturalist,” $1.00 per annum LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club April, Adams, Prof. F. D., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Montreal). Airth, Miss E. femeeae A, IM .A,, D.Sc., F.G.S. Peorn5 CC. Ami, Mrs. H. M. Ami, S. T. Anderson, Miss Constance. Anderson, James R. (Victoria, B.C.) : Anderson, Lieut-Col. W. P., C.E. Attwood, A. E., M.A. Baldwin, J. W. Ballantyne, James. Bangs, J.S. Barbour, W. C. (Sayre,Pa.) Barlow, A. E., M.A., D.Sc., F.G.S.A. Bate, H. Gerald. Bate, H.N. Bate, Miss Marjorie. Bate, Miss Morna. Beaupré, Edwin. (Kingston). ’ Bell, Robert, B.A.Sc., M.D., LL.D. Pees. f R.S.C., FG.S.A. Bell, George. Belliveau, A. H. Bennett, L. H., (Regina). Billings, C. M. Billings, W. R. Blackadar, Dr. E. H. Blackadar, Lloyd. Borden, Hon. Sir F. W., M.D. Bowen, Miss Alice. (Quebec). Bowles, Miss Sibyl M. Boyd, Miss M. 1907 Boyd, W. H., B.A.Sc. Bradshaw, G. H. (Morden, Man.) Brainerd, Dwight. (Montreal). Brennan, Mrs. H. H. Brewster, W. (Cambridge, Mass.) Brown, Mrs. R. D. Brown, W. J. (Westmount, Q.) Bruce, L. (Rossland, B.C.) Bryce, Hu P. i7.D: Burgess, T. J. W., M.D., F.R.S.C., (Montreal). Burland, G. L. Burman, Rev. W. A. (Winnipeg). Calder, Alex. (Winnipeg). Cameron, E. R., M.A. Cameron, Roy. Casson, Rev. C. W. Campbell, D. A., B.A. Campbell, A. M. Campbell, R. H. Chalmers, Robert, LL.D. Clark: GS ib. Seas Clarke, C. K., M.D. (Toronto). Clarke, T. E., B.A. Cobbold, Paul A. (Haileybury, Ont.) Cooper, H. W. Cole, H. W. Cole, John, (Westboro’, Ont.) Cole, Mrs. John, (Westboro’, Ont.) Collins, J. Franklin, (Providence, eke) Collins, W. H. Connor, M. F., B.Sc. Coté, J. C. Courtney, Harold D. 4 THE OTTAWA Cousens, W. C., M.D. Cowley, Miss Mary A. (Aylmer, Q.) Craig, Prof. John, (Ithaca, N.Y.) Criddle, N. (Treesbank, Man.) Currie, P. W. Curry, Miss E. E. Daly, R.A AAS PED: Dawson, S. E., Lit. D. Dearness, J., M.A. (London, Ont.) Dempsey, J. H. C. (Hamilton). Denny, J. D. Director, Christian Brothers’ Academy. Drxon, F. A. Dixon, Miss M. F. Doherty, T. Keville. Dowling, D. B., B.A.Se. Dulau & Co., (London, Eng.) Dunne, J. P. Durnford, F. G. D. Dwight, Jonathan, Jr., Z.D. (New York). Eifrig, Rev. G. Bills oR. Wei aGSeAs FER SiG. Evans, Jno. D., C.E. (Trenton, Ont.) Ewart, D. Farley, F. L. (Red Deer, Alta.) Farr, Miss E. M. (Philadelphia). Fisher, Hon. Sydney. Fitzpatrick, Hon. Chas. Fleck, A. W. Fleming, J. H. (Toronto). Fleming, Sir Sandford, K.C.M.G.., GEE DERERECAL. BR nGs Mietcher J > & Jenkins, S. J., B.A. - Joly de Lotbiniére, Hon. Sir Henry (Victoria, B.C.) Jones, Harold, (Maitland, Ont.) Kearns, J.C. _ Keefer, Thos. C., C.M.G., C.E., F.R.S.C. “Keele, J., B.A.Se. - Kells, W. L. (Listowell, Ont.) _ Kendall, E. W. (Guelph, Ont.) Se on, _ Labarthe, J. (Trail, B.C.) Laidlaw, G. E., (Victoria Rd., Ont.) Lambe, cs FGS.A., FRSC. _ Latchford, Hon. F. R. B.A. - Leavitt, T. W. H. Eioronta). Lee, Miss Kath. (Clinton, N.Y.) Lees, Miss V. , Legislative Library, (Toronto). Lemieux, E. E. LeSueur, W. D., B.A. Lewis, J. B., C.E. Leyden, Miss M. Library Dept. Ont. Agr. College, (Guelph). Library of Parliament. Liebner, E. O., B.A. (Brampton, Ont.) _ Lingwood, Miss F. H. Lochhead, W., B.A., M.Sc. Anne de Bellevue, Que.) Lyman, H. H., M.A. (Montreal). McCallum, Frank. McCready, Prof. S. B. (Guelph). McDougall, Miss J. C. McDunnough, Jas.(Berlin,Germany) McElhinney, M. P. McElhinney, Dr. M. G. McGill, A., B.A., B.Sc. McInnes, Wm. ,B.A. _ MacLaughilin, T. J. (St. List OF MEMBERS McLeod, Miss M. F. McNeil, Alex. McNabb, J. McNichol, Miss C. C. McQuesten, Miss Ruby B. MacCraken, John I., B.A. MacKay, A. H., LE.D., B.Se.; F.R.S.C. (Halifax). Macoun, Prof. John, M.A., F.L.S., FRSC. Macoun, J. M. Macoun, W.T. ° Malcolm, Jno. (Fergus, Ont.) Matthews, Miss Annie L. Mearns, Dr. E. A. (Washington, D:C.) Megill, W. H. T., B.A. Metcalfe, W. Millar, H. H. (Calgary). Miller, Prof. W. G. (Toronto). Milne, Wm. Moore, W. H. (Scotch Lake, N.B.) Morris, F. J. A. (Port Hope, Ont.) Murray, James, B.S.A. (Regina, Sask.) Nash, C. W. (Toronto). Nelles, D. H., D.L.S. Newcombe, C. F., M.D. (Victoria, BC.) Newman, L. H., B.S.A. O’Brien, S. E. Odell, W. 5S. Orde, J. F. O'Sullivan, Owen. Owen, Beverley. Perrin, Vincent, C.E. Pitcher, Rev. T. Pitts, H. H. Prince, Prof. E. E., Putman, J. H., B.A. Raine, Walter, (Toronto). Richard, A. E. Ritchie, Miss Isabella. Robertson, Prof. J. W., LL.D. (St. Anne de Bellevue, Que.) Robinson, Miss M. B.A. F Lents 6 Tue OtTtrawa NATURALIST Rodman, Miss A. E. Ruddick, J. A. Rush, M. L. Saunders, F:G:S., EES s PaaS. Saunders, W. E. (London, Ont.) Saunders, H. S. (Toronto). Scott, Geo. Inglis. Scott, Mrs. G. I. Scott, Norman M. Scott, John A. Scott, Harry S. Scott, Miss Mary McKay. Scott, W., B.A. (Toronto). Scott, Rev. C. T. (Montreal, Que.) Senate of Canada, The. Seton, E. Thompson, (Coscob, Conn.) Shannon, Frank. Shearman, F. J. W. Shore, John W. Shutt, Ei. MAL PLC RGSs FURS.C. Simpson, Willibert. Sinclair, S. B., B.A., Ph.D. Skales, Howard, (Mt. Forest, Ont.) Small, HL. Beaumont, M.D. Snider, W. W. Soper, ‘John. Sowter, T. W. E. Souliere, O. Spence, J.C., B.A. Spreckley, R. O. St. Jacques, H. Summerby, Wm. J., /.A. (Russell, Ont.) Sutherland, J.C., B.A. (Richmond, Que.) hei Mrs. L. L. Sullivan, a Pe Se Wan., CMG. ED. [April Symes, P. B. Taylor, F. B. (For® Wayne, Ind.) Terrill, L. M. (Montreai). Thompson, Re Thomson, Evan, (Red Lodge, Alta.) Thorne, James, B.A. Topley, Mrs. W. J. ‘Putts, EiGh: Te J. B., B.As, B.Sc.) ieee F.G.S.A. (Toronto). Walker, B. E., F.G.S. (Toronto). Walker, Bryant, (Detroit). Wallis, J: B. (Winnipeg, Man). Warwick, F. W., B.Sc. (Bucking- ham, Ou e.) Weston, T. C. , F.G.S.A. (Minnea- polis, Minn.) Whelen, Peter. Whelen, Miss A. White, E. G. White, George R. White, James, Cate Ont.) White, J. i White, Lt.-Col. W.. ,C.M.G. Whiteaves, Dee ee FGA F.R.S.C. Ae ee 5 Whyte, Miss Ida. Whyte, Miss Isabella. Whyte, R. B. Williams, Miss M. B. Williams, J. B., (Toronto). Willing, T. N., (Regina, Sask.) Wilson, W. J., Ph.B. Wilson, E. (Armstrong, B.C.) Winchester, HERS Wood, Hon. Josiah, (Sackville, N.B. ) Young, C. H. CORRESPONDING MEMBERS BeTuunE, REv.C. J.S., M.A., D.C.L., F.R.S.C., Guelph, Ont. GREENE, Hix, ALBert J., Hou, THEODOR, Ph.D., Dr. E. L., United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. M.A.,C.E., New Westminster, B.C. Brookland, Washington, D.C., U.S. MerrIAM, Dr. C. Hart, Department of Agriculture, Washington, U.S. SMITH, Pror. JoHN B., D.Sc., TAYLOR, REv. G. W., M.A.., WickHaM, Pror. H. F., Rutger’s College, New Brunswick, N.J. F.R.S.C., F.Z.S., Wellington, B.C. Iowa City, Iowa, U.S YS ee ee THE OTTAWA NATURALIST Vou. XVIII. OTTAWA, APRIL, 1907 No. 1 THE REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 19ru, 1907. The Club membership has now passed the 300 mark. During the year twenty-three new ordinary members have been elected, bringing the present membership up to 301, composed of 293 _ ordinary members and eight corresponding members. SOIREES. The Soirée Committee is to be congratulated upon the ex- cellent programme of lectures it has provided this winter, and also upon its departure in printing the programme in neat pocket form, besides publishing it as usual in THE Orrawa NATURALIST. The opening soirée was held on December 6th, when the President, Mr. Wilson, gave an able and timely address on the benefits and pleasures to be derived from a participation in the work of the Club. Dr. Jas. Fletcher then read a short paper, prepared by Prof. Bradley, of the University of California, on “An Entomological Excursion to the Selkirk Mountains.’’ The paper was illustrated by a number of excellent slides. The re- mainder of the evening was given up to a demonstration exhibi- tion. Rev. Mr. Eifrig, by means of mounted specimens, a field glass, and popular books on birds, gave a demonstration of first steps in ornithology, using color as a means of identification. On January 8th, Mr. D. A. Campbell gave a demonstration on the Physics of the Atmosphere. The various laws of gases and many interesting phenomena were illustrated in a series of well-chosen experiments, so skilfully performed as to call forth frequent applause. Dr. P. H. Bryce, Chief Medical Officer of the Dept. of the Interior, addressed the Club on The Relation of Climate to Health, with special reference to prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. This address, one of the ablest ever delivered be- before the Club, is shortly to appear in full in Tue Orrawa NATURALIST. 8 THE Ortawa NATURALIST [April On February 12th, Dr. R. N. Daly gave am address before a large audience on The Physical Conditions of Life in the Deep Seas. He pointed out the factors, such as temperature, presence of light, heat, air, low pressure, wave motion, and the facility of obtaining food, that make life more abundant near the sur- face than at greater depths. Deep sea types were then described with the conditions under which they live. In the absence of Dr. Robertson, the paper on The Mac- donald College was given by Prof. Lochhead of that institution. who described the college at Ste. Anne de Bellevue, and dealt with the great educational value of the work which Sir Wm. Macdonald’s generosity is making possible. The paper to have been given on March 12th, by Mr. Stewart on The Forestry Problem had to be cancelled because of Mr. Stewart’s removal to Montreal. On that date Dr. Fletcher read before the Club a chapter on The Grey Wolf, from the manu- script of Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton’s forthcoming book, The Mammals of Manitoba. The chapter describes the appearance, habits, and range of the Grey Wolf, and is replete with stories gleaned from all sources from Hudson Bay days to the present time. .On the same evening, Dr. Ami presented the Report of the Geological Branch, and gave an illustrated address on The Methods of Work of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club. Some of the slides shown illustrated local geology, especially as ob- served in excavations made during the past few years, and others exhibited the kind of work done by the Club on its Saturday excursions and in connection with the Summer School of Science. Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton, a valued member of the Club, very kindly gave an illustrated lecture on Animal Minds and Heroes, on the evening of February 16th, before an audience that completely filled the large Assembly Hall of the Normal School. Mr. Seton held his audience in the closest attention for a space of an hour and three-quarters while he described the ~ famous heroes of animal history. To quote from a lengthy press notice, ‘‘Deliveredewith fire of oratory, and enlightened with frequent flashes of the keenest wit, the address was one of the best heard in Ottawa for many years.” EXCURSIONS. The following programme of excursions was drawn up: April 28th, Blueberry Point, Aylmer. May 5th, Rockliffe Park. May 12th, Beaver Meadow, Hull. May 19th, Cement Works, Hull. May 26th, General Excursion, Chelsea, June 2nd, Experimental Farm. 1907] REPORT OF THE COUNCIL i) June 9th, Rideau Park. June 16th, General Excursion, Galetta. June 23rd, Hemlock Lake. Sept. 18th, General Excursion, Chelsea. Feb. 9th, Snowshoe Tramp, Beaver Meadow. Feb. 23rd, Snowshoe Tramp, Rockliffe. The Club regards its excursions as the strongest means of awakening public interest in its work and enlisting new members. This year, special efforts had been put forth to make the excur- sions as successful as possible, but an unusual number of rainy Saturdays interfered with the plans of the Club. When weather conditions were favorable, however, the excursions were well attended, and much good work was done, as appears in the re- ports of the excursions published from time to time in Tue Ottawa NaTuRALIst. The snowshoe tramps have shown that a great deal of field work can be carried on in winter. The botanists, for example, observed at Beaver Meadow the distri- bution of evergreens and deciduous trees, the occurrence of _ species easily passed by unnoticed in summer, the branching of deciduous trees, the persistent fruit of the Climbing Bittersweet, the characteristic winter appearance of the Juniper, various methods of bud-protection, and many other interesting features of winter vegetation. A continuance of field work in winter would be certain to reveal many things to which attention has not yet been directed because of the unfamiliarity of people in cities with woods in winter. THe OTTAwA NATURALIST. Volume XX of THE Ottawa Natura ist, the official organ of the Club, has been published under the editorship of Mr. J. M. Macoun. It consists of twelve numbers which contain in all 253 pages and two plates. The following are among the papers that appear in this volume: 1. Notes on a Collection of Fossil Fruits from Vermont, in the Museum of the Geological Survey of Canada, Dr. H. M. Ami. 2. Onthe Structure of Roots, Theo. Holm. 3. A May Morning with the Birds in New Brunswick, W. H. Moore. _ .4. List of some Fresh-water shells from Northwestern Ontario and Keewatin, Dr. J. F. Whiteaves. The Migration of Birds, Rev. C. Eifrig. The Ottawa Species of Eriophorum, J. M. Macoun. A Sagacious Crow, A. H. Gallup. The Chambord Meteorite, R. A. Johnston. Nesting of Wilson’s Snipe, Wm. L. Kells. a ad eal ah 10 THE Ottawa NATURALIST [April 10. Some Canadian Antennarias, Dr. Ed. L. Greene. 11. The Caribou of Queen Charlotte Islands, J. M. Macoun. 12. Ivy Poisoning and its Treatment, J. M. Macoun. 13. The Great Gray Owl, Rev. C. W. G. Eifrig. 14. The Species of Botryocrinus, F. A. Bather. 15. Some New Plants from the Canadian Rockies and Sel- kirks, Edith M. Farr. 16. Richardson’s Merlin, W. J. Brown. 17. Bird Migration, Sable Island, James Boutelier. 18. Notes on Cyrtoceras cuneatum, Dr. J. F. Whiteaves.- 19. Contributions to Canadian Botany, J. M. Macoun. 20. Spring Migration of Birds at Ottawa, 1906, Rev. C. E/ifrig. 3 1. Animal Coloration, Prof. E. E. Prince. 22. The Cryptogamic Flora of Ottawa, Prof. Jno. Macoun. 23. A Visit to Duck Island, Hon. F. R. Latchford. 24. The Teal Weed of St. Clair Flats, J. Maughan. 25. Description of Eupithecia Fletcherata, Geo.W Taylor. 26. A Swarm of Butterflies, Geo. H. Bradshaw. 27. Notes on the Skeleton of a White Whale, Dr. J. F. Whiteaves. 28. Some Curious Facts about Fishes, Andrew Halkett. 29. The Disappearance of the Passenger Pigeon, J. H. Fleming. , 30. Meteorological Observations at Ottawa, Wm. Ellis. In addition to these, there have been published several botanical and ornithological notes, book reviews, reports of soirées, excursions, and branch meetings. The series of articles on Nature Study, edited by Dr James Fletcher, has been continued, bringing the number of papers , published during the past four years up to 42. In this volume the following papers appear: 33. Definite Problems in Nature Study, Dr. S. B. Sinclair. 34. A Cement Sidewalk, S. B. McCready, B.A. 35. The Galt Park Wild-Flower Garden, R. S. Hamilton. 36. The Foundations of Chemistry as seen in Nature Study, Jno. Brittain. 37. The Cecropia Emperor Moth, Arthur Gibson. 38. School Exhibits of Pressed Plants, Dr. J. Fletcher. 39. Agencies for the Promotion of Nature Study in Canada, Prof. Lochhead. . 40. Manual Training—the Mechanical Hobby, Dr. Mark G. McElhinney. 41. Manual Training—the Machinist’s Art, Dr. Mark G. McElhinney. 42. The Relation of Sparrows to Agriculture, L.H. Newman. 1907} Report oF THE CouNcIL 11 Your Council, believing that this series of articles is one of the most important contributions made to the science of Nature Study, regrets to report that Dr. Fletcher finds himself compelled to cease editing this department of THe Orrawa NaTuRALIST. The Club has on hand 250 copies of each of the forty-two articles printed, and the publishing committee has under consideration the question of binding these in book form. REPORTS OF BRANCHES. These reports, showing the work done throughout the year by the various branches, are being presented at this meeting, and will be published in THe Ottawa NarturRALisT at an early date. Your Council has instituted a Department of Meteorology under the leadership of Dr. Otto Klotz. One of the leaders of this department, Mr. Campbell, gave a Demonstration on the Physics of the Atmosphere before a largely attended meeting in the Ottawa Collegiate Institutte. ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH. The members of the Entomological Branch of the Club have continued their good work in the collection and study of the insects of the Ottawa District. The leaders report that, although the season was not a particularly good one for insects, still many interesting species were taken, and considerable progress made in adding to the lists of the various orders. Notable features of the year were a remarkable outbreak of plant lice on almost all cultivated and wild plants up till midsummer, followed by the appearance of hordes of lady-bird beetles, which very soon destroyed the larger number of the plant lice. It was noticed that very many of these predaceous friends were similarly de- stroyed by parasites. The White Cedars throughout the district were very much injured by the larvae of two minute moths, Argyresthia thuiella, and in far smaller numbers, Kecurvarta thujaella. An interesting occurrence was of a Nitidulid beetle, the larvae of which were very destructive to the seeds of the Silver Maple. The entomologists announce the appearance in the Ottawa district of an undesirable visitor in the shape of the Asparagus Beetle, which has done so much harm in western Ontario. An insect which last season appeared in vast numbers was the Greenhouse White-fly (Aleyrodes vaporariorum), which was abundant on many herbaceous plants and ornamental shrubs in gardens. ORNITHOLOGICAL BRANCH. Since the last annual report the Ornithological Section has held meetings at more or less regular intervals. More than 12 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST [Apr 1 usually complete observations on the spring migration of birds in the district were made and recorded, also anomalies, rareties and irregularities in the air forms of the vicinity considered. Further progress was made in the revision of the published air- faunal list of the Ottawa district, with a view of augmenting and correcting it to date. As a none too common occurrence in the bird world of the vicinity may be mentioned the unusual migration of the Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) noted last October and November. THE LIBRARY. In accordance with the report of the Library Committee adopted at the last annual meeting, the bound volumes and the exchanges were transferred from the Normal School to the Car- negie Library. All exchanges received during the past year are now stored in the Normal School. Many of these are of a technical nature, but the Club receives a number of publications which are of a more popular character, including: The Nature Study Review. The Journal of Geography. The Auk. The Canadian Entomologist. The Wilson Bulletin. The Ohio Naturalist. . Le Naturaliste Canadien. Under present conditions no use is made of these by the members. In addition to its periodical exchanges, the Club has received numerous government reports from Washington and Ottawa, and the following bound volumes have been placed on the shelves: 1. Anatomical Nomenclature, Dr. Barker, Prof. of Medi- cine, Johns Hopkins University. 2. A Loose-Leaf System of Laboratory Notes, Theo. Scheffer, Kansas State Agricultural College. 3. Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institute. 4. Report of the Welcome Research Laboratories at the Gordon Memorial College, Khartoum. A Summer School of Science under the direction of Mr. J. H. Putman, gave a three weeks’ course for teachers in July. Several members of the Club delivered lectures at the Normal School and aided in the field work. Mr. Putman gave a course in Botany, Mr. Attwood one in Mineralogy, and Mr. Sullivan took charge of the field work. Dr. Fletcher gave two lectures on Birds, and two on Insects. The leaders of the Club also contribute very largely to the lecture programmes of various societies in the city. SOR ON 1907] Report oF THE CoUNCIL 13 The Club notes with pleasure the honor conferred upon two former Presidents. Dr. J. F. Whiteaves has been awarded the Lyell medal by the Geological Society of London, an honor that has been conferred upon only two other Canadian scientists, Sir William Dawson, and Prof. Frank Adams; and Dr. R. Bell has been awarded the Patron’s Gold Medal by the Royal Geograph- ical Society, the Cullum Gold Medal by the American Geograph- ical Society, and the Queen’s Coronation Gold Medal for geological work in Canada. The Club desires to express its gratitude for the apprecia- tion of its work shown by the Ontario Legislature in increasing the annual grant from $200 to $300. The Treasurer’s Report shows a balance on hand of $48.63. The thanks of the Club are due to Principal White for plac- ing the Normal School at its disposal, to the Library Board of the City Council, and to the Librarian, Mr. Burpee, for the use of the Lecture Hall of the Carnegie Library, and to the Press of the city for its efforts in furthering the work of the Club. All of which is respectfully submitted. T. By GRABER, Secretary. 14 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST [April TREASURER’S STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDING 19TH MARCH, 1907. RECEIPTs. Balance fromipreevious year. <2 oe se eee $61 62 Subsctiptions—=1906-1907... 5; SUS ee ake oe eae 97 00 ATTOATS: «xin. tale wh Ae Beas Soe oe eee 58 00 155 00 Advertisements in OTTAWA NATURALIST............-<. 101 40 Author’s extras sold, including separates of Nature wtudy articles 34... Sup. ce Po oe ee 61 60 OrTawa NatuRaLists sold... .<: «2.4.26 230 eee 26 10 Goverment Grant. :... 2... 2.) 2 ee ee 300 00 $705 72 EXPENDITURE. Printing Orrawa NATURALIST, Vol. XX, 12 Nos., 253 PAGES 0008 a Sons ae ee re eee $316 10 Ilustrations....:...2,2.07). (286 2 Jee ee eee 6 93 Author’s extras, including Nature Study separates..... 121 50 Miscellaneous printing—wrappers, post cards, etc....... 60 40 $504 93 Postage...55 yc TE iG +=. Biase ke See ee ee eee 24 31 Editor ....c4. [ee bs os oe ne SE ee Oe ee 50 00 $579 24 Less 5 per cent. for cash on part of printers’accts.. 23 88 ee 36 WECECLATY ..002 5.2 ds 2 ss nid sa gee ee ee 25 00 A TeaSurer.... 52.52. be ce ee ee : 25 00 poirce Expenses... . 2. Fs... 2 eee 20 75 , kAbrary expenses... 2.5... : 0k fee 16 20 sundry expenses, postage, etc... ¥. bases eee eee 14 78 Balance... . . 02.0. '2->t.08s0 eee 6 48 62 $705 72 ARTHUR GIBSON, Treasurer. Examined and found correct, R. B. WHYTE, A. H. GALLUP, } Auditors. Subscriptions for the new club year are now due, and should be paid at once. The Treasurer would again direct attention to the advertisements in our new-volume. Some of these appear now for the first time, and mem- bers are asked to remember the different firms when making purchases. They are all good, reliable firms, and, as they are helping the Club by giving advertisements, we should all make it a point to deal with them. 1907] On a Tootu or Ovisos 15 ON A. TOOTH OF OVIBOS, FROM PLEISTOCENE GRAVELS NEAR MIDWAY, B.C.* By Lawrence M. Lampe, F.G.S., F.R.S.C., of the Geological Survey of Canada. (With plate). An upper molar tooth of a ruminant has lately been pre- sented to the Geological Survey by Mr. C. B. Bash, of Greenwood, British Columbia, who states in a letter accompanying the speci- men that it is from Rock Creek about eight miles above its entry into Kettle River, and about four miles north of the International Boundary. Rock Creek joins Kettle River from the west about . thirteen miles west of Midway. The tooth was found on a rock surface beneath a deposit of unconsolidated gravel, about two hundred feet in thickness, in a tunnel run into a hill in connection with placer mining. The tooth received from Mr. Bash is the posterior true molar from the right side, and is referred provisionally to the genus Ovibos. In comparison with the corresponding tooth of an adult male musk-ox (O.moschatus,Zimm.) from Fort Rae, Great Slave Lake, in the Museum of the Geological Survey, it is seen to be slightly smaller and less robust but otherwise remarkably similar. Remains, principally the hinder portion of skulls with horn- cores attached,from the Pleistocene of the United States, have been assigned to the genus Ovibos or related genera under a number of specific names, some of which are apparently synonyms. Ovtbos bombijrons (Harlan) is from the Pleistocene of Kentucky; O. cavifrons (Leidy) is recorded from deposits of the same age in Indian Territory, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, and Alaska, and both were included by Leidy in his genus Bodtherium. A third species is O. appalachicolus (Rhoads), from the Pleistocene of Pennsylvania. There are few records of the finding of the remains of Ovibos in Pleistocene deposits in Canada. Dr. George M. Dawson, in his Summary Report for 1898, p. 19 A, mentions the finding of portions of a skull of a musk-ox in old gravel deposits (Pleisto- cene) near Edmonton, Alberta. In his Report on the Klondike Gold Fields, 1905, p. 29B, Mr. R. G. McConnell refers to musk- ox, mammoth, buffalo, bear and mountain sheep and goat re- mains in the ‘‘low level creek gravels’ of the Klondike district which are most probably of Pleistocene age, judging from the occurrence of mammoth bones in them. Lydekker in his Cata- logue of Fossil Mammalia in the British Museum, pt. 11, 1885, p. 39, refers, under the heading Ovibos moschatus, to a specimen *Communicated by permission of the Acting ‘Director of the Geo- logical Survey of Canada. 16 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST [April consisting of the ‘‘hinder portion of the cranium of a small indi- vidual with part of the horn-cores,’”’ from the Pleistocene of the Upper Porcupine River, Yukon. In the ‘‘Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections,” Vol. 111, pt. 2, 1905, isa paper on ‘‘Scaphoceros* tyrrelli, an extinct ruminant from the Klondike gravels,” by Wilfred H. Osgood. This paper is descriptive of the skull of an animal considered by Mr. Osgood to be ‘‘evidently related to the existing genus Ovibos, but suffi- ciently different to rank as a separate genus.”” The type skull is from Bonanza Creek. The remains of musk-oxen in the Yukon mentioned by Mr. McConnell in his report are the specimens on which this new genus has been established. Mr. Osgood in his important and interesting paper also reviews the literature of Pleistocene species of Ovibos. He assigns O. cavijrons (Leidy) to Scaphoceros, and retains the genus Bodétherium with bomb:- jrons as the type. In the skull of Scaphoceros tyrrelli from Bon- anza Creek the teeth are preserved, an important feature, as no teeth have been found with the Pleistocene remains generally hitherto referred to the genus Ovibos under different specific names in Canada and the United States. The tooth from Rock Creek, B.C., is in diameter about three- fifths the size of the last upper molar of S. tyrrelli, and its pro- portions are quite different. As already mentioned, it is nearly but not quite the size of the posterior molar of an adult male of Ovibos moschatus in the Museum of the Geological Survey, and in most particulars agrees very closely with it. As the styles or cost are more slender, is is for the present only provisionally referred to the living form. In comparison with the correspond- ing tooth of an adult specimen of Ovis montana Cuv.,.the Moun- tain sheep or Big-horn, there are general resemblances. It is in ‘size between the tooth of the mountain sheep and the musk-ox, but more nearly approaches the latter. Figures in the accompanying plate are given of the tooth from Rock Creek. In comparing it with the corresponding tooth of the adult male musk-ox from Fort Rae, the three costz or styles of its outer surface are seen to be more slender, but the proportionate development of the intermediate costz or longi- tudinal ribs is about the same, and the tooth pattern is almost identical. The Rock Creek specimen is moderately worn and the posterior cement lake (valley) in the grinding surface connects at its anterior end with the longitudinal depression between the lobes on the inner side of the tooth. The complete enclosure of *The generic term Symbos has since been substituted by Mr. Osgood for Scaphoceros (preoccupied). Vide, Proceedings Biological Society of Washington, Vol xviii, p. 223. Oct. 17, 1905. - — 1907] On a TootH oF Ovisos 17 this lake would have taken place when the tooth had been worn down about 12 mm. more. The transverse section (Fig. 1 c) a little below the mid-height of the tooth (at d, Fig. 1) shows the posterior lake isolated with the addition near the inner division point of the lobes of the ‘‘small accessory valley (e, Fig. 1 c), to which attention is called by Dr. E. Lénnberg in his paper ‘On the Structure and Anatomy of the Musk-ox.’’* In the Fort Rae musk-ox the first and second upper true molars show this accessory valley well developed, and the third ‘molar, which is not so much worn as the other two teeth, shows it in process of formation, but still attached to and continuous with the anterior cement lake. In this specimen only the small portion of the teeth above the alveolar border is available for _ examination. In the specimen of Ovts montana neither of the cement lakes in the grinding surface of the last upper molar (very little worn) are completely enclosed; the anterior one communicates with the inner longitudinal furrow and also by a narrow surface with the posterior lake. With further wear (Fig. 2, section at mid- height of tooth) the two lakes become enclosed and distinct, but without the formation of the ‘‘small accessory valley.”” A second section nearer the base of the tooth reveals this small valley well formed. The first upper true molars in the same skull show this valley very plainly in the grinding surface, and it appears in a section at mid-height in the second molar. The ‘‘small accessory valley”’ is thus seen to be developed in both the musk- ox and the mountain sheep in the true molars. The styles of the Rock Creek tooth have about the same prominence and thickness as those of the sheep. ? The Rock Creek tooth is without the ‘accessory column’ that is stated to arise in Ovibos* at the base of the inner surface of the molars between the two lobes. This column is, however, apparently absent in the third upper molar{ of Ovibos. In the second and third upper molars of the mountain sheep examined there is no trace of this column. Measurements of the Rock Creek tooth (moderately worn), and those of the corresponding tooth in Ovibos moschatus *Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for the year 1900, p. 712. *Lonnberg, op. cit., p. 712. t+Osgood, op. cit., p. 177. 18 THE OTTAWA NATURALIST [April (much worn), and Ovis montana (slightly worn) are here given: Rock CREEK OVIBOS Ovis TOOTH. MOSCHATUS. MONTANA. Height or length of tooth........ 54 mm. Ap. 40 mm. 55 mm. Maximum anteroposterior dia- meter at grinding surface. . 25 mm. 31 mm. 18 mm. Same at mid-height... 29 mm. 25 mm. Transverse diameter (w idth) of posterior lobe at Laie surface... 10 mm. 12 mm. 6 mm. Same at mid- -height... 13.5 mm. 11 mm. Transverse diameter (w idth) of anterior lobe at grinding sur- Pees TEST RM: DRE. tere © 12 mm. 13 mm. 9 mm. Same at mid-height............. 15.5 mm. 12.5 mm. In attempting, therefore, to determine whether the Rock Creek tooth is properly referable to the musk-ox or to the moun- tain sheep, the absence of the ‘‘accessory column”’ in the speci- men does not afford any help in this particular case, and the presence of the “‘small accessory valley”’ is a character belonging to both animals. According to Dr. Lonnberg, “‘in sheep and goats this ‘accessory valley’ seems to be less constantly developed” (op. cit., p. 7 12), than in many members of the Bovide. Depend- ing principally on its size and general robustness the Rock Creek tooth is provisionally referred to the musk-ox (Ovibos moschatus, Zimm.),in the belief that it may have belonged to a rather small individual. The unconsolidated gravel under which the tooth was found is evidently of Pleistocene age. The enamel of the specimen varies in places from deep to light bluish-grey in colour, with a few irregular patches that are almost white. The dentine is of a very dark brown or almost black colour, with the cement a shade lighter. Dr. Reginald Daly, geologist for Canada to the International Boundary Commission, who is familiar with the geology of the Rock Creek district, says that the only uncon- solidated gravels occurring there are, in his judgment, of glacial origin and of Pleistocene age. EXPLANATION OF PLATE. Figure 1—Right posterior upper true molar of ruminant (Ovibos) from Rock Creek, B.C.; exterior aspect. FicurEe 1a—The same viewed from within. Figure 1b—The grinding surface of the same viewed from below. Ficure 1c—Transverse section of the same at d, fig. 1. Figure 2—Transverse section at mid-height of the crown of the cor- re spondir ig tooth of an adult mountain sheep (Ovis montana, Cuv.) e.—‘‘Small accessory valley.’ All the above figures are of natural size. 1907] THE EvoLuTION oF THE MACDONALD COLLEGE 19 THE EVOLUTION OF THE MACDONALD COLLEGE. Professor W. Lochhead, of the Macdonald College, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, gave an address to the members of the Field Natural- ist’s Club on the above subject in the Normal School on the even- ing of February 26th. The speaker said, in part:. The Macdonald College, as a future training school for young men and women for rural life, like every other great work, is the product of adequate causes; it is the result of ideas and tendencies that have been manifesting themselves for many years in the educational world; it is an expression of the Educational Unrest that makes for real progress in the efforts to adapt our educational system and methods to the conditions and needs of our time. There is a rural life, and there is a town or urban life, with distinctly different conditions and problems. A large percentage of our people live on farms, while all are dependent, either directly or indirectly, on the farms for their sustenance and pros- perity. One would naturally suppose, therefore, that the study of rural life would be given much prominence in our elementary schools, and that every encouragement would be given the larger boys and girls who had passed through the usual grades of the ruralschools, to equip themselves still further for their life work. As a matter of fact, however, the studies in most rural schools are quite similar to those carried on in town and city schools, while the high schools give practically no attention to the re- quirements of rural life. Their courses are admirably adapted to those desirous of becoming teachers and university students, but they fail to meet the needs of the great majority of the pupils passing through the public schools. The high schools practically compel every student to ‘‘face about and march’’ for the Normal School or College, for the course of studies gives no alternative. (Of late years Commercial courses are given in many high schools). For some time, then, thoughtful people have felt that the studies in rural schools do not deal definitely enough with rural things and conditions. There is no longer any real doubt that such studies are valuable educationally, for the agricultural colleges have shown that these possess high cultural value as well as practical utility. Owing to the constant changes in agricultural conditions which result from the new applications of knowledge, each indi- vidual citizen needs a higher degree of adaptability than was formerly the case. Professor Sadler says: ‘These changes in the >| THE Ortawa NATURALIST [April condition of life call for a new spirit in education fromthe earliest years upward. A vast body of new knowledge has tobe brought into educational account. The old tradition has to be examined, readjusted to new needs, and in part discarded, new studies have to be introduced, and scientific thought has to be given to the . training of the senses. Science has furnished an immense amount of usable information that has practically revolutionized the older methods of agriculture; and it is very important that the coming rural citizens should enter into the possession of this information with the ability to apply this new knowledge to practical ends, to bring together different portions of knowledge into new combinations, to realize quickly the bearing of new developments of knowledge upon customary ways of doing things and upon the probable demands for new kinds of service.” Besides a trained intelligence,the rural citizen should have a sympathetic interest in the world of nature about him; he should see something of the beauty of the web of life, and understand that his physical welfare depends largely upon his obedience to the laws of nature that he has tried to grasp. More than this, the cultivators of the soil require training in organization and co-operation, for these spell success in agricultural as they do in other commercial lines. For ages the farmer did not feel much need for co-operation; he required little beyond his own farm; he was self-contained. His earnings were small in spite of the hard work, and he had no desire to speculate, lest he lose his hard earned money. He became independent, but his independence prevented him from getting all he could from his land. He shunned co-operation in matters of common interest to all his neighbors. The products of his farm went to the market alone, very frequently in incon- venient and unattractive forms. Latterly, however, through the desire to have good roads, good local government, good schools and good churches, the spirit of co-operation is inves the communities. Good rural schools, however, imply good teachers teagan able ‘‘to articulate the country school closely and smoothly with the country home, the neighborhood and the country at large; only so can the instruction of. the school take on the reality needed to make it vigorously and practically effective. The teachers should be able to utilize the local community life, its occupations, resources, organisations, traditions and customs, for the rural school.” But: again back of this, properly prepared rural teachers must be trained at suitably equipped and suitably located normal schools. Our city normal schools have failed to a large 1907] Tue EvoLuTION or THE MACDONALD COLLEGE 21 extent in the training of teachers for the special work of the country schools. These results are not due to the staff, but to the environment of the normal schools. The city is not a suitable place to study rural life, to gain that practical and scientific knowledge of farm life that is so essential to the teacher, or to get practice work in ungraded, one-master, rural schools. ‘‘City schools teach city life and the facts that go with city life.” : There should, therefore, be a rural normal school for the special training of rural teachers; and probably such a school could do the most effective work if it were attached to an agri- cultural college. This opinion coincides with that expressed in the recent report of the Committee on Industrial and Tech- nical Education, appointed by the Legislature of Massachusetts, and presided over by Dr. Carrol D. Wright, the noted educa- tionist and economist. This report recommends the establish- ment of a normal school for the training of teachers for the rural schools at the State Agricultural College. Many efforts have been made to improve our rural schools. The task is more difficult to-day than it has been for centuries on account of the new conditions that have arisen as a result of the recent scientific investigations in agriculture and the rivalry of the great agricultural countries for the best markets. The ideal system of schools for the rural districts would appear to be: (1) One or two agricultural high schools in each county, each equipped with one or more teachers on its staff trained at an agricultural college, acquainted with the practical side of agriculture, and able to use the farm in connection with the high school to demonstrate in a practical way the best scientific principles and methods advocated by the Experiment Stations. These schools would act as feeders for the Agricul- tural College of the province. (2) A good consolidated school for each township, where the first year of the high school would be connected in course with the elementary grade work. (3) Good rural schools where nature study would form the basis of the school effort, as in the lower grades of the consolidated school. This secondary course would be adapted to the needs of the larger boys and girls, who spend most of their time on the farm, but who would be willing to spend two or three months each year ina study of the activities of the district for the purpose of bettering their knowledge of farm processes, and thus gaining power for service. But such a system of rural schools cannot be established without the hearty support of the farmers themselves, for it means increased taxes. They must first be shown the value of education, as applied to the various branches of agricultural 22 - Tue Ortawa NATURALIST [April industry, in making for increased profits, and more comfortable living. To this end many agencies have been in operation during the last ten years. First and foremost of these agencies is the Ontario Agricultural College. The speaker here referred at length to the great work this institution was doing not only for the farmers’ boys and girls, but also for the farmers themselves through the Experimental Union, the Special Short Courses, The Farmers’ Institutes, and the other allied associations aided by the Government of Ontario and the Department of Agri- culture at Ottawa. The second agency, the speaker said, was the wonderful series of object-lessons carried out by Dr. Jas. W. Robertson, as Commissioner of Agriculture for Canada. These were illustra- tion experiments on a large scale to show the value of the appli- cation of intelligent labour (education) to the agricultural indus- tries. Dr. Robertson’s policy in all his efforts to make the farms more productive was simply to break the way for new and vast interests, and then to withdraw in favour of the spirit of self- help that they had aroused and directed. It aimed to help the farmer to make more of himself and of his farm through educa- tion. While directing this movement of the application of science, organization and co-operation to farm labour, Dr. Robertson was not forgetful of the boys and girls of the farm. He was planning a kind of training in which the duties and joys of the farm would be emphasized. For example, to show the import- ance of the planting of selected seed in the improvement of crops, and to create an interest in this matter among the boys and girls, he established a seed grain competition, the results of which are familiar to most persons. In this work he secured the co-opera- ‘tion and financial help of Sir William C. Macdonald. From this time forward these two men have planned and laboured together for the advancement of education. The educational work in seed selection formed in reality one phase of the Manual Training Movement organized by Dr. Robert- son and Sir William Macdonald, whereby Manual Training was introduced into the schools of the chief cities and towns of Canada, and its value as an educational subject was recognized both by the educational authorities and by the people. Encouraged by the great interest shown in this work, they planned what is now known as the Macdonald Rural Schools Movement. It had a three-fold object: (a) To show the value of consolidation of schools by the establishment of a rural con- solidated school in each of the eastern provinces, well equipped with a competent staff for teaching, along with the ordinary 1907] THE EvoLUTION oF THE MACDONALD COLLEGE 23 subjects, Manual Training, Domestic Science and Nature Study, where school garden work is emphasized. (») To train teachers in the new subjects of Manual Training, Domestic Science and Nature Study. (c) To provide school gardens at a group of five schools in each province, with a travelling instructor in charge of each group, spending one day each week at each of the schools of the group, guiding both teacher and pupils. The term of three years during which the Fund agreed to maintain these agencies is now nearly over, and we are able to see the results, as it were, from a distance. These results are: (a) A great interest has been aroused throughout Canada in the matter of education, more especially rural education, and more attention is now being given to the improvement of school grounds and buildings, to the better remuneration of teachers, and to the courses of study. (b) The leaders of education feel that they have now a strong backing of public opinion for the improvements they have in mind. (c) Nature Study, with the school garden, Manual Training and Domestic Science are sub- jects that vitalize and give interest to the work of the school. They relate the school to the home, remove the tendency to rest- lessness that prevails to an alarming extent in rural communities, and furnish during the early years of the child “‘exercises through which he acquires unconsciously the taste and capacity for work,” and also the mental attitude of enquiry into the meanings of things in the presence of the facts. (d) The rural people can be brought to appreciate good education whenever good illus- trations are brought to their attention, and they show that they appreciate it by increasing their school tax to maintain the new school. The rate-payers of the consolidated schools have seen visions during the last three years that disturb contentment, and they will never be satisfied again with the old, poorly equipped school of preconsolidation days. For example, the average daily attendance has been trebled at the Consolidated School, Kingston, N.B., and doubled at the Guelph School. The people naturally ask if by two men’s work so much good can be done, how much good can the State do with its resources behind it? The Macdonald Movement is, in other words, a grand demon- stration of the application of improved methods of education which our most advanced educators have devised, but which the state was unwilling to adopt into its educational system on account of lack of public support. It is the forerunner of the system of rural education supported by public funds, that pre- pares the child for complete living on the farm. Finally came the establishment of the Macdonald College 24 THe Ottawa NATURALIST [April at Ste. Anne de Bellevue, near Montreal, an institution which > a will bring together the scattered agencies making for afeducated — rural people into a great educational centre. It will include (a) - an Agricultural College, carrying on work similar to the one at Guelph, where young men will receive instruction in all branches of agriculture; (b) a Household Science College where young women will get instruction in those subjects that make for better home making, and (c) a College of Education for the training of - teachers, especially for rural schools. Agencies will be put in operation for the extension of the work to all parts of Quebec, and perhaps to the other provinces as well, so as to reach as many of the rural people as possible. The 560 acres of land and the magnificent group of buildings now nearing completion, will cost over a million and a half; and an Endowment Fund of two millions has been provided for maintenance, so that it will be self sustaining for all time to come. The Macdonald College will open its doors to students in September next, when the work of instruction will begin. Tuition will be free to all students from Quebec, and no distinction will be made for language or creed; all will be made equally welcome. PROGRAMME OF EXCURSIONS. April 20—Rockliffe. 27—Beechwood. May 4—Blueberry Point. 11—Leamy’s Lake. 18—Beaver Meadow. 25—Victoria Park and apeeraenial Farm. June 1—General Excursion to Chelsea. The time and place of meeting will, for all but the general excursion, be 3 p.m.at the point on the electric railway, nearest the places mentioned above. THE OTTAWA NATURALIST Vor. XXL. OTTAWA, MAY, 1907 No. 2 NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A SUPERNUMERARY ; TOOTH IN A DOG.* ‘By Lawrence M. Lampe, F.G.S., F.R.S.C., Geological Survey of Canada. . Last summer whilst engaged in field work in the vicinity of Kamloops Lake, B.C., the writer found, near the mouth of Tranquille River, the skull of a dog, probably that of a collie, that is of some interest. In this skull the teeth of the mandible _ appear to be normal, but in the upper jaw a supernumerary first _ premolar is present on both sides. { Natural size Between the second premolar and the canine (see the above figure) are two small, single-rooted teeth with simple conical crowns. Of these the one next behind the canine, and separated from it by a space measuring 3.3 mm., is apparently the normal first premolar. Between this tooth and the second premolar is the tooth considered to be the supernumerary one. It is slightly smaller than the first premolar, and its posterior edge is less sloping ; in other words, its crown, in side view, is more bilaterally symmetrical, a point possibly not sufficiently accentuated in the figure. It almost entirely occupies the interval between the first and second premolar, touching the latter but leaving a very narrow space between it and the former. The other teeth in the upper jaw, including the incisors, are apparently quite normal. In comparison with the skull of a white wolf (Cants lupus | occidentalis var. albus) from Fullerton, Hudson Bay, the - Tranquille specimen is slightly shorter with almost the same * Communicated by permission of the Acting Director of the Geologi- cal Survey of Canada. 26 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [May breadth as measured across the zygomatic arches; its teeth, how- ever, are decidedly less robust. Whilst in the wolf skull the maxillary teeth (canine, premolars and molars) occupy a space of 103 mm., a like measurement in the Tranquille skull gives 91mm. It is thought that the latter skull is that of a collie. Mr. W. Fortune, the owner of one of the ranches, of which there are two at Tranquille, informs the writer that he has had a number of Scotch collies of which several have died during the past few years. In the wolf skull the first premolar has a small interval (about 1 mm.) between it and the second premolar with a wider space (about 2 mm.) separating it from the canine. Here the first premolar has the same proportions as the anterior tooth in the supposed collie skull, but is larger, with a similarly sloping posterior edge. The collie shows its affinity to the wolf in its narrow skull and lengthened muzzle. It would be interesting to have records of the occurrence of extra teeth, in breeds of dogs having elonga- ted skulls, and in the wolf if such teeth occur, as they probably do, in this animal. Supernumerary upper first premolars are known in the domestic cat. * MEASUREMENTS OF SKULLS. Length of skull, occipital condyle to anterior Dog. Wolf. end: of premaxilla =..-_2 eee 210 mm. 216 mm. Breadth of cranium at greatest constriction behind. the orbits..." === 43 43 Breadth of same at greatest expansion be- low squamoso-parietal suture.._.......-_- 65 70 Breadth of frontals at postorbital processes.. 63.5 55:5 Breadth of skull at alveolar border above second premolar): 00 a eee 41 42 | Breadth across zygomatic arches. -..-........-...-- 118 120 | Length of nasals: 2 ee ae 88 87 Length of premolar-molar series...........-...... 77 88 Antero-posterior diameter of crown of upper Carnassiaiy.| } MOR ee Bete 20 24.5 Anterior transverse diameter of same...........-. 10 14 Antero-posterior diameter of crown of upper first premolar io) I). 2 eee 6.5 8 The upper teeth of the Tranquille skull are shown, inthe figure accompanying this note, three-fourths the natural size. The writer is indebted to Mr. Andrew Halkett, Naturalist and Curator, Fisheries Museum, Ottawa, for the loan of the skull of the white wolf above mentioned. 1907] How THE SEEDS OF PLANTS ARE SPREAD 27 HOW THE SEEDS OF PLANTS ARE SPREAD IN 2 NATURE. By NorMan GRIDDLE, Awerne, Man. In the common natural objects about us there is an endless field for Nature Study. So vast indeed that the difficulty would be not in seeking a subject, but rather in selecting from the abundant material at hand one that is both interesting and in- structive, and is at the same time not too difficult for the beginner to understand. _ The remarkable though simple methods adopted by the different plants for the propagation of their kind, in so many eases very dissimilar, should be known to every one, and, for a Nature Study, form excellent subjects both for observation and deduction, to say nothing of the interest they might awaken and the pleasure they might give to any one making a study of the subject. In this paper I shall try to treat part of this subject - under the above heading. Before going into details it may be well to state for the benefit of the beginner, that every species of plant, however simple or complex its structure may be, is specially adapted for its advantage in the struggle for existence; and that however much one genus may vary from another in essential particulars, the object is always the same. Namely, to multiply to the utmost . limit. A student, therefore, when examining a plant, should bear in mind that whatever the structure, it is for the plant’s benefit, and that it has maintained the species in the struggle with other _ plants and with animals, for a number of centuries. There is in _ fact a reason for every detail. I. SEEDS THAT ARE CARRIED BY WIND. Seeds under this heading always have attached to them some fluffy material to catch the wind, like the pappus of the - dandelion, or they are winged like the seeds of maples and conifers. The common dandelion and other close allies offer simple objects for study, as some form can be found nearly everywhere. The seeds of this plant, as the pappus shows, de- pend almostentirely on the wind for transportation and migra- tion. In many instances the pappus undoubtedly enables them to travel several miles. There is, however, a condition that is absolutely necessary. The plant will not let the seeds.go in damp or wet weather, and if the air becomes damp while the seeds are travelling, they soon drop to the ground. This applies to all the fluffy seeds and in a lesser extent to the winged kinds. The 28 Tue Ortawa NATURALIST. [May willows and poplars provide good examples of fluffy seeds, but though the air on some occasions seems almost, choked with little pieces of flufi—all of which contain one or more seeds—it will be observed that a very small percentage indeed alight ona suitable place for the growth of the seedlings, and that a still smaller percentage of these latter ever attain the size of their parents. Yet who can find a moist place in nature, where the conditions are favourable, that does not contain willows? Showing that the object for which these countless millions of seeds went forth has been accomplished. The milk-weeds, willow-herbs, bull-rushes and many anemones are examples of this class of seeds. While ashes, maples, conifers and docks are examples of the winged kinds. There are some interesting details in this latter class for the student to work out, which may be discovered by throwing up into the air a few of the seeds on a moderately windy day. II. S—eEps THAT ARE SCATTERED BY “TUMBLING’ PLANTS. This is a class of plants that depends upon the wind for the locomotive power to take their seeds about the country. The best known examples are commonly known as ‘tumble weeds.” These plants usually grow in the shape of a ball with their branches rather tightly packed together. As soon as their seeds are ripe they rot or break off close to the ground, and with the first strong wind are sent rolling over the country, scattering - their seeds as they go. In the West where there are large plains it is a common and interesting sight to see thousands of these plants sweeping over the prairie, looking in the distance like huge herds of cattle or sheep. In such places the country for -miles is sown with the seeds of these plants, especially Amar- antus Albus, Persian thistle, tumbling mustard, Cycloloma, etc. Several grasses are also examples of this class, and many others will occur to the reader. Ill. SEEDS THAT ARE SCATTERED BY THE WIND. We now come to a class of plants which though dependent on the wind to a large extent for their spread, yet have neither downy nor winged seeds nor the power of tumbling. These are plants that have the seed-capsules pointing upwards and which open at the top. Many of these are so constructed that a strong wind is required to shake the seeds out; they are then not only scattered by the swing of the plant, but are caught up by the wind as they are thrown out and are borne some distance away. 1907] How THE SEEDS OF PLANTS ARE SPREAD 29 In a number of these plants the seed-capsules split at the top and form a toothed edge. The night-flowering catchfly and other members of the allied genera, Silene and Lychnis, are ex- amples of this class. The teeth, although in appearance looking as if they were merely the result of the top splitting open to let out the seeds, in reality also answer quite another purpose, namely, to scatter the seeds as they are shaken out, so that they may not fall too closely together. A rather more complicated example to gain the same end is shown in the seed pod or capsule of the common garden poppy. Here there is a cap to prevent the seeds from being shaken out too fast, and small holes round the sides just below the cap. In fact, it is a natural sifter from which the seeds are shaken out a few at a time, usually by the wind. Indeed the only method whereby the seeds can get out is by the plant being shaken or broken down, and this latter alternative would be only accidental and therefore does not need to be taken into consideration here. There are a great many other modifications of this group which will suggest themselves to the observant student. A large number of seeds are, however, scattered by the wind that are only partly modified for the purpose, and with some plants it is difficult to tell whether they are in any way adapted for that special purpose. IV. SEEDS THAT ARE SPREAD BY CLINGING AND STICKING. Seeds of this group depend principally upon mammals for their distribution. They contain among their best known forms those seeds which are commonly called ‘burs,’ though several grasses are also included in the group. ‘Burs’ are known to most people, especially to owners of thick haired dogs. Yet how few consider why they cling to al- most any thing that comes in contact with them! To a Nature student the reason is at once apparent. They have become adapted to clinging so that they may be carried to new localities and so become spread by degrees over wide areas. Examples of this class of seeds or seed pods will be found everywhere. The different blue-burs, cockle-burs, bur marigolds and wild liquorice (Glycyrrhiza) are common examples, but there are many more, some consisting of a single seed, while in others the whole pod with several seeds is carried. A different method of distribution is found in seeds which 30 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [May are also carried by animals. These when wetted become sticky. The moisture causes a coat of mucilage to form all round them, so that they stick to any thing that touches them, and as they dry they become securely gummed to the object, and may then be carried for many days before becoming dislodged. An example of this class will be found in pepper-grass andshepherd’s purse, as well as in several others of the cress family. V. SEEDS THAT ARE SPREAD BY PROPULSION AND SEEDS THAT ARE SPREAD BY TRAILING AND CLIMBING PLANTS. In this class are to be found some rather complicated methods of seed distribution. In the case of the violets, the pod bursts open when the seeds are ripe like a great many other seed pods, but in this case the seeds remain inthe separate valves or partitions until they are expelled slowly by the drying and contracting of the sides of the valve, which forces the seeds out by squeezing so that in some cases they are thrown several feet away. Anyone who has collected pansy seeds should have noticed this. An interesting example of a plant throwing its seeds, as if from a sling, is shown by the common cranesbill, though the method here employed is quite different from the last. Another interesting plant is the jewel-weed, or touch-me- not (Impatiens). To thoroughly appreciate the methods em- ployed by this plant in scattering its seeds, I would suggest the readers trying to collect some seeds. When, if a beginner, I am sure he or she will be surprised at the rapidity with which the seeds vanish at the slightest touch, just as if they knew one was after them. The peas and beans are also examples of this class of plants, which by the rapid curling up of the sides of the pod when dry, part of the seeds are thrown some distance away. Many other examples of plants which have special ways of propelling their seeds will be found in any district if looked for. The peas and beans also come under the class of plants that spread their seeds by trailing and climbing. Perhaps the best examples of these are members of the gourd family, melons, cucumbers, etc., the seeds of which under natural conditions, by being left where the fruit ripens, would be spread over an area of several feet. Convolvuluses and other climbing plants will also drop their seeds in many cases some distance from the parent plant, but as these plants prefer’some sort of brush to climb up, — 1907) How THE SEEDs OF PLANTS ARE SPREAD 31 they will seldom drop seeds outside of such places, so that they _ nearly always have something to climb. VI. SEEDS THAT ATTRACT AND ARE SPREAD BY BIRDS. Who has not noticed the brilliantly colored berries on many a shrub and tree? And who has not watched the birds eating them? But ask the average person why the fruit is brightly colored, and probably not one in twenty will give the correct answer. Yet, as with the ‘burs,’ the reason is at once apparent. Fruits of this nature are brightly colored to attract birds, and for no other reason. This is also why so many berries remain on the trees in winter time. The birds eat the fruit; but the seeds are so constructed that many of them are not damaged, and they are eventually dropped where they have a chance of growing, in most cases far removed from their parents and brethren. In this way the species is spread. This of course does not apply so much to cultivated fruits, which have been altered and improved by man. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, mountain ash, and ‘practically all the other small berries that are brightly colored, can be used as examples of this metMod of seed distribution. Seeds are also carried by sticking to the muddy feet of birds and aninials. Many plants retain their seeds until the winter time, which are then drifted along with the snow, in some cases several miles. Small mammals and birds also carry many seeds to store them up as food for winter use. Large numbers of these are lost and if the situation is favourable they grow. Many seeds are only partly developed for certain methods of migration, and in some cases a few plants will be found to bear two distinct forms of seeds. An example of this occurs in Rus- sian pig-weed (Axyris amarantoides), some of the seeds of which are winged while others are not. A number of aquatic plants and plants growing near water, have seeds well adapted to water migration, the seeds or seed capsule floating, and in still water are often drifted long distances by the wind, or when in running water are carried along with the current. A number of other seeds not specially adapted for this purpose are also accidentally carried by running water, especially when there are floods. Many details and variations will be found by the Nature student to supplement the above methods of migration among seeds, the study of which should be a stimulus both to observa- tion and deduction—the faculties that Nature Study specially aims at developing. 32 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [May HOW TO MAKE A BIRD SANCTUARY ANYWHERE. By C. de Biois GREEN. Birds have their own little quarrels and struggles all the time, but these don’t matter a bit if only you can keep down the vermin; and by that I mean keep hawks and the largest owls scarce, crows and magpies scarcer still, skunks and pet cats about as scarce as the megalosaurus,and squirrels scarcer than anything which Nature has yet invented. Under these con- ditions the little jealousies and quarrels amongst themselves will only lead to enough tragedies to give the birds a wholesome stimulus in selecting their nesting sites wisely and in watching’ over the eggs and young. Ordinary care may be a nuisance, but birds don’t seem to mind that. 1 remember working on a hillside near Okanagan Lake inAprillastyear. Two white-headed eagles were building, or rather patching up their nest, and I had that nest commanded by my transit telescope nearly ail day and every day—lI mean I was seldom where I| could not turn it on and take a look. The second day they finished and went off on the hunt, next day I saw a white head on the nest. First egg, no doubt, thought I; now you can go off on another hunt till tomorrow, but not much; when that egg was laid, ordinary care put in its appearance and the old hen spent the balance of the day in flying north twenty chains, then south twenty chains (a slight flip of the wings gave her a close look at theegg). Thence south twenty chains, thence north twenty chains (sight of that egg, looks all right). Thence north twenty chains, thence south twenty chains (egg again), and so on all day without a halt. Ordinary care seemed to me a bit overdone in this case, for I haven’t yet found out what possible danger that egg was in. No common ordinary mortal baby was ever more closely watched. The old bird must have known she hadn’t left any pin sticking in its leg, did she expect it to wake up and shriek for its bottle every minute? The old birds had picked out for their nesting- place a tree four miles from anywhere, and six feet through at the base, without limbs for 50 feet. I stood at the foot of the tree twice later and could not think of any way to get those eggs. I certainly think she overdid it. However, perhaps, even she is afraid of crows. But every bird is not a white-headed eagle, some.are humming-birds, and from what I can see, any relaxation or ordinary care leads to trouble for most small birds. Apart from the vermin, which is always hunting them, there is the next- door neighbor who covets come part of the house; while the hen kingbird sits on her nearly hatched eggs, two cedar birds may be as busy as possible dragging out the bottom of her nest to build ee i i ea i ee eee 1907] How to Make a Birp Sanctuary ANYWHERE 33 their own with, and unless the old man comes home pretty often, his hen might need a new nest, and perhaps new legs too, for I have seen two cedar birds pull so hard on the loose strings in the bottom of a nest that they both swung to and fro, hanging freeinthe air. Young birds with their first nest have a good deal to learn. They have “inherited instinct’’ in large quantities, but the longer they. live the more they learn, and in that we have no advantage ourselves. For instance, I never knew till last year that a pair of Parkman’s wrens might, through jealousy on their part and a little want of ordinary care on the other side, destroy nest after nest of their neighbours. On our verandah the wrens certainly were the ancient Britons, they found the place uninhabited and they unfurled their flag. I didn’t notice the skull and cross bones on it, but welcomed them with open arms. I am bound to say they were careful to keep away from open arms but they got tame enough to go about all their little affairs and pay no attention to the big two-legged incumbrances, who certainly did sometimes get in the way by keeping them off the back of a chair that would have been a good place to sit on for a minute and shriek with joy. Two years’ sole possession is probably enough to make any wrens feel absolute lords and sole owners of a chosen nesting place. This may account for the anger of our wrens when the Saxons came over in the shape of two swallows, and built a house within ten feet of their house. I don’t think the Britons felt strong enough to fight in the open but they held much counsel in the dark, and] noticed that those young Saxons had a hard time in feathering their nest. They carried feathers from all over British Columbia without filling the nest; for, what the wrens cquld not use themselves, I think they sold or gave away to cedar birds, kingbirds, yellow-throats, etc., in fact, to any bird in need. Finally, the swallows decided that it took years of experience to feather a nest, and they laid four eggs on such material as was left. This so upset the wrens that they were at a loss what to do for some time. I know this because I was laid up sick on the verandah, and they had several chances of revenge which they did not take. There must have been a thorough discussion of the whole case about the time the swallows’ eggs were three days incubated. For several days the swallows had never been both absent together, as one came in the other went out, and so on all day, in from five to ten minute intervals. One day, however, this care was relaxed for a few minutes; I suppose the hen met a friend and began some dis- cussion as to how feathers were to be worn or not worn, and over- stayed her time; then the old man having as much patience as most of us would have if we had to help with the incubating, 34 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. . [May went off ina rage to hunt herup. Ina moment the opportunity those wrens had been days in waiting for came and befBre I knew what was going on, the four swallows’ eggs were lying on the verandah floor and a most delighted wren was standing on the edge of the nest with his head on one side looking down at them. I was so sorry for the young swallows when they came home and talked it over that I went off to the nearest Traill’s fly- catcher’s nest and divided up, giving my swallows two nearly hatched eggs. The next day the same thing happened again, showing that the wrens had now got an idea and were going to watch closely enough to carry it out at a moment’s notice. I began to be afraid the swallows would think the place un- lucky if they lost their first family, so I set out at once, and, to make quite sure this time, I gave them a nearly hatched king- bird’s egg. This they hatched before either of them had for- gotten to go home in time, in fact it hatched within a few hours. This was rough on the young kingbird, and on the young couple too, for the only idea of the latter was to get flies, and lots of flies, and more flies, and to cram them down the throat of the young bird and also to be as quick as possible about it. The young kingbird grew as fast as possible; but his ap- petite never quite satisfied the supposed parents. I’ve seen them hold a consultation as to its loss of appetite (the thing had been gorging incessantly for five hours). Then one swallow would poke the baby up into a sitting posture and pry open the beak while the other watched his chance to cram down another daddy longlegs. This affair ended, as far as I could see, in absolute disgust on both sides; as soon as the kingbird was able to leave, it left; it didn’t sit in a long bow on the nearest tree while the swallows fed it in the sun. And the swallows were apparently so much annoyed about it that they migrated without | waiting for autumn. If they come back next year I may let you know what kind of birds they rear. Shall I make it wrens or eagles! 1907] EARLY ARRIVAL OF THE FirsT MIGRANTS 35 REMARKABLY EARLY ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST MIGRANTS OF THIS SEASON. By Rev. G. Eirric. The first Spring migrants among birds have come here earlier than usual. That is rather remarkable, when we consider that climatic conditions in February were severer than in most years, and that there was nothing especially tempting for birds here in March. The first robins and bluebirds looked and sounded strangely out of tune with the snow-covered fields and city-lots, and the prevailing ice and frost of the second half of March and the first half of April. What is the reason for this unusually early arrival, when there was so little here to tempt them? In my opinion it is the following: During the first half of March a wave of phenomenally warm or even hot weather struck that part of the United States which is in the latitude of Washington, D.C., New York, and westward to Chicago. The thermometer is reported at Washington to have climbed up as far as 92°, showing the highest temperature ever registered there for that part of the year, with perhaps one exception. Previous to this hot spell there would already be a great number of birds in those regions, their numerous permanent residents and the thousands of winter residents from Canada, e.g., the juncos, tree sparrows, song sparrows, etc. Now this warm wave would have the effect of attracting further untold numbers of migrants from further south, which in the normal course of events would have begun their northward move somewhat later. This must have caused a great congestion in the bird life of that section, which in plant and insect life was also not yet sufficiently advanced to support this teeming bird life. This would, in my opinion, have the effect of inducing the hardiest of the northward migrants, those who would have gone northward first at any rate, to leave somewhat earlier than usual. And no doubt, the song sparrows, bluebirds and robins which came here first this year, were again in their class, in their respective species, the pioneers, the leaders, the most hardy and intrepid ones, which would at the same time be able to withstand adverse conditions most successfully. And that some of them have to suffer more or less for their bravery and pluck, there can be no doubt. Some probably, when they found weather conditions so uncongenial here, promptly returned to points further south. Thus I saw a flock of about 50 tree swallows merrily flying over the Rideau River, then full of ice, at Cumming’s Bridge at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, on March 30th. Two hours later not a one was there, and I have seen no more since. And now there has been a lull in the migration for about two weeks; few, if any, new species having come in addi- 36 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [May tion to the first arrivals, only the numbers of those already here must have been slightly augmented. Another curious fact in the migration of this year is, that, while the purple finch was extremely abundant last vear at this time, in and out of the city, I have not seen one so far this season, nor have I heard of others having seen them. There are always surprises in store for the observers of birds, especially during their migrations. Appended is a list of birds that have come here so far, and the date of their arrival, together with lists of 1906 and 1905, for comparison’s sake. It must be remembered, however, that last year’s migration was unusually late; that of 1905, however, normal. From this latter list it will be seen that the first comers this season were from one to three days earlier than usual, some even more. It must also be remembered that the main partof the spring migration falls into May, when the countless hosts of the warblers, in all their variety, liveliness and beauty, come; also the thrushes, vireos, swallows, many of the finches, kinglets, etc. Then new pleasures await the observer at every turn. It is to be hoped that many members of the Field Naturalists’ Club may take part in observing and recording the May migrations of this year, and send in their records of species seen and posi- tively identified, together with date and place, to the writer. Here is the list so far:— 1907 1906 1905 Prairie Horned Lark............ Feb. 10 (a) Feb. 20 Feb. 28 (0) Reapoil (Cah 4. ee Feb. 18 Grow a) 6554. Se IS = Mar. . ‘2 Mar. 9 Feb. 18 Sony Spartows. 00a Mar. 13 Apr. 2 Mar. 18 Bide Heron. 2. 25 8 ee. Mar. 17 (e) Apr. 5 Apr. 27 ORAS 8! Mar. 16 Mar. 31 Mar. 19 BABU os 2.6 Fa Mar. 21 Apr. 3 Mar. 24 Coppisrtd, (060552. Aa Mar. 21 Apr. 8 Mar. 29 Bronzed Grackle, Blackbird Mar. 23 Apr. 2 Mar. 27 Red-winged Blackbird......... Mar. 23 Apr. 2 Mar. 24 Tres Sparrow: .15...0.09 2.626 Mar. 23 Apr. 9 Mar. 24 Meadowlark.......0....c ee. Mar. 23 Apr. 5° Ape "Ss Shrike, Butcherbird.............. Mar. 25 Apr. 16 Mar. 30 Matéh Hawk: .000004..00 Ss. Mar. 25 Apr. 12 Apr. 1 Junco, Snowbird........0..0000... Mar. 25 Apr. 6 Mar. 23 Golden-eye, Whistler (duck) Mar. 26 Mar. 29 Flicker, Yellowhammer....... Mar. 26 Apr. 16 Apr. 10 Witter Wret fe ete Mar. 26 Apr. 18 Apr. 17 Golden-crowned Kinglet Ds Mar. 26 Apr. 14 Apr. 8 Killdeer.. ELL BARS, Apr. 16 Mar. 28 Tree Swallow. .......0000.00. Map. 26 Apr. 8 Apr. 3 EL rt 1907] EARLY ARRIVAL OF THE First MIGRANTS 37 1907 1906 1905 RES ee Mar. 26 Apr. 9. Apr. 8 Herring Gull......... Berit ih Se iks. Mar. 30 Apr. «3° Apr. 10 Sparrow Hawk...............00.. Mar. 30 Apr. 7 Apr. 18 Savanna Sparrow................. Mar. 31 Apr. 15 Apr. 11 Vesper Sparrow. ................... Apr. 1 Apr. 15 Apr. 12 Brown Creeper...........1.......... Apr,» 2 Apr. 15 Mar. 30 Chipping Sparrow................. Apr. 3(f) Apr. 15 Apr. 12 MEI EMOT aa. oth Yossie Apr. 13 Apr. 16 Apr. 8 (a) This is an approximate date from the rifle range. The keeper is positive that they were there the first week in February. 1800 sheep had been pastured there all winter. (b) In more favorable places it probably would have been seen earlier. (c) There have been unusually many great swing bands of these around the city in March and April. (d) in ET EE ee rr eee Vi rid i, Se hove emammore Oriolé:. i... 0465 sev ak oe fae Mri i hee il « eee -s 1a tep-\> end tls Psi ee re 2 ty is Canadian Warbler................ May 15 May 19 May 12 See WV ALDNCT..,.... « - - elsedssawt ois ie of “pee 10 Black-throated Blue Warbler....... ‘“f 15 a 7 " 88 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [August 1907 1906 1905 Goldfinch<:.3>. 2.0) ea OR ds May 15. Aprili7 Mar. 13 LeastiPlycatches:. 201 Rave sae 15 May 11 May 5 Nashville W arbler., 2222994, 905 20 P220eDIesS 7 7 Magnolia Warbler? -.aQh soba rer aS of rh “ot £0 Neerysy. 2220.8 SR AO RO 7 60S aT 100% Wilson's Warhler:s.é o sted eek be Sirs rar | “wy 29 Searlet ‘Tatldger 20). (Rh SRB eS nos bs “14 Nighthawk: 772% st4. eee at St <5) 26 “14 Warbling Vireo... sofa tee ees S BLE <, 249g Bay-breasted Warbler............. Sh he 2 Th ‘Su ee Red-eyed Vireo... ah ais te 1. OS < OG Black-throated Green Warbler. nae “SiG ES) ta ie 208 Tennessee Warbler............... “ =86 ay ee “16 April 24 Gray -cheeked Thrush.. sweets Dee May 14 Alder Flycatcher... wee MOND May 192 oe Sa White-breasted Nuthatch... ri fh. 24ecAprloe Ne Moutnaine!W arbler:. 1) to ve-noe “29° May 99. a2 Red-headed Woodpecker............. “* 29 ‘Se Blackpoll Warblen..053: :<'- Genie. eee “21 May a Pewée:::.: dais ei oe, Se tee Spe ee < Hummingbird... “380 Beek % ‘i Note that in 1 the list for 1907 there is only one species record- ed between April 28th and May 9th, the whippoorwill, while in a chronologically arranged list of 1906, there are 23 species recorded as having arrived, three on the 1st, three on the 2nd, three on the 4th, two on the 5th, three on the 6th, and seven on the 7th. Of rare species like the Tennessee warbler, the dates given above are not conclusive, they may have been here for days before, but escaped observation. Ottawa, August 14th, 1907. = fof THE | OTTAWA NATURALIST a Vou. XXIV. OTTAWA, SEPTEMBER, 1907, No. 6 THE SPRING MIGRATION ON THE BRUCE PENINSULA. By A. B. Kiucu, Kincston, Ont. It has appeared to me for some years that the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, should be a migration route for the birds of the country lyi ing north of Lake Huron. This year (1907) I spent from April 2 7th to June 21st at the base of the peninsula investigating the avifauna of that district. I made my head- quarters at the village of Colpoy’s Bay, three miles above Wiarton. From here I made frequent trips across the peninsula which is, at its base, some seven miles wide. The east shore is fringed with limestone bluffs some 160 to 250 feet in height, while the west shore is low and sandy. The avifauna is very similar all across the peninsula, the only difference being that along the Pike River, near the middle of the peninsula, there are marshes. and at Oliphant on the west side there is a huge sandy bog and in these localities the Mary- land yellow-throat, swamp sparrow and alder flycatcher which do not reside on the east coast, breed Just below the village of Colpoy’s Bay, between the lime- stone bluffs and the shore, is a bush some 14 miles long by about 100 yards wide in most places, consisting largely of cedar (T. occidentalis), balsam (A. balsamea), white spruce (P. alba), paper birch (B. papyrijera) and balsam poplar (P. balsamijera). Into this bush all the birds travelling up the east shore seemed to pitch. Above the village, between the bluffs and the shore, the bush consists mostly of paper birch with some poplar Za tremuloides) and balsam poplar, and though this looked to be good ‘“‘bird-country”’ birds were comparatively scarce here during migration. When I arrived on April 27th, only the early migrants had yet arrived, viz.—robin, blue-bird. song sparrow, bronzed grackle, purple finch, red-winged blackbird, rusty blackbird, slate-colored junco, flicker, prairie horned lark, hermit thrush, white-throated sparrow, fox sparrow. and vesper sparrow. On the night of April 29th and the morning of the 30th, a foot of snow fell. This drove a host of birds into our barnyard to seek for food. In the barnyard and in cedars about the house were some 200 juncos, 150 fox sparrows, 100 white-throats, 50 song sparrows, many robins, several bluebirds, tree sparrows and prairie horned larks and a hermit thrush. Many of the juncos were in the barn and some even in the woodshed. 90 THe OTTAWA NATURALIST [September The fox sparrows, white-throats and song sparrows kept up a regular chorus. I had never heard fox sparrows in full song before. Their song is a clear, rich, very sweet warble, usually delivered from a branch some 20 or more feet from the ground. For the first three days of May fox sparrows were abundant, and I saw the last on May 7th. From the large numbers seen it is evident that the Bruce Peninsula is a migration highway for this species. The weather remained cold up until May 13th, and the birds dropped in very slowly as follows:— May 2nd: Barn swallow, kingfisher and winter wren. May 3rd: Towhee and myrtle warbler. May 7th: Brown thrasher, yellow-bellied sapsucker, chipping sparrow and Sa- vanna sparrow. May 9th: Tree swallow, pine warbler and palm warbler. May 10th: Black-throated green warbler. May 1ith: Black- and- white warbler and ruby-crowned kinglet. None of the warblers were seen in any nunibers and the myrtles were observed only in small flocks of three or four or as single birds and were usually flying over. On May 13th it was evident that an immense bird-wave had come in during the night. Birds were everywhere and the bush below the village was full of them. They appeared to pitch into this bush during the night, travel up the bush and a fringe of cedars as far as the village and then back again until, about noon, they reached a stream about the middle of the bush. Here they drank and caught the insects which were apparently more abundant here than elsewhere. The new species which came in with this wave were the Nashville warbler, yellow warbler, Magnolia warbler, Blackburnian warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, ovenbird, Baltimore oriole and red-breasted nuthatch. With these were a host of myrtle, black-throated green and black-and-white warblers. That night another large wave came in and next day I saw the woodcock, greater vellow-legs, lesser yellow-legs, white- crowned sparrow, kingbird, least flycatcher, bobolink, house wren, red-headed woodpecker, water-thrush, Wilson’s thrush, catbird, crested flycatcher American pipit, blue-headed vireo, and ruby-throated humming bird. All these species which came in on these two waves were from one to three weeks late. On May 15th, I saw the wood thrush, redstart, chimney swift and solitary sandpiper and on the 16th the Parula warbler, Cape May warbler, black-throated blue warbler and the Can- adian warbler. On May 17th the scarlet tanager, and bay-breasted warbler came in, on the 18th, the grey-cheeked thrush, on the 23rd, the 1907] THe SprinG MIGRATION ON THE BRUCE PENINSULA 91 olive-backed thrush, on the 27th, the cedar wax-wing, and on the 29th, the olive- sided flycatcher. On the first of June the migration was still in full swing, and-on that date male black-poll warblers were common, on the 3rd I saw the red-eyed vireo and the Philadelphia vireo, and on the 6th, the Tennessee warbler, Wilson’s warbler, indigo bunting and nighthaw k. The migration came to an end on June 8th. Species which were more abundant than I have found them elsewhere in spring were the black-poli warbler, bay-breasted warbler, Blackburnian warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, white- crowned sparrow and olive-backed thrush. On five days in May these last-mentioned birds were very common and-I took several, while I only secured one grey-cheeked thrush. This spring I took three Cape May warblers. This bird, which was regarded some years ago as very rare, is undoubtedly becoming commoner. I saw seven Philadelphia vireos, more than I have ever observed before during a migration. Other interesting things taken were an adult male American tedstart with the base of the tail-feathers pale vellow as in the immature male, instead of orange as they should be in the adult male; a male indigo bunting with the hack still mostly brown, and a female purple finch, with some pink feathers on the throat, which was singing when taken. All warblers were doing far more feeding on the ground and “‘fly-catching’”’ this year than usual. It is probable that this was caused by the scarcity of insects this spring, the birds having consequently to work far harder than usual for their living. In previous years I have heard the flight- -song of the oven- bird only occasionally, and then usually in the evening. This spring I heard it some eighty times and at all times of the day. Once I saw an oven-bird describe an arc out over the waters of the bay while singing this exquisite song. I saw flocks of. pine siskins on May 22nd and 30th and on June 2nd, Sth, 7th and 18th. The flock seen on June 2nd contained about 150 birds. This is unusually late for these birds to be in flocks, as they are as a ‘Tule breeding before this. In the cedars about the house lived a song sparrow which sang once nearly every night between eleven and two o’clock, and a chipping sparrow which sometimes sang about the same time. Some of the results of my work this spring which will be of use to us in making out the movements and distribution of birds in the Great Lake region are :— 92 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST [September (1) The Bruce Peninsula is a migration route for land birds. o (2) At the base at least, the wave of migration extends clear across the peninsula. (3) Ducks and other waterfowl cross the peninsula at the base from east to west in the spring. (4) The base of the Bruce Peninsula has its fauna tinged with Carolinian tendencies as shown by the common breeding of the towhee and wood thrush. A NEW MOUSE FOR CANADA. While spending a few days at Point Pelee at the end of May, 1907, I had some travs out and succeeded in taking a few speci- mens of Peroniyscus Bairdi, a mouse which appears to be hither- to unrecorded for Canada. -Peromyscus is the deer mouse genus aud this little fellow bears considerable resemblance to the common deer mouse of the woods, in being brownish red above and white beneath, but the brown is darker and not so reddish, and the greatest diflerences are in the length of ears, tail and hind feet, all of which are smaller in this species than in the common one (Peromyscus americanus). The measurements of these mice do not accord exactly with those given by Dr. Elliott in ““Mammals of North America.”’ In that work P. Michiganensis (synonym of P. Bairdz)is stated to measure 165 mm.; tail vertebrae, 67;hind foot,20.5; whereas my three fully adult specimens average, 139; 49; 16.5, and a specimen from Niles, Michigan, measures 136, 55, 18. The habitat of this mouse, so far as hereto known, is from Michigan to Minnesota and south. Its habitat on Pt. Pelee is peculiar. On the centre and the east side of the point I found nothing but P. americanus while Baird’s mouse was strictly confined to the sandy beach on the west side, living among the logs and other miscellaneous lumber such as are found on every beach where they have been left by high water. I took one specimen at the edge of the red cedar thicket, but the others were taken out on open beach beside the logs. The inhabitants spoke of finding them frequently when taking wood from the beach. The common deer mouse is found in the wooded parts of the point and its range overlaps that of Baird’s mouse at the edge of the wooded area, but the line of demarcation is drawn with surprising distinctness. One of the specimens taken this year has been sent to the Museum of the Geological Survey. W. E. SAUNDERS. 1907] Notes ON SoME Seat IsLanp Birps 93 NOTES ON coms SEAL ISLAND (YARMOUTH CO., N.S.) BIRDS. By H._F.. ‘Torts. ‘Seal Island, situated some fifteen miles off the southwest coast of Nova Scotia about mid-way between Yarmouth on the north and Cape Sable on the south, is perhaps the most interesting from an ornithologist’s viewpoint of the many islands which fringe the coast. While some four miles long and from one half to one mile wide, the island is mostly low, in no place exceeding 30 or 40 feet above the sea. A sand beach on the east side near its middle, extends with the sweep of the storms nearly across the island, forming a lagoon and marsh, where it backs against the ridge of granite boulders and beach stones, which forms its western wall. From this low area the land gradually rises toward the north and south to the extreme ends. These portions are covered with a peaty, reddish-colored soil, supporting a dense growth of dwarf spruces and firs, in places so closely grown together as to be almost impenetrable. Under foot is a fine carpet of velvety green moss. On the south end is situated the government light station and fog-horn, in charge of Mr. John Crowell, who is also owner of the island. This is one of the very few islands about Nova Scotia upon which various sea birds still attempt to nest and rear their young. From other islands the birds have been driven by the relentless persecution of the fishermen, who systematically rob them of their eggs or shoot without regard to season. On Seal Island, however, thanks to the untiring efforts of Mr. Crowell and his family, the birds are in a measure protected from wanton destruction. The most numerous and conspicuous of the birds are the herring gulls. Here we find them by thousands, perched about on the spruce tree tops, scattered about the rocky shores or winging their way over the surrounding waters in quest of food— always drawing attention by their beautiful forms and plumage and noisy voices. Their nests are scattered about the ground, both in the woods and amid the stumps of the recent clearings, or on the beach—a slight hollow into which grass and moss is scraped and the two or three eggs desposited therein. Many nests are built in the flat tops of the dense stunted spruces, bulky affairs of sticks, sea-weed and moss—crow style. These gulls prove helpful allies to the fishermen, indicating the where- abouts of shoals of fish, about which they gather in excited, eager swarms. 94 THe Ottawa NATURALIST [September Some few guillemots and puffins also lay their eggs among the stones and rocks above high water on the beach, The two eggs in the case of the guillemots are well hidden at the bottom of some passage between the rounded boulders. In scrambling over these rocky portions, we startle the sitting birds from their eggs. They flutter forth and perch upon a nearby boulder, or flop into the waves, watching with outstretched necks and anxious gaze the movements of the intruder. The peat-like turf of the elevated parts of the island was completely honeycombed with the burrows of the Leach’s petrels—the air about being pervaded with the strong musky odor of the birds. The petrels themselves, however, are not to be seen at all during the day, unless you thrust your arm full length into one of the burrows and bring forth the hiding bird, probably the sitting female, whose mate is far out to sea search- ing its food. But it is at night the petrels make merry. With darkness the foragers return and the sitting ones sally forth. Now the air becomes resonant with their soft twitterings and cluckings, while shadowy forms flit about in every direction. The nest burrow is usually about two feet in length, just large enough to admit the birds and most often following the side of some tree root, or underground boulder.. But one egg is laid, that upon the bare turf at the tunnel’s end. The half-wild cats with which the island is infested, play sad havoc with the poor petrels. Lying in wait at the entrance to the burrows at nightfall they seize upon their unhappy victims as they venture forth. Scattered feathers, wings and tails, everywhere through the woods, attest the murderous work of the cats. Some fifteen or twenty eider ducks were spending the summer about the shore, and suspecting some were breeding, search was made among the brush for the nests. With the aid of an aged Newfoundland retriever, who picked up the trail of a duck, and led us into a tangle of bushes and weeds, we discovered one nest, thickly lined with down and containing ‘six large, olive green eggs. Formerly these ducks nested in great abundance on Seal Island, but of late years only an oc- casional pair or so. Of the shore birds, only three species were noted at that season. These were the spotted sandpiper, piping plover and semi-palmated plover; all of which Mr. Crowell has found nest- ing. A few terns, both the common and arctic, were nesting about thé big sand flat, mere remnants of the swarms that used to nest there. 1907] Notes ON SOME SEAL ISLAND BIRDS 95 Among the small land birds of which there were many, most interesting were the Bicknell’s thrushes and black-poll warblers, both fairly common and breeding. These birds, especially the thrushes, are very local in their distribution, and here good opportunities were afforded to note their habits. Like their cousins the hermit thrushes, the Bicknell’s thrush sings most frequently in the early morning and late evening. Their song resembles that of the hermit in a general way, but is not nearly so clear and liquid. The nests are built at varying elevations among the dense spruces and are exceedingly difficult to find. The nests of former years, however, are much more in evidence. The moisture-laden atmosphere seems to cause them to swell and starts a growth of moss, which persisting from year to year preserves and renders them quite conspicuous. Other small birds found breeding there were golden crown kinglets, winter wrens, Hudsonian chickadees, brown creepers, red-breast nuthatches, crossbills and several others. During the migrations many birds make this a resting place. as also do storm-driven birds of a more southern range. Thus Mr. Crowell has taken examples of the Florida yalinule, turkey vulture, scarlet tanager and Baltimore oriole. Many birds perish during the migrations by coming in contact with the great light one hundred feet up. Over eight hundred yellow warblers were thus destroyed upon one occasion in a single night. Seal Island derives its name from the large numbers of seals that formerly resorted there to breed. The first industry of the place was the seal-fishery, the animals being of value for the oil which could be extracted from their carcases. This of course was long since overdone—now only a few scattered seals are to be seen, but great sand-covered mounds back of the beach mark the spots where the useless bones were piled. At present the island is of importance as a lobster-fishing station. 96 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [September THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK NEAR OTTAWA. By G. Eirrie. The goshawk or blue henhawk (Accipiter atricapillus) breeds in some numbers in the vast wooded area to the north of Ottawa. It is a large hawk measuring two feet from bill to end of tail, the wing expanse being three to four feet. It is a beautifully marked hawk. The adults of both sexes are bluish- slate color above, the under parts white, each feather being pencilled with black, producing a fine effect. The young ones are entirely different, brownish-black with some rufous above, and the feathers below being heavily streaked with black, not barred as the adults. Last fall they were quite common for a while around the city. Their flight is not the slow gliding of the buzzard genus. They fly low and swift and fall on their prey like thunderbolts, and when people come out of the house to look for the miscreant who carried away their chicken, they may happen to see a red-shouldered hawk gliding around above, and, taking him to be the author of the mischief, will vow vengeance, whereas the real author, the goshawk, or perhaps Cooper’s hawk, who looks and acts much like him, is far away by this time, enjoying his meal. They are quite fearless, often carrying away chickens or game from the very feet of the husbandman or hunter. They would be real harmful to farmers and poultry- men were they not so rare in settled districts. But for what damage the quick-flying Accipiters do, the slow-gliding useful buzzards, Buteo, are blamed and punished, as the red-shouldered, red-tailed and broad-winged hawks. Of the accipitrine hawks, which closely approach the falcons in build, rapacity and swift- ness, we have only the goshawk, Cooper’s and the sharp-shinned hawk, of which only the last is at all common, and he is too small to do much harm to man. He confines his depredations to small wild birds, where he does much harm. In winter he sometimes enters cities, as three winters ago Ottawa, and makes himself useful to the community by doing away with an enormous number of English sparrows. The following two incidents, which came under the writer’s notice, show the fierceness of the goshawk. About May 15th, 1905, Mr. F. Sack, a farmer of Germanicus, Renfrew Co., went into one of his fields, which he had not visited for a while. Suddenly a large hawk swooped down upon him, sailed around him in uncomfortably close proximity to his head, struck at him with his claws, and all this with such fierceness that progress was impossible. He had to turn back. The next day he wanted'to finish his tour of inspection, when the same thing - 1907] THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK NEAR OTTAWA 97 happened. He was absolutely forced to turn back. The next day, seeing that this hawk had established himself there and was making a practice of withholding his field from him, Mr. Sack took a gun along. Even this did not deter the hawk, which immediately resorted to the tactics of the past two days. This time it proved his undoing; a well directed shot put him out of commission. The farmer gave the bird to a friend, who mounted it, when it was seen by the writer. One morning last February, Mr. Hugo Paeseler, a farmer of High Falls, Labelle Co., Quebec, went into his wood-lot near his house. Not far in, he noticed that a fierce battle must have been waged there not long before, because in a space of about ten by ten feet the freshly fallen snow was plowed up and liberally sprinkled with blood and feathers. Searching around for the principals of the fight, he found about ten steps away a large adult goshawk, wings spread, frozen stiff and pretty badly used generally. About the same distance in the opposite direction from the scene of hostilities, he found a barred owl, dead, but yet warm. It had alighted on a little spruce after the battle, from where it had fallen off, as the condition of the snow on the spruce and below showed, and then had crawled in a small log that lay with its hollowness right near the owl. Although she apparently had died later than the goshawk, she was more ripped up than he. The farmer, knowing the rudi- ments of taxidermy, skinned and ‘“‘stuffed’’ the goshawk—in this case that is the appropriate word—,of the owl he could only do so with the head, which he thus kept. They were later seen by the writer. The theory is that the goshawk sallying forth early in the morning in quest of prey, made a mistake and pounced upon the barred owl, which was probably then return- ing home from its nightly foraging. She, however, did not feel like being reduced to a breakfast for the goshawk, and so gave battle, with the result that both had no more use for breakfasts. It is not likely that the owl would attack the larger goshawk, but the goshawk, especially when hungry, does not let the size of his quarry deter him much. Last October a farmer in East Templeton, Quebec, near Ottawa, shot a beautiful adult female goshawk in the act of doing away with a large Plymouth Rock rooster. That fight in the snowy woods that morning must certainly have been a battle royal; and an interesting sight could one have witnessed it. Ottawa, Ont., August 16th, 1907. 98 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST [Septembe2: LIST OF COLEOPTERA TAKEN BY PROF. JNO. MACOUN ALONG THE LINE OF THE G. T. P. RY. BETWEEN PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., AND EDMONTON, ALTA., IN 1906, DETERMINED BY JOHN D. EVANS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF PROF, H No. 116 119 142 145 195 308 630 652 666 742 794 800 829 883 940 1094 1101 1465 1698 1706 1774 2124 2996 2998 3051 3059 S283 3734 3739 3893 4287 4426 4576 4952 . FE. WICKHAM. SPECIMENS, Carabus meander, Fisch Carabus ixedatus Pap? oe Ce ee Calosoms: candum, Fab. ee Calosoma moniliatium: “Lec 3 see eee ee Nebria- Sahitberet, isch ee a ee Bembidium inequale, Say. 2a sa ee Amara carinata: “Leck fo ee oe ee Amara pallipes, Kirby Antara contusa. (leet Se Oi eee Calathus gregarius, Say Platynus-atinis, Kariya oe 2 ee. ae eer Platynus cupripennis, Say Platynus sordens, Kirby Tebia ‘punnia “Dey Teese: oe ee eee Cynndis eribricolits; Dept. J. 4 oe ee Harpalus’* herbivagus; Say.-..--+)-cs- >see Paepalas Catia Me], 0 nee eo oe eee Harpalus near fraternus, Lec haAntUS TeLawis, Bab, se ne hee eee Nectophorus marginatus; Pab..2. 22.0 eee sipha lappomiea, TDStl.) 202s... eee Silpha Tanaasa Gaye... he ee ee ee Anisotaina Sp: 7220 oe eee eee er eee Staphy lus padigies "ees vee. 2. aes Ohibrus vittiies tice? ee" eee ee ee Olibrus striatwhisy lec Le ae ee ee Hippodamia parenthesis! Say.) 2. eect Coccinella transversoguttata, Fab........... paprinus lugens, Fir ? roves oe ae ee Pocadius: hélvolus,"Eir. 0 a eee 3 Melisethes mutatus; Haro). oe eee Byrrhus Kirbys; beere ts ahi. se eee Agriotes limiosus, Lec): 7. 420 ie: oe ee Melanotus sp.%,. 3%. t-0 Gen. ease eee Corymbités' Visens, Sen, so sco oe ee Dicerca prolotigata, Ike... +25 ee cae Podabrussp. vse eas ees er ee Telephorus oregonus, Lec. Var. B........<%. Cu eee ere Cm ar yer ey CeO BPP RP DWP & WH Ure od are) "me, dip b Lota ae ee Le Kanara me i i RN EE RE 1907] COLEOPTERA TAKEN BY Pror. JNO. MAcoUN 99 5513 Aphodius occidentalis, Horn..........5....: 2 5550 Aphodius consentaneus, Lec..... .......... 25 5659 Dichelonycha testacea, Kirby............... 5 Oars ‘sericea vespertina, Gyll......0....0-0...-.e 1 eerie corer. lil... ee 1 ae ProLacis tristis, Kirby.......:....-.2..+5% 2 me @eecreracina atta, Atir......... ) seca. 0,... 2 6614a Cryptocephalus notatus, Fab............... 1 eet tatibomoscelis adonidis, Fab................. 1 Meee eee voomela lunata, Fab......2......2... a. - keke 1 MEETING OF COUNCIL. A meeting of the Council of the Club was held on Tuesday, September 12th, with the following members in attendance: Messrs. A. E. Attwood, E. E. Lemieux, H. H. Pitts, T. E. Clarke, Rev. C. G. Eifrig, Miss A. L. Matthews and Miss Q. Jackson. The following were elected ordinary members: Rev. W. A. McIlroy, Ottawa; Rev. B. Thompson, Hintonburgh; Mr. W. D. Fitz-Henry, Myrtle, Man. It was decided to recommend to the Council for the next club year, that a programme of excursions for the season be drawn up at the first meeting of the Council and that a printed copy of the programme be mailed to each member of the Club. Fall excursions were arranged for as follows:— September 14th, Beaver ‘Meadow, Hull; September 21st, Queen’s Park, Aylmer; September 28th, Rockliffe. 100 THe Ottawa NATURALIST [September REPORT OF THE ZOOLOGICAL BRANCH, 1906. The Zoological Branch of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club have the honour to report as follows: Two meetings have been held during the past season, the first on November 9th, when the principal business was the making arrangements for the zoological exhibit at the soiree on December 4th; but the zoologists present afterwards joined in a general discussion upon various topics of interest. On March 16th, the second meeting took place, and the season’s work was reviewed, but it is neces- sary in the report now presented to refer only to such matters as may have general interest and in some cases have an element. of novelty. Both the meetings, it may be added, were held at the house of the convener of the Branch (Professor Prince). An important feature of the season 1906 was the abnormal lowness of the water in the Ottawa River and tributary waters, affecting, indeed, the whole district. Many creeks and ponds which in previous dry seasons have retained a quantity of water were perfectly dry, and the usual stock of aquatic animals and plants seemed to have disappeared. Whatever the cause, the effect of this drought upon aquatic life in many localities near Ottawa has been serious. Certain ponds in the suburbs of the Capital which have been favourite hunting grounds for members of the Club, and have not been dried up before, or not for many years, were perfectly parched, and one member instanced some most prolific ponds along the upper Ottawa River, near Pembroke, in which the destruction of young fishes and amphibians, and of invertebrates, had been most disastrous. .One pond was visited when in the last stage of drying up, and in a small area of two or three square yards, were huddled together in a seething mass, thousands of living creatures, including tadpoles of various species of frogs and toads, numerous young fishes, Lepomis, Micropterus, Perca, Etheostoma, Lucius, etc., and myriads of insect larve, Coleoptera and Neuroptera, and numerous specimens of Argyroneta. Several enthusiastic young naturalists, with nets and tin vessels, rescued most of these imperilled creatures and deposited them in shallow places in the main river. It will be interesting to see the effect generally of this drought upon the aquatic life in the dried-up ponds referred to. Of mammals mention must be made of a band of wolves heard howling near Pembina Lake in the upper Lievre River district, these animals uttering their weird cries even in the day time, it is asserted. Virginia deer were reported at the Rockliffe Range in the fall, and bears andedeer at Hammond. A black musk-rat, Fiber zibethicus, was captured near Ottawa and 1907] REPORT OF ZOOLOGICAL BRANCH 101 added to the Fisheries’ Museum collection. It is, of course, a case of melanism. Of reptiles the interesting capture of a most elegantly tinted milk snake (Coronella) is worthy of note as the specimen is a very young one, not exceeding 9 inches in length, and its coloration is quite unlike the common type, indeed it resembles a southern variety. It was captured at the Rifle Range. A number of young specimens of Mendbranchus have been recently obtained from the city water pipes; one barely 24 inches long shows two bright longitudinal bands of con- spicuous yellow along the head, back, and the sides of the compressed tail, over the ramose external gills occur small yellow spots, and the gills are pale red; so that the immature creature differs very markedly from the adult. A larger speci- men, 54 inches long, is covered with dark spots, and thus ap- proaches the full grown mud-puppy in external coloration. Young Spelerpes, Mr. Odell mentions, is yellow on the abdomen, but with spots, and the back is dark brown in the centre with a lighter band on each side. Mr. Halkett, who furnished the details regarding Menobranchus, also called attention to the predaceous habit assumed by some gold fish in the Fisheries Museum, which ate a young gar-pike (Lepidosteus), placed in a lively condition in their tank. It was two inches or more long, but only half of the speciman could be found when search was made for the missing ganoid. The capture of a tarpon (T. atlanticus) near Halifax, N.S., was reported by Prof. Prince, who points out that the range of this fish hitherto has been stated to be the warmer Atlantic waters from Brazil to Long Island. As several other southern fishes have been noted on our northern shores in recent years, possibly some deep causes are at work which encourage this migration of southern species. Mr. Halkett stated that a series of specimens of fish had been received from the salmon weirs in St. John harbour, N.B. They included Cyclopterus lumpus, the lumpsucker; Lophius piscatorius, the angler fish; a young specimen Cryptacanthodes maculatus, the ghostfish; Zoarces anguillaris, the eel-pout; and of the picked dogfish, Squalus acanthias, a specimen containing eight young with large yolk sac attached; this species being viviparous. Lastly the lamprey from the old salmon-retaining pond, Carleton, N.B. was recorded, possibly a land-locked variety of Petromyzon marinus. Mcr.E. E. Lemieux had arranged for a collection of fishes being made at Pembina Lake, and a series of cyprinoids introduced into the lake in 1905 had been secured and may afford information as to the rate of growth. A local collection of sturgeon, percoids, cyprinoids, eels, the silvery lamprey (Ichthyomyzon concolor) and young gar-pike 102 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [September were obtained during the past season, and the shipment of a huge German carp, from the Bay of Quinte, to Ottawa, is of interest, as this ponderous specimen measured over 27 inches in length. The Crustacea came in for much attention by the zoological members of the Club. Mr. Halkett observed a specimen of the river crayfish (Cambarus) which laid eggs, the eggs being at- tached to the swimmerets on the under side of the body. The eggs were not only large in proportion to the size of the female crayfish, but they were actually larger than the eggs of the lobster, a decapod of immensely greater size. Mr. W. S. Odell reports an abnormal abundance of certain crustaceans observed under the following circumstances: at the openings cut through the ice on the clay ponds or pits near the Rideau River, crowded masses of Canthocampus, Cyclops, and Asellus aquaticus, came to the surface of the water. Sunfish, perch, etc., indeed an astonishing abundance of animal life, crowded thickly at these water holes and formed a thick sheet or scum so dense that the horses refused to drink the water. The ice was about a foot in thickness and the cold was intense, yet these water animals had not been so thick for many years. They decreased most markedly on the first mild day. Mr. Odell once noticed a similar superabundance of the dark winter eggs of Dafhnia (the water flea) which formed a sheet like a layer of soot upon the surface of a pond, vet in no previous or subsequent season were they ever seen to be so plentiful, being in some winter seasons ex- ceedingly scarce. é Mention may also be made of specimens of the whitefish and the Atlantic salmon from Magog, Que., of a few small mud- turtles from the Thousand Islands, of a specimen of turtle from Belleville, to be determined, and the purchase of two small alligators for the Fisheries Museum. The Branch notes with interest that a Fisheries Museum report is about to be issued and will contain fuller notes for popular information than previous reports. Dr. Whiteaves’ valuable Bibliography of Canadian Zoology, 1905, is a welcome addition to the scientific literature of the year. It is also worthy of note that the early issue of a second part of the Contributions to Canadian Biology published in connection with the Marine Biological Station is announced and will contain some very important zoological papers by eminent Canadian scientists. E. E. PRINCE, A. HALKETT, W.S. ODELL, E. E. LEMIEUX. 1907] SuB-Excursion 103 SUB-EXCURSION. On Saturday, May 25th, the 5th Sub-excursion of the Club was held at the Experimental Farm. The weather being warm and bright, with a cool breeze blowing, which made walking delightful, there was an attendance of about fifty members and friends of the Club. The leaders present were: the President, Mr. Wilson, Dr. Sinclair, Dr. Fletcher, Mr. Kingston, Rev. Mr. Eifrig, Mr. Halkett and Mr. Gibson. On reaching the Arboretum, the different parties separated under leaders, to visit the spots of most interest to them. The beautiful lawns and beds of many colored tulips about the Farm grounds were the centre of much admiration. Dr. Fletcher, with a party, studied the different trees, shrubs and botanical plants; while Mr. Eifrig and his followers sought for birds of many species. With the exception of a few hibernat- ing kinds there were not many insects found, owing to the late- ness of the season. At 5 o’clock the members reassembled in a grove of pines and spruces near the centre of the Arboretum. and delightful talks were given by Drs. Fletcher and Sinclair and Rev. Mr. Eifrig. . Dr. Fletcher, in his charming manner, spoke of the different kinds of pines and firs found in Canada, also the imported species used for garden decoration, showing the difference between the pines by the number of their leaves and the nature of their cones. He gave both their common and scientific names, Stating how in various provinces of Canada one common name is sometimes applied to different kinds of trees. He gave a piece of useful information in the way to make a camp bed of fir boughs. By putting the flat side of the branches uppermost, and placing ail the butt ends of the twigs towards the head, sloping the leaves to the foot, one can procure a comfortable, springy bed. The firs are better for this purpose than the prickly spruces. He also spoke of the Japanese quince, which is used for decorative purposes, and which grows luxuriantly in the N iagara district; and told how the fruit, which is irregularly conical, enclosing a nut-like kernel, is used as a table dessert in Japan, but has never found favor in this country, although it sometimes fruits well here. It has a strong aroma. Dr. Sinclair was next called upon and spoke briefly of the artificiality of education, stating that all education was more or less artificial. He pointed out that the members of the Club, by visiting the Experimental Farm, which he called a laboratory, for the study and experiments of different varieties of trees, etc., were given a chance to study the artificial side of Nature in the 104 Tus Orrawa NATURALIST [September planting of and experimenting with imported trees, shrubs, flowers, etc., of which the Farm, in trees alone, had over 3,000 specimens. . . Rev. Mr. Eifrig told of the birds he had seen and heard. He touched briefly on the lateness of the season in keeping a great many birds away that should have been here some weeks ago. Therefore the birds were not as plentiful as he had hoped to find them. He, however, saw or heard over 35 species during the afternoon, some of which were fairly numerous.. His list consisted of 3 meadow larks, 10 red-winged black- birds, 1 phoebe, 3 bluebirds, 10 bobolinks, several song sparrows, 6 cow-birds, 5 black-and-white warblers, 10 yellow warblers, 1 Blackburnian warbler, 1 junco, 10 goldfinches, chipping sparrows, 1 black swallow, barn swallows, 1 flicker, house wrens, 2 cat- birds, 1 swamp sparrow, 1 king-bird, 2 Carolina rails, 1 Balti- more oriole, 1 purple martin, 2 blue-jays, marsh hawks, purple finches, 1 bronzed grackle, 1 American redstart, 1 white-throated nuthatch, 1 red-eyed vireo, many chimney swifts, 1 crested fly- catcher, common crows. The more important and rarer species of his list were: 1 spotted sandpiper, 4 parula warblers, 1 black- throated green warbler, 1 myrtle warbler. He spoke of the bad habit of the cow-bird of laying its eggs in the nests of other birds; when the two broods hatch, the fledglings of the cow-bird being much larger are apt to smother the other young birds, therefore when found the eggs should be thrown out and destroyed. Mr. Eifrig’s address brought the interesting discussions and a most enjoyable outing to a close. R.. Miya THE OTTAWA NATURALIST VoL. XXIV. OTTAWA, OCTOBER, 1907. No.7 THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AND ITS WORK. A REvIEW oF “FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANADIAN BioLocy,” 1902-1905. 39TH ANNUAL Report DE- PARTMENT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Ottawa, 1907. The publication by the Department of Marine and Fisheries of Part Il. of the Journal of the Marine Biological Station of Canada, is an event of no small scientific interest, and a brief review of its contents, and of the circumstances under which the staff of the Station carry on their work, may be acceptable to our naturalists generally. The former report from the Station was entitled ‘“Con- tributions to Canadian Biology,’ and the present series, of thirteen papers, bears the title ‘‘Further Contributions.” It is of the usual 8vo Blue Book size, of about 130 pages, and in- cludes ten very beautiful plates, and five half-tone illustrations in the text. Professor Prince, the Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries, prefaces the report with.a short note of explanation, and refers to the success of the station in enlisting the aid of voluntary workers from practically all the Canadian Universities. “Toronto and McGill Universities have been prominently represented,’ Professor Prince states. ‘‘Queen’s University, Kingston, has almost every season sent some representative of its academic staff, while Dalhousie (Halifax, N.S.), Mount Allison, (Sackville, N. B.), Acadia (Wolfville, N. S.) and other universities, including some United States institutions. have sent workers.’ The staff has been unsalaried, and only scientific workers trained and qualified to conduct original researches have been given the free use of the Station, its library, apparatus, and other advantages. By the wise generosity of the Dominion Government it has been possible to partially meet some of the expenses of the staff, but the fishery and other laborious investi- gations have been carried on by voluntary scientific workers, without the stimulus or reward of an adequate honorarium. No Station of the kind in the world has been operated at such slight cost to the country, and with such substantial results. The present publication amply bears out the claim just made. It contains twice the number of papers contained in the 106 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [October former report. They cover very varied topics and many of them are of inestimable value from a practical fishery point of view, while all] are valuable from the purely scientific standpoint. The papers admit of a five-fold classification; they are (a) those essentially practical in object and character; (b) faunistic; (c) embryological; (d) chemico-physiological, and (e) botanical. The authors are Professors Ramsay Wright, A. P. Knight, E. E. Prince, A. B. Macallum and James Fowler; Dr. Joseph Stafford and Dr. A. H. MacKay; Mr. G. A. Cornish and Mr. C. B. Rob- inson; but neither the present scientific papers nor the fore- going list of authors indicate the whole of the researches con- ducted at the Biological Station, nor include all the staff of brilliant investigators who have spent more or less time in its laboratories. The primary object of the Station was to aid the fisheries of the Dominion. As the fishes in the sea, indeed all the larger forms of life, depend for sustenance upon the microscopic organisms, which render sea-water ‘‘a kind of minute broth,” as the late Dr. W. B. Carpenter happily styled it, Professor Ramsay Wright appropriately heads the series with an account of the “Plankton”? of the Nova Scotian waters. Professor Wright shows how minute plants, invisible to the naked eye, crowd the surface waters. These build up the protoplasm necessary as food to fishes and other marine creatures. The herring and mackerel feed almost solely on this microscopic life, collectively called the ‘‘Plankton.”’ They are not all tiny plants, some are infusorian animals, Foraminifera, Radiolarians and the like. ‘‘No one sailing over the Atlantic,’’ Professor Wright ob- serves, ‘‘suspects the presence of such a rich vegetation, and indeed it can only be disclosed by filtering the water through an exceedingly fine fabric—the finest silk gauze.’’ Seven ex- quisite plates indicate something of the variety and beauty of the Plankton. More beautiful artistic illustrations it would be difficult to imagine. They are heliotype reproductions of Mr. J. R. G. Murray’s drawings of Professor Wright’s original . sketches done at the Station. No less than three species of the tadpole-like larval Ascidians belonging to the Copelata were secured near Canso. As, according to the poet, ‘The ancestor remote of man, says Darwin, Was the Ascidian,”’ these small tailed creatures, showing the first indications of a back-bone, are of uncommon interest. A most peculiar egg, no doubt that of some Gastropod shell-fish, is figured on the same plate as the Ascidians, and “‘suggests in its shape,” as Professor Wright points out, “a low broad-brimmed hat.” There are 1907] THE MaRINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AND ITS WorRK. ‘107 described many beautiful Peridinians, usually regarded as plants, also Diatoms and various Foraminifers and Infusorians, as well as pelagic crustaceans and larve of higher forms, all of which are elements in that floating food upon which young fishes feed in Nova Scotian waters. The three reports by Professor Knight, of Queen’s Univer- sity, are in many respects the most valuable in the volume, for they treat of subjects of the highest public importance. The “Sawdust Question”’ is dealt with in a “further” and a ‘‘final’’ report, and the laborious investigations and experiments com- menced by Dr. Knight in 1900 and continued season after season for four or five years, are here presented in concise and readable form. Our law-makers must in future consult these splendid reports before attempting legislation on the grave “sawdust versus fish’’ controversy. The killing of fish by dyna- mite has been much practised in spite of statutory prohibitions, and Dr. Knight, at the suggestion of Professor Prince, carried out with much skill and at some bodily risk, experimental re- searches which prove how wasteful such nefarious fishing is. Professor Knight’s reports entitle him to the profound gratitude of the Canadian public. Dr. Joseph Stafford, who continues to act as Curator of the Station, reports on the Atlantic fauna; his short list of sponges, Coelenterates and Echinoderms, 70 species in all, is the pre- liminary instalment of a more complete list, which will form a desirable supplement to the splendid list published seven years ago by Dr. Whiteaves. A large collection has been made at each of the five locations where the work has been carried on. A knowledge of the animal and plant life in each locality is, from a fishery standpoint, a necessary preliminary. ‘‘The study of the environment of fish and fisheries’ (the Director of the Station, Professor Prince justly observes) “‘is as necessary as the study of the fish themselves and their habits, and of the practical methods of exploiting fishery resources.”’ Dr. Stafford has established a wide reputation as an authority upon Trematodes and other parasites, and his numerous papers, published largely in Germany, are substantial contributions to science. His paper on Trematodes or parasitic sucker-worms (the tenth in the present series) is a concise account of the group and their life-history, so far as known, and he gives a list of 28 known and 10 undetermined species—a very creditable addition to American Helminthology. Dr. A. H. MacKay, Superintendent of Education for Nova Scotia, furnishes a list of the Diatoms of Canso, and he states that the 73 species which he determined do not exhaust all the material secured at the 108 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [October Station. Indeed this excellent list must be regarded asa pro- visional one. It is a piece of careful and exact work and will be of value to all future students of these lowly plants. A similar observation may be applied to the ‘Seaweeds of Canso,” by Mr. C. B. Robinson, formerly of Pictou Academy, and now of the New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx Park. The alge named include 75 species. Among the many diligent workers at the Biological Station none were more assiduous than Mr. G. A. Cornish, of Toronto University, now Science Master at Lindsay Collegiate Institute. His two papers on the Polyzoa and the Fishes of Canso might be criticised on two grounds, viz.: the lack of concise, orderly description, and the lack of drawings. Certainly the notes on fishes should have been thoroughly revised, as much of the matter is somewhat well-worn, and usually fragmentary, and might have been pruned down with advantage. As a beginning, each list has its value, and Mr. Cornish deserves credit for his patient work. Professor James Fowler, it is pleasant to note, once more appears with a very extensive list of the plants around Canso. The names of over 300 phanerogams and cryptogams are given, while the list is prefaced by some exceed- ingly interesting notes. Professor Fowler has been most faith- ful in his services to the Station, and it is said that, in spite of his years, he recently explored the wilds of Gaspé when the Station was located there (1905-1906), and it is to be hoped that his list of Gaspesian plants will be published at an early date. Professor Prince’s memoir on the eggs and young of certain members of the herring family (the shad, alewife. herring, etc.), with three remarkably beautiful plates, some of them tinted, is’ of biological interest, and the general conclusion reached is that these fishes are far less rapid in growth than has been usually surmised. Professor Huxley once stated that the herring matured in one year, in his opinion, though he modified his view later; but it now appears from the more thorough and -exact researches of authorities like Professor Prince, that the third or fourth year may elapse before the herring reaches its mature spawning condition. It is a striking circumstance that the herring tribe differ so greatly in the nature of their eggs and spawning habits. The sea-herring’s eggs are heavy, cling together firmly and are attached to the bottom of the ocean. The egg is about one-twentieth of an inch in diameter. The sprat, so like a small herring, deposits a most delicate floating egg. Each egg floats separately and cannot be touched without being crushed, it is sodelicate, while itis barely one-twenty-fifth 1907] THe MarInE BIOLOGICAL STATION AND ITS WorRK. 109 ofan inch indiameter. The shad’seggs are separate and neither cling to each other nor float at the surface of the water. They are comparatively large (one-seventh of an inch in diameter) and roll about amongst gravel, etc., in shallow streams and rivers above tidal limits. As Professor Prince’s four beautiful drawings of the young alewife or gaspereau (on Plate X) are the first ever executed of these early stages, they are of great scientific value, while the detailed drawings of the scales, etc., are of extreme interest. Professor Prince also furnishes a very readable account of the profound and technical researches of Professor A. B. Macallum, one of the most distinguished scientific men whom Canada has produced. The researches of the brilliant Professor of Physiology in Toronto University are better known in England and Germany than in our own country, and London last year honoured Dr. Macallum with the coveted F. R. S. of England. Professor Macallum investigated the ‘‘Chemistry of Medusez”’ for several seasons in the Biological Station and pub- lished his results in the Journal of Physiology, Vol. XXIV. Professor Prince, who edits the present publication, desired a less technical and more popular version of the published paper; but for various reasons, it is understood, that a simplified ac- count could not be prepared by the author in time for the present issue. Professor Prince himself therefore wrote this very fascinating version of Dr. Macallum’s paper, minus tech- nicalities, and presented in a revised popular form. The lovely floating medusze or jellyfish, often brilliantly coloured, are generally thought to be composed of delicate, transparent skin and water. There is certainly little solid matter in them. Pro- fessor Owen dried a jellyfish, which weighed two pounds when alive, and found that its weight was barely thirty grains, or about one-five-hundredth of the original weight. Professor Macallum establishes the complex composition of the ‘‘jellyfish juice,’ and the amazing physiological independence and sta- bility of the jellyfish cells. He disproves Professor Loeb’s contention that the chemical nature of the surrounding water directly affects either the chemical nature of the medusa or its living movements and functions. Professor Macallum proves that each has its own individual resisting power and a wonderful independence of outside chemical changes, while the cells, composing the medusa’s body, have a surprising selective power, and accept or reject the various salts in the surrounding sea-water, as the experiments demonstrated. Nay, more, their chemical constitution appears to be that which must have characterized animals in the primal seas of our planet. May it not be that the serum, the clear part of our own blood, is the 110 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [October same as the blood of the animals in the early ages of the world, and transmitted to us in the course of zonic development? Professor Macallum’s results suggest this. Mammalian serum in its proportions of sodium, calcium and potassium, is not unlike the fluid contents of the jellyfish. The evolutionist can now claim that our blood, apart from the red corpuscles, has come down to us from an ancestral stock as lowly as the me- dusz, and as remote in time as the Jurassic and even the primi- tive Palwozoic epochs! Hardly less wonderful is the con- clusion that the inorganic composition of jellyfishes is not due to the sea-water environment of to-day, but “‘reflects the com- position of sea-water . . . . of past geological periods, possibly very remote periods.” Divested of technical terms and abstruse expressions, Professor Prince’s account of Dr. Macallum’s remarkable researches, compressed into seven pages of these “‘Further Contributions,’’ furnishes reading of rare and profound interest to all scientific students. In reviewing a publication so welcome and of such unusual interest to all scientific students, it might appear to be super- fluous to call attention to errors and to faults, typographical or otherwise. Some such faults there are, and it would have been well to have avoided or corrected them before issue from the press. In Professor Wright’s paper the references to the literature are in some cases detailed in the text, in other cases they are relegated to the last page of the paper. This should have been avoided. The magnification of the figures in the plates should have been given in all cases, whereas in nearly half the figures there is no clue to the size of the organisms. Many readers will wonder what size, for example, are the interest- ing tailed Ascidian larve on Plate VII. (figs. 11 and 12). An even graver complaint is justifiable regarding the description of plates in Professor Prince’s paper. Thus on Plate VIII, figs. 6c and 7 are described as the pilchard (they are evidently young gaspereaux), while figs. 10 afd 11, described on page 109 as gaspereaux, are pilchard, and are copied as stated on page 108 _from Mr. J. T. Cunningham’s well-known and not very good figures in the Journal of the Marine Biological Station of Britain. On page 57 in Dr. MacKay’s very accurate paper Licmophora is misprinted Licmphora, while the only misprint apparently in the venerable Dr. Fowler’s botanical list is ce for 2 in Graminez (page ape On page 76 Membranipora is there spelt Men not Mem, while on page 101 the familiar term Clupeide has the grotesque form Clupieide. Finally, on page 89 the page heading to Mr. Cornish’s notes on the fishes of Canso appears as “The Marine Polyzoa of Canso, Nova Scotia.” 1907] THe MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AND ITS WorK. 111 Naturalists generally will readily overlook these slight errors, and will be glad to see so important and valuable a series of contributions to Canadian biology issue from the Station on the Atlantic coast. Much work has been done at Malpeque, P.E.I., at Gaspe, P.Q., and at Seven Islands, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, and the issue of reports on still further contributions from the pens of the accomplished and zealous staff of the Station will be awaited with impatience. The Director of the Station (Professor Prince), who occupied the honoured position this year of President of Section IV (Biology, etc.,) of the Royal Society, stated to one of the most brilliant audiences of leading Canadian biologists ever assembled in Ottawa, that a Pacific coast station is to beopened for marine researches immediately under Dominion Government auspices. With the station on the west coast and a new (permanent) station at St. Andrew’s on the Atlantic shore, and a Great Lakes Station near Parry Sound, future ‘‘Contributions to Canadian Biology” will no doubt surpass even the present most interesting and valuable scientific publication. . C. DATES OF ARRIVALS OF BIRDS AT CAMROSE, ALTA., IN 1906 AND 1907. By F. L. Farley 1906 1907 PRES OMALIOW s o- 2o Aseee dh. i-cvecrsse March 31 March 23 BREE ress, Bobo Lacs. odas. evedenines epee Canada Goose.......... ..-c0:1--. es “\. OL, MMamely 528 IE ec oa vn esc osnlccvenoeparnc April 6 eres: IN RE cork cap cy no 1s eles wfeie ages ‘i 10 April 19 Red-tail Hawhki.........:.00-.-+: = 11 Swainson Hawk.................. > 11 March 31 Killdeer............ sissies ete dees Sul ee 13., April. <20 Le epee ee areca isausa 11 tf 19 MRIS RIID 66: icnvensvaavactess eabpenos ay hs - 10 May 26 Meadow Lark.................2:000-0:00 o 14 April 23 PES: SVAN TOW ost 55005 Conszea vecemrp z 14 a 14 PHOAELOWR LAA WG, 525. ..050/0dsehapes aoe Fa 17 Red-winged Blackbird........... = 4 20 May 10 Emetican Sipe. i... cieeeiirncsveens - 23 Sy 10 Bronzed Grackle...................0.. = 24 “ig 12 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. Purple Finchizgee..coiiget tt Yellow-shafted Flicker............ Hotned: batkret pe aeeoe Vesper Spartew.esssenc.- nae Brewer Blackbirds. 2) 2 aes. Sapsticker.. ntyteset< see eens Woalson Thrash tcc) eee White-crowned Sparrow.......... Savanna Sparrow............... Laneola Spat oO We sec2g--22-capecees | spt = 6 bal 24 (6) es ce a White-breasted Swallow.......... Lee eile am Cc 1 ee ears dele Red-breasted Nuthatch........... Clay-colored Sparrow............... SpPtapue mK yan co jc ts oce tees Vellow Warbler is. ve0 5 pe caysgn: White-throated Sparrow......... Trouse. Wien. “G5 eee Gator. eee ee Myrtle Warbler: West ete Bar Swallow. 242-20 Least Plyeateher = 2... 2 58hes! Wood .Pewées.9 sc, Saree ae Rose-breasted Grosbeak.......... PRCCE TOT! <5 5 tee ae eee eee Siroint elany ke 2s eee ee Deconte Sparrows). et White-rumped Shrike.............. Wellow- lees ek)... ee ior, Spotted Sandpiper. in... c08) Gowland: 78. Ss. 456) .s. o solitary Sandprpet®.;...40 08 Fox Sparrow 2.)..1ank sae toes Clef Swallow ches Yellow-headed Blackbird........ Redstart: 2.2570 4) Sees Mournme Dove. eo. .2 8. Red-eyed Vireo: ....2 aren Cedaniard:,..: 58h eet: oe Tras Rigcatchers. 0h. cen. 6 Wrarikinge Virpo: to. cee. et June ce May [October 21 16 23 14 9 26 15 21 17 is 9 24 27 12 20 2A 23 26 | 28 1907] Dates or ARRIVALS oF Birps. 113 The unprecedented cold and backward Spring, all over the northern part of this continent has been the cause of much dis- cussion among weather men and the public generally, and no doubt ornithologists have noticed the effect the unusual condi- tions have had in the arrival of Spring birds. Having taken notes on the arrival of Spring birds for the past fifteen years, on and between the Red Deer and Battle rivers, in 113 degrees of West Longitude as a centre, I find they are later this Spring than in any other year. It seems strange also, that the two extremes should be reached in the two years 1907 and 1906; arrivals in 1906 were earlier than in any other year since my arrival here. ERUCA SATIVA, MILL. Mr. J. Dearness has sent from London, Ont. to the herbarium of the Geological Survey specimens of Eruca sativa which may become a very troublesome weed in Canada. Mr. Poland, Yarmouth township, Elgin county, has written Mr. Dearness that this weed came to him and to a neighbour of his as an impurity in alfalfa seed, that it was scattered all over the field in which the alfalfa was planted, and that when he had pulled out all he could see it made a heap as large as half a ton of hay. Later he cut the tops off plants that had been missed, and these on October 15th were again making con- siderable show in parts of the field. Since the above note was in type specimens have also come to us from Mr. T. N. Willing, Chief Inspector of Weeds for the Province of Saskatchewan. The seed from which these plants grew came from Russia mixed with alfalfa seed. The home of Eruca sativa is along the Mediterranean. It is not indigenous in Russia and must be growing there as a weed. J. M. M. 114 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [October NOTES ON THE GENUS VACCINIUM. By E. Wilson, Armstrong, B. C. ° The four species here named are in our collection: V. membranaceum, V. ovalifolium, V. Canadense, and V. parvi- jolium. V. membranaceum was collected in fruit, July 16th, on the mountain side close to Revelstoke, also at Trout Lake, Poplar, Seymour River, and the Horsefly River. This species produces the finest fruit of any of the species collected. The fruit is of a purplish black when ripe and much sweeter than V. Canadense, so common in northern Ontario. It also averages larger in size than V. Canadense, but does not yield so heavily. It is, however, a very heavy producer and is much valued for household use. The plants grow and produce the best in open or thinly wooded places, at between 2,500 and 4,000 feet. I have not often seen it above 4,500 feet. It seems to prefer a drier soil than V. ovalijohium, and also grows less scattered, the plants generally being abundant where it grows. V. ovalijolium was collected at the same places as V. mem- branaceum, excepting near the Horsefly River. It, however, grows at a much lower altitude and generally in damper and more shady places, often in quite heavy timber. It is seen in its best state on the lower benches of the river valleys of the Gold ranges. There it produces heavily, bright-blue berries, much more solid and tart than those of V. membranaceum, but not so large. A peculiarity of the fruit is its very heavy bloom. The berries are round while those of V. membranaceum have the diameter from calyx to stem much shorter, thus producing a flat berry. The fruit is also more scattered on the bushes arid thus more difficult to gather. It hangs on though much longer than that of the other species, thus producing a late fall fruit. The shrub of this species grows often 3 or 4 feet high, and sometimes higher, much higher and more difuse than V. membranaceum. I have never seen it in thick patches, but always scattered thinly over quite large areas. We may say, then, that V. ovalifolium begins at a much lower altitude than V. membranaceum, goes up with, but drops out before the limit of the latter is reached. The flower of V. ovalifolium is quite a bright pink, while that of V. membranaceum is a yellowish green, sometimes pinkish. V. Canadense was collected in two places only, one on a small burned-over area of about an acre at about 2,500 feet altitude at Revelstoke; the other locality was near the Horsefly River. The plants are much smaller than the eastern type and produce much smaller fruit. It produces, however, as heavily 1907] NOTES ON THE GENUS VACCINIUM. 115 if not more so, the berries being often quite crowded. This species does not seem to thrive in British Columbia as in the east, and appears to be dwarf-like in every particular. V. parvifolium was collected along the Seymour River running into Seymour Arm at the northern end of Shuswap Lake. The shrub grows about the height of V. ovaltfolium, but more erect, often producing the appearance of a small cherry tree. It grows at the lowest altitude of any of the species, being common on the shores of the lake, which is about 1,100 feet above the sea. Our trip up Seymour River was for about 20 miles, and ended at nearly 7,000 feet. V. parvijolium began at the lake shore and at about 10 miles up V. ovaltjolium began, followed soon after by V. membranaceum. At one time for two or three miles we had the three together, but the species dropped out in the order named as we proceeded. All disappeared at 4,500 feet. The fruit was beginning to ripen at this date, July 24-27, and the appearance of the three shades of color was quite interesting. V. parvifolium was, however, in advance of the others. Its fruit production is in about the same ratio as that of V. ovaltfolium, perhaps less scattered on the branches. The fruit production of the blueberry does not seem to be so certain in British Columbia as in eastern Canada, there being many off seasons, or it may be abundant in one locality and very scarce in others. The early springs of British Columbia may be one cause of this, combined with a light snowfall. When the snowfall is light the plants get an early start in the spring, and often are in bloom early in May, or even the last week in April. If a heavy frost comes at this season, as it often does, the result is a light crop of fruit. This may account for a better fruit pro- duction at over 3,000 feet, as the altitude retards the spring growth as well as being less subject to late frosts. It can readily be seen in British Columbia that Vaccintum delights in a moderately damp climate, since it disappears altogether in the dry parts, except in rare situations at high altitudes. 116 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [October REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH, 1906. (Read at meeting of Club on evening of March 19, 1907). The Entomological Branch has been actively at work. Throughout the past summerseveral members collected assidu- ously and regular meetings have been held during the winter. Notwithstanding the somewhat unproductive nature of the season, as a whole, many interesting insects in various orders were captured. Good progress has also been made in working up the systematic lists for the locality. Large numbers of species of diptera, hemiptera, lepidoptera, odonata and arach- nida have been named by specialists, and records of these will appear before long in the pages of THE Ottawa NATURALIST. The fortnightly meetings held at the houses of the members have been most helpful in holding the members of the Branch together, and in creating and keeping up an interest in the general subject of entomology; they have also been the means of the distribution of much valuable knowledge to those who have been fortunate enough to take part. Some of the members of the Ottawa Field - Naturalists’ Club living at a distance have done valuable work in Canadian entomology, and also in helping to complete our knowledge of the insects of the Ottawa district. The Rev. G. W. Taylor, of Wellington, B.C., continues to study the North American Geo- metride; he has identified many species of these moths for our local students and has contributed some valuable papers upon them to THe Ottawa Naturatist. Mr. Norman Criddle, of Aweme, Manitoba, and Mr. T. N. Willing, of Regina, Sask., have collected many plants and insects and have helped not only to work up the fauna of their own districts, but have sent. many interesting specimens to their fellow workers in Ottawa. Great advance has been made in our knowledge of the local micro- lepidoptera. This is chiefly due to the enthusiasm of Mr. C. H. Young, and to the generous help of Mr. W. D. Kearfott, of Mont- clair, N. J., U.S., who has identified many hundreds of specimens which have-been sent to him by our collectors from various parts of Canada. Mr. Young has collected at Ottawa and has had named by Mr. Kearfott no less than 250 species, and there are still probably another hundred species mounted and ready to go forward. During the past summer Mr. Young collected and set up in admirable manner over 1,500 specimens of these exquisite little insects. Mr. W. Metcalfe continues his studies of the hemiptera, and has added many new names to the Ottawa list. Mr. J. W. Baldwin has been very successful in collecting nice series of moths at sugar. Amongst these were most of the species of Catocala found at Ottawa. 1907] REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH. 117 During the month of May, the Rev. G. W. Taylor and the Rev. Dr. Bethune, while attending the meeting of the Royal Society of Canada, had an opportunity of meeting the members of the Branch, several of whom had the great pleasure of making excursions with them. Mr. Taylor was present at the General Excursion of the Club to Gilmour’s Grove at Chelsea, held on the 26th May, where he delivered an interesting address on the Geometridz taken during the afternoon. The members also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. T. N. Willing, Zoologist to the Saskatchewan Government, at one of the autumn evening meet- ings of the Branch. He exhibited a large collection of north- western insects and explained his plans for building up a reference collection at Regina. Among the more interesting insects taken at Ottawa or within the district, as limited by the Club, the following may be mentioned :— LEPIDOPTERA: Charadra deridens, Gn., June 4, (Fletcher), June 22, (Young). Hadena rorulenta, Sm., June 23, (Young). Hadena plutonia, Grt., Meach Lake, July 7, (Young). First record for the Ottawa district. Rhynchagrotis rufipectus, Morr., August 9, (Young). Noctua phyllophora, Grt., June 22, (Fletcher). Mamestradistincta, Hbn., Meach Lake, May 16, (Young). Mamestra cristifera, Wik., Meach Lake, July 10, (Young). Mamestra assimilans, Morr. Four mature larve found feeding on the Common St. John’s-wort, Hypericum perforatum, Sept. 22, 1905, emerged, June 7, 1906, (Gibson). Barathra curialis, Sm. This interesting noctuid which was mentioned in last year’s report under the name of Barathra occidentata, Grt., was again met with in the Ottawa district in small numbers during 1906. Graphiphora rubrescens, W\k., April 23, (Young). Xylina fletcheri, Sm., Meach Lake, Sept. 6, (Young). Papaipema harristi, Grt. var. An interesting form of this species was reared from larve boring in the base of fronds of Pterits aquilina; Meach Lake, August, (Young and Gibson). Papaipema appassionata, Harvey. Larve of this very rare species were found by Mr. Young at Meach Lake, in the roots of Sarracenia purpurea in August. Many of the larve were parasitized by the small 118 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [October dipterous fly, Masicera myoidea. This is a most beautiful moth, and one which is still raré’in collec- tions. Tapinostola variana, Morr., Meach Lake, one specimen, August 17, (Young). A new record for the Ottawa district. Gluphisia lintnert, Grt., var. arimacula, Huds., May 23, (Young). f Cymatophora latijerrugata, Wik. Larva found on Pru- nus pennsylvanica, (July 1), black, with conspicuous white spots on sides. Moth emerged in August, -(Fletcher). Therina athastaria, W\k., Meach Lake, June 17 (Young). A new record for the district. COLEOPTERA: Ludtus abruptus, Say., June 20, (Fletcher). Malachtus eneus, L., June 6, (Fletcher); July 1,( J. A. Guignard). An interesting addition to the Ottawa list. Prionus californicus, Mots., Grierson’s Wharf, on the Ottawa, near Fitzroy Harbour, July 30, (Metcalfe). A wanderer from the Pacific coast. Crioceris asparagt, L. Larve found Sept. 20, buried Sept. 22, emerged at end of October; the furthest eastern record in Ontario, (Fletcher and Gibson). Not previously found at Ottawa. ODONATA: Gomphus adelphus, Selys., Hull, June 29, 1886, (Flet- cher). The first Canadian record. Gomphus brevis, Selys., Hull, June 29, 1886, (Fletcher) ; Cumberland, June 16, (Gibson). Basteschna janata, Say, May 2, 1902, (Gibson). Macromia illinoiensis, Walsh, Hull, June 29, (Fletcher). Helocordulia uhlert, Selys, Buckingham, May 31, (Fletcher). Tetragoneuria spinosa, Selys, Hull, May 22, 1886, (Fletcher). : All of the above species of Odonata have recently been kindly determined by Dr. E. M. Walker, of Toronto. W. H. HarrRiIncrTon, JAMES FLETCHER, ARTHUR GIBSON, + Leaders. CoH) Young J..W. Ba.tpwin. 1907] WIrH THE FIELD NaTuRALISTsS’ CLUB. 119 WITH THE FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB, ROCKLIFFE WOODS, SEPT. 28tTH, 1907. A grey day, with just enough of a suspicion of cold in the air to make the blood tingle, and give intense enjoyment to a walk in the woods, greeted the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club at their meeting at Rockliffe, Saturday, Sept. 28th. The “Father” of the Club, Dr. James Fletcher, was there, with ever abundant store of information on nature lore; Dr. Sinclair, Vice- Principal of the Normal School, with his large family of Normal School students, with their intelligent, bright faces; Mr. Arthur Gibson, of the Experimental Farm, and Mr. Power, of the Normal School, a new addition and a most helpful one, and about sixty interested followers of Nature Study and lovers of ‘God's great out of doors.”’ The meeting place was the pavilion, and having strolled through the woods, the “‘round up”’ was held at the south end of MacKay’s Lake (Hemlock Lake). Here the stores of flowers, plants, and insects were brought and commented upon, and valuable lessons learned from wood, tree and flower. Dr. Sinclair, in a few words introduced Dr. James Fletcher as the ‘“‘Father’’ of the Club, and remarked that Cicero’s cele- brated quotation might be used here, as there were so many generals to call upon. In speaking of the different trees, Dr. Fletcher called attention to the plentiful flowers on the maple, the only specimen of the beech to be seen, the ash, the locust, and others in the neighborhood. The interdependence of the animal and vegetable world was commented upon. The last spring, the cold had killed the insects which should have fertilized the trees and flowers, the birds had suffered and died for want of insects to feed upon. Dr. Fletcher spoke also of his success in the destruction of the Miller moth, by the application of intense cold, which was a pest to flour millers. He showed the wise provision of Nature for the trees and shrubs for the approaching winter, after their leaves drop in the autumn, and that of the ever- greens and those having peculiarly shaped foliage which stood the strain of the winds and snow. Mr. Power on being called upon spoke on the same subject, and told in a humourous strain of the dearth of fruit at one time in Australia, which resulted from the loss of bees because there were too many mice, and too many mice because there were not enough cats, and too few cats because there were not enough old maids to care for them. Mr. Power spoke very highly of the great good the Club was doing in Nature Study and the great assistance it was to Normal School students. Mr. Arthur Gibson showed specimens of the 120 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [October tussock moth which has caused much havoc to vegetation, and spoke of four different kinds of caterpillars which he had collected. These were the hedge-hog caterpillar, the checkered tussock moth (Halisidota), the hickory tussock moth (Halisidota Caryae) and the salt-marsh caterpillar. All of these are common species belonging to the family Arctiidae, and with the exception of the first named, which live as a caterpillar all through the winter under boards, etc., spin their cocoons during the autumn, the moths emerging the following spring. The curious caterpillars of the large skipper butterfly Edamus Tityrus were found in their snug tents among the leaflets of the black locust and elicited much interest from their curious markings. They have black heads with two large orange eve-like markings, crimson throats and large yellow bug-like bodies dotted and streaked with black. Several handsome spiders were also found. Mr. Clark the secretary added his quota of interest and information. Plants of interest found were :— Linarta vulgarts, the interesting Peloria or monstrous form which bears flowers of an entirely different form from those of the typical plant. These do nox perfect seed. Maples—Sugar Maple, Striped Maple, Spiked Maple, Red Maple, Silver Maple. | Ash.—Red, White and Black Ash. Birch.—Cherry Birch, Yellow Birch and two forms of the Canoe Paper Birch. Beech.—Blue Beech, and the True Beech. Tron Wood. Purple Vervain and Lop-seed. With a regretful turning away from the woods and lake side covered with burs and glory through paths carpeted with: falling leaves ‘‘The Swan song of the leaves” gold, crimson and brown, the Club returned from a most enjoyable, if the last of the summer’s excursions. M. McK. &. THE OTTAWA NATURALIST VoL. XXI. OTTAWA, NOVEMBER, 1907. No. 8 THE GREAT LEOPARD MOTH (ECPANTHERIA DEFLORATA, FAB.). By Arthur Gibson. This insect, while southern in range, has been found in the larval state in autumn or early spring in western Ontario, but Canadian specimens of the moths are very rare in collections. In the annual report of the Entomological Society of Ontario for 1903, the Rev. Prof. Bethune published an article in which he recorded the finding of a single specimen of the larva of this moth at London, Ont., on May 6th, 1903. This was sent to the writer who made the following description of it, which was in- cluded in the above article: Length 43 mm. General appearance—a stout, black larva, with stiff, shiny, jet-black bristles. Head 4 mm. wide, sub- quadrate, flattened in front, only slightly bilobed at vertex; black, shiny, excepting posterior upper part of cheek near segment 2, which is pale; suture and epistoma dull whitish; mandibles slightly reddish; hairs on face mostly black, reddish at tips. Body stout, dull black, with patches and streaks of velvety black on dorsum; distinctly yellowish in the incisures; lower lateral and ventral surface paler. Tubercles large, all black, excepting vi, vii and vii, which are a dark amber colour, each bearing a bunch of stiff, black, barbed bristles: from v, vi, vii and viii many of the bristles are tinged with dark red. Tubercles i, ii and iii are nearly the same size; iv elongate. Spiracles dull orange, anterior and close to, but above,tubercle iv on abdominal segments. All the feet shiny brown tipped with black. I was very glad indeed to have the opportunity of examining this caterpillar, as | had never before seen a living specimen. At the annual meeting of the above Society, held at Guelph, in October, 1906, Mr. J. B Williams, one of the Toronto members of the Club, exhibited two living larve of this handsome moth, 154 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [November which had been taken by him, in the latter part of September, at Niagara Glen, Ont. Both of these larvae were different in appearance to the one described above, being distinctly reddish between the segments and almost without any yellow in the incisures. One of the specimens found by Mr. Williams was feeding on violet, which I think is a new food plant for the larva. In the Canadian Entomologist, June, 1882, Dr. William Saunders says: ‘The larva of this insect is comparatively abundant in the autumn throughout most of the northern United States and in many parts of Canada.’ Of late years, however, these caterpillars have not been met with in Canada in any numbers; in fact, the three larva mentioned in this article are the only specimens which have been found in Canada, to the writer’s knowledge, during the last fifteen years. One of the specimens found by Mr. Williams was given to the writer. It is now inflated and in the Government collection at the Central Experimental Farm. Female Moth (after Riley). The Great Leopard Moth is the largest and one of the most beatitiful of the moths of the interesting Family Arctiide, or Tiger Moths. The wings of both sexes are white. The rings and spots on the upper wings are black, or dark brown. Some of the rings near the base are covered with bright, steel-blue scales, and in some specimens the rings are filled in so as to look like black blots. The hind wings of the female, as shown in the figure, have more of the black markings than have those of the male. As is the case with many other arctian moths, the mark- ings on all the wings of this species, however, are variable in number and shape. The abdomen is of a steel-blue colour above, marked, more or less down the middle and along the sides, with yellow or orange. The thorax is white, marked with spots or rings of black, and spots of steel-blue, the latter being in the centre. The head is white above and steel-blue in front. The 1907] Tue Great LeEoparpD Moru. 155 female is much the larger, measuring when the wings are expand- ed about three inches from tip to tip. A specimen in the collec- tion of the Geological Survey Department is as large as the female shown here. The male differs from the female in being smaller and in having the wings more pointed. When ex- panded it measures about two and a quarter inches across. The Male Moth (after Riley). markings, too, are less distinct. In the Southern States this insect has sometimes been very abundant and the caterpillar has been given the name “Fever Worm”’ by the negroes, under the absurd impression that it is the cause of fever and ague. The larva becomes full grown in autumn and curls up, passing the winter under logs or any other surface shelter it can find. According to Saunders and Riley, it feeds for the few days in spring, z. ON grass or almost any green, low-growing =plant, and then forms a loose cocoon in- ~ side of which it changes to a pupa. In this state it remains for from about two to three weeks. The specimen sent to me by the Rev. Prof. Bethune, was found in its winter quarters and had no food whatever after its capture. On June 3Qth of the present year, Mr. Paul Hahn, of Toronto, took a freshly emerged specimen of the male moth, at Niagara Glen, Ont. The food plants of the larve are Wild Sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus), Plantain, Willow, Poke-berry (Phytolacca decandra) ; Wild Cherry and Persimmon (Smith and Abbott), and violet, as observed by Mr. Williams. dia Larva (after Riley). 156 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [November LIST OF COLEOPTERA COLLECTED BY MR. J. M. MACOUN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.” ‘Determined by John D. Evans, assisted by Professor Wickham. The numbers in column “‘A”’ indicate the number of speci- mens of the several species taken at Trail in 1902. In column ‘“‘B”’ at Osoyoos Lake, May 30—June 9, 1905. In column ‘‘C”’ at Similkameen River, June 10-20, 1905. in column ‘“‘D” at Skagit River, July 2-20, 1905. Ko) A.B 2 i8c- Cicindela montana; Lee s.7../5 25. ee ee Cicindela tadta, Casevtilch scree es tne eaee 2... 172 Opisthius Richardsoni, Kirby................ 2.2.3 195) Nebria Sahiberni, Miscit 2 Vai j 630 Amara: carinata; Le)... c2:52 eee eee 4G 670. Amara interstitials? De] a6 oo. se... a” See 678 . temotestrata,) Wey ms..0 te eee 1 oe 680 cibba pebes wet: Cb idadlt: ha ee 710 Diplochila laticollis, ects eh Soe eee 1054. Nethopus Zabroides, hecis. 22. Si eee 1 ..aeeeeon 1057 Picsoma ‘setosum, bet: 22 oe... ee 1. See 1067 Discodérus parallelus; Hald 3y ease , ae 1081 Harpalus*amputatis) Saye 2c a eee jee ee, Harpalus Sj 078i: appear eee Aa ee: Coclambus, spt... 24iaeee Sa 6 eee 2. ae 1382 Ilybius viridizeneus, Crotel 2.0.2. se ee 1 614 Berosus: strats; Sayicee eee ee ~ ee 1636 Helochares:perplexus, Dec....., 200 ee oe 2. 3043 Hippodamia Lecontei, Muls......... ee 1. oe 3051 Hippodamia parenthesis,, Say:..-.....2:f..02. 1. deer 3066. Adalia frisida, Sehsiu... + -- eee 1. ge 3420. Dermestes caninus .Gernie =... eee ee 1. ~ee 3425 Dermestes lardarius, Linn.......:......2-:. . die 3455 Orphilus niger, ROSSI... Go.) isc.o. ees op eee 4105 Cardiophorus fenestratus, ere ee Re 4245 Elater apicatus, Say. ..... 0: scc.-:0.00.0 potsnn oes senor 4253 Drasterius i da, Fab. Sackett Past OE Ce 1 cnt Melanotus, Spis.sc::-civssanse-m-cetore ites ager ere is sg Aa Corymbites near hieroglyphicus, Say.. 1... oe 4475 Corymbites fallax, Say Ting tp ts dake aa tee 4484 “: cruciatus, Linn: <.c.4-. ain cee eee . , ieomeee hea Sp. sy eRe ee 1 Dicerca, sp. Probab ly new species...... j eR 1907] List oF COLEOPTERA. we AE at Se ee, oe ee 4510 4999 5158 5232 5359 5517 5523 5726 5939 5971 6232 6266 6538 6341 6348 6353 6363 6729 6769 10386 6905 6968 7291 7325 7728 8028 8077 8092 8158 Buprestis aurulenta, Linn....................... CIE Cr se OSI; AOC oo epic sad exe, ata enn : Trichodes ornatus, Say. Not heretofore on. record from Canada. i).::....2...0005.. Necrobia violaceus, Linn. .......................0..00.. Dinoderus substriatus, Payk.................. ePMRIEMRNIIS AMES bens Lok ato ded g PR RR ee Aphodius fimetarius, Linn............0.0.......... 5c mproams rurieola, Melsh 2.14... v.05. 2 -tt adc Aphodius, sp.. Diplotaxis subangulata, Lec. New to Canada.. Mids: ae ean eee Trichius affinis, Gory. 9 hick) bam a eee 157 a2 Seen Asemum meestum, Hald........... he ime aay yey a Penaciom lineatum, Oliv... cc... -c.--:.cssees memeops subpilosa, Lec... . tif cecn--- Poser Leptura letifica, Lec......... Dect st eae. chrysocoma, Kirby. NA, EE Fe erassipes,’ Leet 2 V8 Sane vittata, Germ... £. 7 aspera) Peo.) £255 VA Glyptoscelis albidus, Lec. Not hereto- fore on record from Canada.......... ... Sraphops marcassita, Ori tn...ccs:. - Scelolyperus Schwarzii, Horn Galerucella nymphe, Linn . Patmenevicts, Leet... abi OL Kaniontss.opaca, Horn...) ie) .00.2c. Eleodes humeralis, Lec. Not on record Te Ie: ie CR Prone! 5 2 59 Se a ei aetna eS brake a Ditylus quadricollis, Lec. var vestitus, Hee eee’ 1 Nemognatha dichroa, Lec... .. ..... Epicauta puncticollis, Mann....... Rupaecttiiia Siew. 3.4... 21.20 eee Macrobasis maculata, Say... Cantharis sphericollis, Say... 2 1 1 4 3 De. z. 2 1 1 158 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. [November e BOTANICAL NOTES. a By James M. Macoun. CAREX CONCINNOIDES, Mackenzie, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, XXXII, 440. C. Richardsont, Cat. Can. Pl. II, 158 in part. We have six sheets of this species from the Rocky Mount- ains, No. 64,020*, Laggan; No. 64,021, Pipestone Creek; No. 25,556, Elbow River; No. 31,762, Kananaskis; No. 7,464, Sulphur Mt., Banff (Macoun), and No. 22,294, Spray Valley, Banff (NV. B. Sanson). Our British Columbia specimens are from west of Sophie Mountain (J. M. Macoun) and Spence’s Bridge (John Macoun). ERIGONUM POLYPHYLLUM, Small. On rocky slopes, Sheep Mt., Waterton Lake, Rocky Mts., No. 12,944; South Mountain, Crow Nest Pass, No. 24,488 and mountains at Elbow River, Rocky Mts., alt. 7,000 ft., No. - 24,487 (John Macoun). Described from specimens collected in Montana in 1897 but not before recorded from Canada. THELYPODIUM LACINIATUM (Hook.) Endl. Dry hillsides near Osoyoos Lake, B.C., 1905, No. 70,851 (J. M. Macoun). New to Canada. CaRDAMINE LYALLI, S. Wats. Shaded banks of Whipsaw Creek, nine miles west of Princeton, B.C., 1905, No. 70,839. (J. M. Macoun). Our only Canadian record. LESQUERELLA Dovuctasi, S. Wats. - Similkameen River, B.C., 1877. (Dr. G. M. Dawson). Osoyoos Valley, B.C., 1898. (C. de B. Green). Meyer’s Creek, west of Midway, B.C., No. 70,852. (W. Spreadborough). Com- mon around Osoyoos Lake, B.C., No. 70,853. (J. M. Macoun). CLEOME INTEGRIFOLIA, T. & G. Growing beside an old stable on the bank of the Kicking Horse River at Golden, B.C., 1906. (R. Landells). Doubtless introduced from the prairie region. RHODIOLA ROSEA, L. Sedum Rhodiola, Cat. Can. Plants, vol. I, pp. 165 and 528 in part. * The numbers given here are those under which these plants ’ appear in the herbarium of the Geological Survey of Canada. 1907} Botanica Notes, 159 Our Canadian specimens of this species are all from the Atlantic coasts. Cape Chidley, Hudson Strait; Nain and Ford’s Harbour, Labrador. (Dr. R. Bell). Port Burwell, Hudson Strait. (Dr. L. E. Borden). Battle Harbour, Labrador. (Rev. A. Waghorne). Nachvak, Labrador. (A. P. Low). Near mouth of Ungava River. (W. Spreadborough). Baddeck Falls, Cape Breton Island. (John Macoun). St. John Co., N.B. (Prof. Fowler). Magagnadavie River, N.B. (J. Vroom). Flowers yellowish-green. RwHoproLta ALASKANA, Rose. Dawson Harbour, Queen Charlotte Islands. (Dr. G. F. Newcombe). Leaves very pale and thin. Only Canadian record. RHODIOLA INTEGRIFOLIA, Raf. Sedum Rhodiola, Cat. Can. Plants, vol. I, p. 165 and 528 in part. S. frigidum, Contr. Can. Bot. Pt. XVI. On many of the high mountains in British Columbia. Our Rocky Mountain specimens are from Sheep Mountain, Waterton Lake; Moose Mountain, Elbow River; Cascade Mountain, Banff; Bow River Pass; Saddle Mountain, Banff. (John Macoun). Kananaskis. (Dr. G. M. Dawson). Specimens from west of the Rockies are from Old Glory Mountain near Rossland, and Tami Hy Mountain, Chilliwack Valley. (J. M. Macoun). Iigachug Mountains. (Dr. G. M. Dawson). Flowers purple or purplish. TILLAEASTRUM AQuaTicum (L.) Britton. Centunculus minimus, Cat. Can. Plants, vol. Il, p. 340 in part. Tillea simplex, Contr. Can. Bot. Pt. V. T. Vaillantiu, Contr, Can. Bot. Pt. XVI in part. Our specimens are from Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island, No. 8,705; Beauport, near Quebec, Que., No. 68,640; Kamloops, B.C., No. 8,706. (John Macoun). The only speci- mens of 7. Vazllantii in our herbarium are those collected on Prince Edward Island by Mr. Churchill. Prof. Macoun’s speci- mens referred to that species in Pt. XVI of these papers proves to be T. aquaticum. PoTENTILLA STRIGOSA, Pursh. Dry soil at Lake La Hache, Cariboo Road, B.C., 1906, No. 70,326. (E. Wilson). Western limit in Canada. MeErTENSIA Vireinica, D.C. This species has been recorded only from Point Abino, 160 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. [November Lake Erie. Mr. W.C. McCalla collected it in 1897 near the bottom of the ravine of ‘The Twenty,” Lincoln Co., Ont., Mr. J. Dear- ness reported it in 1902 from near Wardsville, Middlesex Co., Ont., and Prof. Macoun found it to be abundant in 1907 in Kettle Creek Valley, two miles south of St. Thomas. LEONURUS SIBIRICUS, L. Along the Céte des Neiges Road, near Montreal, Que., September, 1906. (Dr. Robt. Campbell). Only Canadian station known. NICOTIANA LONGIFLORA, Cav. Escaped from cultivation and naturalized at Cote des Neiges near Montreal, Que. (Dr. Robt. Campbell). Only Can- adian record. GALINSOGA PARVIFLORA, Cav. Several records of the finding of this species in Ontario have been recorded in these papers, but the first record for Canada was overlooked. This was made in The Record of Science, Vol. VI, p. 402, by Dr. Robt. Campbell, who found it in the McGill College grounds at Montreal. Dr. Campbell writes that it is now well naturalized at Montreal, its favorite habitat being vacant uncultivated spaces between the side-walks and the fronts of houses. PETASITES SPECIOSA, (Nutt.) Piper. P. palmata, Macoun, Cat. Can. Plants, vol. I, 260 in part. All our specimens from the vicinity of the Pacific Coast are this species. They are from Port Moody, Burrard Inlet, B.C., No. 14,672; Gordon Head, Vancouver Island, No. 14,671; Comox, V.I., No. 14,676, and Sooke, V.1., No. 19¢5965.3m collected by Prof. Macoun. We have also several Alaskan specimens. SENECIO EREMOPHILUS, Rich. Near streams ‘n woods between Ashcroft and Clinton, B.C., 1906. (EF. Wilson). Not before recorded west of the Rocky Mountains. SONCHUS ARVENSIS, L. Near Golden, B.C., 1906. (R. Landells). Our only record west of Manitoba. 1907] ANOTHER LOCALITY FOR ERUCA SATIVA. 161 ANOTHER LOCALITY FOR ERUCA SATIVA. To Mr. Macoun’s report in the October issue of THE Orrawa Naturatist, of the discovery of the European plant Eruca sativa, in two widely separated parts of Canada, I am able to add another distinct locality; namely, Preston, Waterloo County, Ontario. The plant was found in flower about the first of August, in a small field of lucerne, which had been sown in June. It was present in considerable quantity, and had been passed over as ordinary mustard (Brassica Sinaptstrum), until one day when I went into the field and saw it at close quarters. The habit of growth, size and superficial resemblance of leaves and flowers contribute to this similarity to mustard. A glance was sufficient, however, to show that it was something new. On endeavoring to determine the species of the plant, I found myself beaten; and all our efforts to trace it out in both Ameri- -can and English botanies proved futile. On October 3ist I took advantage of an opportunity to show my specimens to Dr. Fletcher, Ottawa, who having just read the aforementioned report, and also having seen the plant in Europe many years ago, identified it as Eruca. There are several characters by which this plant can be quite readily distinguished from wild mustard. The leaves are always more or less deeply lobed pinnately. The flowers are not quite so brightly colored, and the petals are distinctly veined with purple. When the plant has developed pods, it can be known with certainty by these. The whole upper third of the pod is a flat empty beak. A noteworthy peculiarity about the plants which I have seen is their extreme variability, apart altogether from the influence upon them of crowding by other plants, or of any of the conditions of growth, so far as I have been able to observe. This is shown most strikingly in the leaves and pods. In some specimens the leaves are only very slightly lobed, while in others they are cut in almost to the midrib. The pods vary in shape, those on some plants being shorter and plumper than on others. Some pods, too, are nearly smooth, while those on other plants have a dense pubescence. I have not as yet been able to learn anything definitely about the source of the seed with which this weed was introduced. It seems probable that the infestations so far known about, may have entered the country together, since the medium in each case is the same; and that there may be therefore many more to be heard from when the weed becomes known. H. Grou. 162 THE Ottawa NATURALIST. {November SKUNKS AS DESTROYERS OF POULTRY. TWO PER- SONAL EXPERIENCES. By NorMAN CRIDDLE, TREEBANK, MAN. It is well known that skunks have a fondness for eggs as well as poultry, but of the numerous accounts that are re ated from time to time, it is difficult to secure the authenticity necessary to make them of true scientific value. Two instances of skunks robbing poultry houses have come under my observation recently, and as both had points of interest, they may prove worthy of relating. The first of these occurred in October two years ago, when a young skunk dug beneath the foundation of a poultry house and killed six birds by seizing them by the back of the neck close to the head, and apparently sucking a small amount of. blood from each. A most interesting feature of this attack was that the brains had been eaten from every one. The animal was trapped the next night while entering the building. The other case which was that of egg sucking occurred here last spring. Several hens were ‘“‘sitting’’ upon eggs in nests about a foot from the ground. The nests consisted of boxes with only the fronts open, and then were partly closed with wooden bars some three inches apart to prevent the hens leaving the eggs excepting at special hours. On the third of May it was noticed that nine eggs had been broken open and the contents eaten, as well as three bad eggs that were not in the nest. The hen was still sitting comfortably on the nest, and had apparently not been disturbed. There was a hole beneath the foundation of the building where the animal had entered. The next night ten more eggs went, and the following night eight more, which completed the settings of two hens. All the eggs were taken from beneath the hens and eaten in the nest without any sign of the birds having been disturbed in spite of the fact that the animal had to squeeze between the bars to get into the nest. The eggs were all opened at the large end, the top being taken off as if with a knife, without damaging the other parts of the shell. The shells were found next morning round the hens—not under them—which tends to confirm the theory that the hens had not been materially disturbed, as in that case some of the shells would have almost surely been found under them. After the above damage had been done a thorough search 1907] A Viviparous SNAKE. 163 was made for the robber, which was at last discovered between a snow drift and a building in a hole formed by the thawing of the snow beneath. By means of smoke and some _ poking (which occasioned a very strong odour) a skunk was dislodged and shot. It proved to be a female that would have shortly produced young. It was broadly striped and measured 27 inches in length, with an additional three inches of hair on the tail. The weight was seven pounds two ounces. A VIVIPAROUS SNAKE. On a small island one and a half miles above the Chat Falls, Ottawa River, Mr. E. E. Lemieux on October 1st last, killed a large milk snake (Natrix sipedon) in which he found forty-one young snakes averaging about 8 inches in length. It was killed at 10.30 in the morning when the sun was shining brightly, and when first seen was taking a sun bath quietly coiled up on a flat rock close to the river. It measured four feet from head to tip of tail. It was not skinned until the following morning, when the young snakes were of course all found to be dead. The were coiled singly and crowded together. On the morning of October 3rd—another bright day—a live young snake of exactly the same size was found under a stone near the same spot, probably one of the same family. As this seemed a very late date at which to find the young of this snake still unborn, Dr. Leonard Stejneger, the well known herpetologist was written to and the following is his reply in part: “This snake brings forth living young, 40—50 at a time, during the autumn. In New York the records cover a time from August 17th to September 30th. Several other snakes of similar habits are known and the births of the young often cover a much longer period. It does not seem probable that the female carries the young over to spring. In the first place I know of no record of very early births of these snakes; second, I know of no record of females having been captured while hibernating which had fully ripe embryos; third, there seems to be no good reason why the young should not go immediately into hibernation them- selves; and further, even if such an abnormally late brood should perish it would mean very little in the economy of so prolific a species.” In this connection it may be said that there is no foundation in fact for the popular belief that female snakes swallow their young when danger threatens. J. M. M. 164 Tue Ottawa NATURALIST. [November AN UNUSUAL VISITOR TO THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM. ’ On Friday morning, the 22nd of November, about 11 o'clock, a fine female Virginian deer suddenly made its appear- ance on the Experimental Farm. When first I saw it, it was bounding across the Farm, south of the Director’s house. It ran forward across the main driveway towards the river road. Then turning it ran northward a few yards, then across the Farm north of the Director’s house towards the poultry buildings. Here I lost track of it and sawitnomore. I subsequently learned that it ran from there towards the northern boundary of the Farm, where there is a Forest Belt 65 feet wide in which it found temporary shelter. It made several attempts to get over the wire fence along the boundary of the Farm, and finally got its head entangled in the wires so that it was held fast. In making further attempts to extricate itself, it tried to leap over the fence and in doing so was much injured and was almost dead when discovered by two German women living nearby, who finally despatched the animal and took possession of it. The occurrence of such large wild animals near cities and large towns is always interesting, and generally attracts a good ~ deal of attention. During the previous day, in the afternoon, several shots were heard near the Farm, and it is not at all improbable that the deer was being hunted and had taken refuge over night in a part of the Forest Belt above referred to. When I saw it, it was very quick in its movements. Won. SAUNDERS. CHUBBS’ NESTS. In the May number of the ‘ American Naturalist” of this year, Dr, A. W. G. Wilson presents an interesting note on the characters and location of nests made by the fishes described as Chubb (Semotilus corporalis, Mitchill). Dr. Wilson gives ex- cellent illustrations of the nests themselves which attain a height of nearly four feet, and are made up of stones of var'ous sizes. The name which the Indians give the fish in question, Awadosi, seems to be particularly appropriate, inasmuch as the word signifies ‘‘the stone carriers.’”’ The heaps of rocks observed and described by Dr. Wilson are rather conspicuous phenomena, and could be readi'y mistaken for cairns or other accumulations which have a semblance to artificial construction. H. M. A. 1907] MEETING OF BoTANICAL BRANCH. 165 MEETING OF BOTANICAL BRANCH. The first meeting of the Botanical Branch of the Field Naturalists’ Club for the season 1907-8, was held Thursday, December Sth, at the house of Rev. G. Eifrig. There were present: Messrs. Attwood, Blackadar, Campbell, Whyte, Dr. Fletcher, and the undersigned. The chairman exhibited mounted specimens of some of our rarer plants, as Calypso borealis, found June 12th, 1907, plenti- fully near High Falls, Que.; Genttana crinita, of a darker blue than most years; Spiranthes ceruna, very luxuriant this year at the only locality where these two species are found in the vicinity of Ottawa; Lycopodium inundatum, Habenaria ob- tusata, Lobelia Dortmanna, these three from Algonquin Park, but the last found by Dr. Fletcher also, at Meech Lake, near Ottawa. Habenaria blephariglottis from Mer Bleue, Lonicera hirsuta, etc. Of the last named it was remarked that it is very rare in the Ottawa district. It was found many years ago near South March, Carleton County. It is, however, abundant at Nepigon, north of Lake Superior, and succeeds well under cultivation. It is difficult to propagate except from seéd or from ‘offsets from the roots. The illustrated work on farm weeds by Clark, Fletcher and Criddle, recently issued by the seed commissioner’s office, was examined and discussed. A copy had been kindly furnished to each member of the section by seed commissioner Clark, and all expressed unstinted praise and admiration of the way this highly practical, useful and at the same time beautiful work had been conceived and executed. The colored plates of the weeds and seeds are a revelation in their life-likeness and exact- ness. It is a work of which the Department of Agriculture may well be proud. All expressed their gratitude to Mr. Clark for his kindness. Dr. Fletcher exhibited a specimen of the large and remark- able sclerotium of the Polyporus tuberaster. This brought to light a bit of nice original investigation successfully conducted by the Doctor. From time to time these black, hard balls, rubberlike in appearance and heavy, had been sent to the Experimental Farm from the West, with the question: What is it?) They were always found several inches under ground, mostly adhering to or in the neighborhood of some roots of willows, poplars, etc. No satisfactory answer could for a long time be given, till it occurred to Dr. Fletcher to insert a notice in some western papers, asking that these things be sent to him in a fresh state. This was done and he planted several of them 166 THe Ottawa NATURALIST [November and had the pleasure of finding one day a large Polyporus having grown from the large sclerotium below. Photographs were taken of this by Mr. Shutt. Dr. W. G. Farlow of Cambridge, Mass., had at the same time been making the same experiments, and while pictures from here were sent to him, some of his were on the way here. He determined the species as Polyporus tuberaster. G. Errric. MEETING OF ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. At the recent annual meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario, held at Guelph, on October 31st and November ist, the 44th since the founding of the Society, three of the local members of the Club were honoured by being elected to the executive of the Society. Dr. James Fletcher was unanimously elected President for the ensuing year, Mr. C. H. Young was appointed Director of the Society for District No. 1, and Mr. Artltur Gibson was elected as the Delegate to represent the Society at the next meeting of the Roy al Society of Canada. Papers of a scientific and economic nature were presented by the above gentlemen, and also by Mr. H. H. Lyman, of Montreal, Rev. Prof. "Bethune, of Guelph, and Mr. C. W. Nash, of Toronto, all members of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club. In addition to papers by various contributors, two important lectures were delivered: one on ‘Work in Massachusetts to control the Brown-tail and Gypsy moths,” by Mr. A. H. Kirkland, of Boston, who has been connected since the beginning with this work, the most extensive and successful experiment in practical entomology which has ever been’ attempted ; and the ‘other by Dr. E. M. Walker, of Toronto, on ‘Collecting and rearing Dragonflies at the Georgian Bay Biological Station in 1907.” Both of these lectures were well attended and were listened to with great interest and profit by all present. 1907) CounciL MEETINGS. 167 COUNCIL MEETING. A meeting of the Council of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club was held on October 8th in the Normal School with the 1st Vice-President, Mr. A. E. Attwood in the chair. Members present were: Rev. Mr. Eifrig, Messrs. H. H. Pitts, A. Gibson, E. E. Lemieux, and T. E. Clarke, Miss A. L. Matthews, Miss Q. Jackson, and Miss I. Ritchie. Mr. J. F. Power, B.A., of the Normal School staff was elected an ordinary member of the Club. The series of fall excursions having proved so successful, it was decided to hold a sub-excursion to Britannia on October 12th, Rev. Mr. Eifrig to be in charge. An informal discussion on the programme of soirées for the approaching winter brought out so many good suggestions that the Club may rest assured of a repetition of the success that attended the lecture programme last season. REVIEW. PENHALLOW, D. P., Prof. ‘‘Manual of the North American Gymnosperms.” 8vo. 374 pp. Illustrated with 55 plates, &c. Ginn and Company. In this admirable work, Prof. Penhallow, of McGill Univer- sity, gives a concise account of the anatomy of the North Ameri- can Gymnosperms, and a full treatment of their histological characters. The work deals with our Canadian as well as other American species, together with references to Japanese as well as Australian forms. Fossil plants referable to the Gymno- sperms, which are so well-known in the extinct forests of the Coal formations of old, so far as they are being and have been studied, are included. This work is invaluable to all students of recent as well as fossil botany. There are chapters also which have a decided practical side and the economic problems in- volved in many instances add to the value of the work. Many interesting revelations await the reader and student who will follow the path led by Dr. Penhallow in this most valuable contribution to our knowledge of the minute structure of the Gymnosperms. H.M.A. 168 THE Ottawa NATURALIST [November THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB. LECTURE PROGRAMME. 1907 Dec. 10.—General Exhibition of Specimens. Address by Dr. J F. White. Personal Experiences in the Field during the past season: ‘ Dr. S. B. Sinclair, ‘‘Education and Forestry.’’ (Illustrated). Dr. James Fletcher, ‘‘Mountain Sprites.” Dr. H. M. Ami, ‘“‘A Talk on the Centenary of the Geological Society of London.” Mr. F. T. Shutt, ‘‘Rain and Snow.”’ Mr. A. Halkett, ‘‘Observations in the Provinces of Alberta. and Saskatchewan.’’ (Normal School). 1908 Jan. 7.-‘‘Some Sanitary Considerations in the Construction, Heating, and Ventilation of Dwellings.’’ P. H. Bryce, M.D. Report of the Zoological Branch. (Carnegie Library). Jan. 21.—‘‘The Honey Bee and other Bees.’’ Dr. James Fletcher. “The Life and Work of the Honey Bee as observed from Spring to Fall,’ Mr. Percy H. Selwyn. Report of the Entomological Branch. (Carnegie Library). Feb. 4.—'‘The Height-of-Land Country between the St. Lawrence and Hudson Bay Waters.’’ (Illustrated). The President, Mr. W. J. Wilson, Ph. B. Report of the Geological Branch. (Normal School). Feb. 18.—‘‘Wheat, its Improvement. and Uses.’’ Dr. Charles Saunders. (Illustrated) . Report of the Ornithological Branch. (Normal School). Mar. 3.—‘‘The Time and Place for Nature Study in the Public Schools,” Dr. John Brittain, Macdonald College. Report of the Botanical Branch. (Normal School). Mar. 17.—‘‘What is the Shamrock?’’ Prof. John Macoun. ANNUAL MEETING. (Carnegie Library). All the Lectures are Free and Open to the Public. Each Meeting will begin at 8 o’clock sharp. THE OTTAWA NATURALIST VOL. XXI. OTTAWA, DECEMBER, “4907: ‘No.9 RAIN AND SNOW.* By Frank T. SuHurt, M.A., Chemist, Dominion Experimental Farms. The speaker, at the outset, said that if the title upon the programme had led his hearers to imagine that his remarks were to be upon the weather, they were mistaken. There were weather-wise people, official and unofficial—the former con- stituted the staff of the Dominion Meteorological Service, the latter, the rest of the population. Weather prediction, according to the best authorities, must be based on data of temperatures, pressures, etc., taken over wide areas—and such data can only be obtained through the recognized, official channels. Again, safe predictions can only be made for a period of 48 hours ahead. Of course, some people may possess the gift of prophecy; one cannot deny it, but judging from results as regards weather, one is forced to the conclusion that the days when the spirit of the lying prophet entered into man are not passed. Considering rain and snow from the utilitarian point of view, the lecturer said it was his desire to offer one or two thoughts on the rdle of these elements: in the economy of Nature, their influence upon the industries, the agriculture and the ‘health of the world. The first fact to be pointed out—and it is one of funda- mental importance—was that there was a constant circulation (though that word scarcely describes the process) of the moisture, the water of the world. Continuously, by day and by night, summer and winter, there ascends from sea and lake and river and moist land aqueous vapour. This ev aporation is, of course, due to the heat of the sun, though direct sunlight is not necessary for the operation. Water gives off vapour at all temperatures and there is the direct conversion of snow and ice into vapour. * This is a condensed report of an address delivered before the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club in the Normal School, Ottawa, Dec. . 10th, 1907.—Eb. 2 170 THe Ottawa NATURALIST. {December This evaporation, of course, varies constantly with the tempera- ture, pressure, winds, etc. It has been computed that the area of the United States, on an average, evaporates fram its surface 0.4 (four tenths) inches every 24 hours. This vapour ascends until its temperature is reduced to the ‘“‘dew point” and thus clouds are formed. Fogs and mists are clouds on the surface of the earth, condensations to minute watery particles due to reduction in temperature. Rain and snow result from further condensation and the formation of larger particles. This ascension and descension of the world’s moisture is an essential, fundamental factor in the maintenance of vegetable and animal life on the earth. In THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD. The flow of our streams and the immense volumes of water that pour over our numerous water-falls are dependant for their supply upon the annual precipitation, 7.e. upon rain and snow. Possibly no country in the world has such wealth of power in her water courses as Canada. It has only been partially developed as yet, but from Niagara Falls alone—and it is only one of many, though the largest—there is a total power chartered for of 850,000 H.P. Of this, 299 H.P. are at present developed. These figures include the product of the works on both sides of the river. The three works generating electricity on the Canadian side can to-day furnish 154,000 H.P., and their ultimate output will be 425,000 H.P. Data might similarly be given for a score of other water-falls being utilized to-day. This water-power converted into electrical energy is employed for a thousand useful purposes. It carries us through the streets of our cities, and in many parts of Western Ontario from town to town. It lights our houses, and in the realm of manufacture has already largely replaced coal as a source of power. To tell of all its useful- ness would be to give a catalogue of well nigh all our manufactures. Carbide, itself a source of light, is made through the assistance of electricity directly obtained through the power of the water- fall. Phosphorus, wood pulp, paper are similarly prepared, and so the list might be continued almost ad imjuutum. It would indeed be difficult to estimate the value from the com- mercial standpoint of our precipitation and of our water-falls— they constitute one of Canada’s most important natural assets. In THE AGRICULTURAL WORLD. It is, of course, to agriculture that the greatest benefit comes from our rain and snow. Vegetable life requires large 1907] RAIN AND SNow. 171 quantities of water for its maintenance. Our crop yields depend not only on the amount of plant food in the soil, on a proper texture of the soil, but also on certain climatic conditions, prominent among which, and one might say of first importance, is an adequate supply of available moisture. We are all aware, no doubt, that the food taken from the soil by plants is absorbed by the voung rootlets in the form of a very dilute solution. This dilute food solution—non-elaborated sap— passes up through the tissues of the stem or trunk and reaches the leaves where chemical changes (metabolism) takes place, elaborated sap is formed and the excess of water, after the deposition, as it might be termed, of mineral and nitrogenous matter, passes off as vapour through the stomata of the leaves. In this way enormous amounts of soil moisture are required for our crops. For every 1 lb. of dry matter stored up in the plant, at least 300 lbs. of water pass through its tissue and escape into the atmosphere, Thus, a crop of Indian corn requires, per acre, during its season of growth more than 1,000 tons of water. This must be supplied, in Addition to that lost by evaporation from the surface of the soil, if a maximum crop is to be obtained. By certain methods of cultivation, soil moisture may be con- served for crop use, and thus protect our crops against seasons of drought. Indeed we now know how to keep over large amounts of soil moisture from one season for the next year’s crops. This is practised in the wheat fields of our Northwest by fallowing, followed by frequent cultivation—the earth mulch so prepared checks surface evaporation. In districts of sparse precipitation, provision for the crop’s need is made by irrigation. This leads us naturally to a consideration of the precipitation in various parts of Canada. In a country or district to be settled the question of the rainfall is a very important one to have some information upon, and in this connection the data that are being obtained and tabulated bv the Meteorological Service of Canada are of inestimable value. The precipitation, as observed for three consecutive years at a few important points across the Dominion, is recorded in the following table. The data are taken from the published records of our Meteorological Service. Precipitation is measured in inches. One inch of rain means 113 tons 601 Ibs. of water per acre. Ten inches of snow are considered the equivalent of one inch of rain. The average rainfall at Ottawa for the past 16 vears is 25.56 inches, and the average snowfall for the same period is 90.06 inches. This latter fact means that we have had, per acre, during the winter, approximately 1,000 tons of snow water. 172 THE OtTTawa NATURALIST [December ToTAL PRECIPITATION IN INCHES. | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | Charlottetown, P.E-B=As '7ainee «. 6 2320s) 433585 | | 28.50 —As snow........] 6.78 9.00 | 9.22 29.81 | 42.88 | 37.72 | Halifax, N.S.—As rain.............. 46.81 | 53.07 | 46.7 AS: snow, $2190 hoe one are 6.05 | 10te 52.53 | 59.12 | 57.52 St. John, N.B.—As rain....... 2.2... 36.08 | 37.55 | 36.84 As Shaw Goi ges 4. 76> | 9 Aiea | Montreal, Que.—As rain.............% 35.54 | 24.88 | 32.40 —As sniow?::....... Sa)" 11.22>| a 2a Ottawa;:Ont——As sainee ss Seo. Se 27.46 | 24.68 | 26.40 — AS snow Abcce Si.