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M 


1909  VOL.  XXIII.  1910 


THE 


OTTAWA     NATURALIST, 


Being  Volume  XXV.  of  the 


TRANSACTIONS 


OF    THE 


OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB. 


Organized  March,  1879.  ,  Incorporated  March,  1884. 


(The  ©ttawa  JfielD^IRaturaliete'  Club. 


Patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA. 

douncil    1909=1910 
IPresiOcnt : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

D(ce»pre0iOent0: 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

ILlbrarlan : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 


(470  O'Connor  Street). 


(Central  Experimental  Farm). 


LIST  OF  MEMBERS  OF 
THE  OTTAWA   FIELD-NATURALISTS'   CLUB. 

1909  -  1910 


Adams,  Prof.  F.  D.,  M.Sc,  Ph.D. 

(Montreal). 
Ami,  H.  M.,  M.A.,  D.Sc,  F.G.S., 

F.R.S.C. 
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. 

Baker,  .R.  M.,   B.S.A. 

Baldwin,  J.  W. 

Ballantyne,  James. 

Bangs,  J.  S. 

Barber,  H.  G. 

Barlow,  A.  E.,  M.A.,  D.Sc. 
F.G.S.A.  (Montreal). 

Bate,  Miss  Marjorie  St.  H.   (East- 
bury,  Watford,  Eng.) 


Beaupre,  Edwin,  (CJkotoks,  Alta.) 
Bell,  Robert,  B.A.Sc,  M.D.,  LL.D., 

F.R.S.,  F.R.S.C,  F.G.S.A. 
Bennett,  Miss  K.  E. 
Bennett,  L.  H.,  (Regina). 
Bentley.  Miss  W.  K. 
Billings,  C.  M. 
Billings,  W.  R. 
Binnie,  T.  H.,  B.S.A. 
Blackader,  Dr.  E.  H. 
Blackadar,  Lloyd. 
Blackball,  John,  (Toronto). 
Bond,  W. 

Borden,  Hon.  Sir  F.  W,,  M.D. 
Bowen,  Miss  Alice,  (Quebec). 
Bradshaw,  G.  IL  (Morden,  Man.) 
Brainerd,  Dwight,  (Montreal). 
Brewster,  W.  (Cambridge,  Mass.) 
Brittain,  John,  (MacdonaW  Colli  pi\ 

Que.) 
Brock,  R.  W.,  M.A. 


Brown,  Mrs.  R.  D. 

Brown,  W.  J.  (Westmount,  Que.) 

Brown,  T.  A. 

Bruce,  L.  (Rossland,  B.C.) 

Bryce,  P.  H.,  M.D. 

Burgess,  T.  J.  W.,  M.D.,  F.R.S.C. 

(Montreal). 
Burt,  Miss  F.  M. 

Calder,  Alex.  (Winnipeg). 

Cameron,  E.  R.,  M.A. 

Cameron,  Roy. 

Camsell,  C,  B.A. 

Carter,  J.  J. 

Carson,  W.  H. 

Casson,  Rev.  C.  W. 

Campbell,  D.  A.,  B.A. 

Campbell,  A.  M. 

Campbell,  J.  G.  (Magog,  Que.) 

Campbell,  R.  H. 

Carman,  Mrs.  F.  W. 

Clark,  G.  H.,  B.S.A. 

Clarke,  T.  E.,  B.A.,  B.  Pacd. 

Cobbold,   Paul   A.    (Haileybury, 

Ont.) 
Cole,  H.  W. 

Cole,  John  (Westboro',  Ont., 
Collins,  J.  Franklin  (Providence, 

R.I.) 
Collins,  W.  H. 
Connor,  M.  F.,  B.Sc. 
Cote,  J.  C. 
Crabtree,  C.  A. 

Craig,  Prof.  John  (Ithaca,  X.Y.) 
Cram,  A.  S. 

Criddle,  N.  (Treesbank,  Man.) 
Currie,  P.  W. 
Curry,  Miss  E.  E. 

Dawson,  S.  E.,  C.M.G.,  Ltt.D., 

F.R.S.C. 
Dearness,  J.,  M.A.  (London,  Ont.) 
Beam,  C.  C.  (Bluffton,  Ind.) 
Den^psev,  J.  H.  C.  (Hamilton). 
Dent,  W.  A.  (Sarnia,  Ont.) 
Dewar,  Miss  Ethel. 
Director,     Christian    Brothers' 

Academy. 
Dixon,  F.  A. 
Dowling,  D.  B.,  B.A.Sc. 
Dulau  &  Co.,  (London,  Eng.) 
Dunne,  J.  P. 
Dwight,  Jonathan,  Jr.,  M.D.  (New 

York). 

Eddv,  E.  D.,  B.S.A. 

Eifrig,  Rev.  G. 

Ells,  R.  W.,  LL.D.,  F.G.S.A., 

F.R.S.C. 
Evans,  Jno.  D.,  C.E.   (Trenton, 

Ont.) 


Ewing,  W.  C,  M.A. 
Ewart.  D. 

Farley,  Miss  J.  E. 

Farley,  F.  L.   (Red  Deer,  Alta.) 

Farr,  Miss  E.  M.  (Philadelphia). 

Finn,  J.  P.,  B.A. 

Fisher,  Hon.  Sydney  A. 

FitzHenry,  W.  (Myrtle,  Man.) 

Fitzpatrick,  Hon.  Chas. 

Fleck,  A.  W. 

Fleming,  J.  H.  (Toronto). 

Fleming,  R.  F. 

Fleming,  Sir  Sandford,  K.C.M.G., 

C.E.,  F. R.C.I. ,  F.R.S.C. 
Eraser,  Geo.,  (Ucluelet,  B.C.) 

Gallup,  A.  H. 
Gibson,  Arthur. 
Gibson.  J.  W.,  B.A. 
Gilbertson,  Miss  B. 
Glashan,  J.  C,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.C. 
Gorman,  M.  J.,  LL.B. 
Graham,  W. 

Grant,  Sir  J.  A.,  K.C.M.G.,  M.D., 
F.R.C.S.  Edin.,  F.R.S.C,  F.G.S. 
Grenfell,  Miss  C.  P.,  B.A. 
Gnsdale,  J.  H.,  B.At^^r. 
Grist,  Miss  Mary  L. 
Groh,  H.,  B.S.A. 

Haldane,  Miss  Maude. 

Halkett,  Andrew. 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  F.  L.  H. 

Hampson,  E.,  B.A. 

Hann,  H.  A.  (Summit,  N.J.) 

Harcourt,  Geo.  (Edmonton,  Alta.) 

Hargrave,  Miss  I.  (Sherbrooke,  Q.) 

Harmer,  Miss  G.  (Entwistle,  Alta.) 

Harrington,  W.  Hague,  F.R.S.C. 

Harrison,  Lieut. -Col.  Edward. 

Hart,  F.  C,  B.S.A. 

Harvey,  R.  V.  (Victoria,  B.C.) 

Hay,  George,  Sr. 

Hav,  G.  U.,  D.Sc,  M.A.,  Ph.B., 

F.R.S.C.  (St.  John,  N.B.) 
Hayes,  J.  A.,  (Calgary). 
Hennessev,  F.  C.   . 
Herriot,  W.  (Gait,  Ont.) 
Hewit,  H.  O. 
Hodge,  C.  F.,  Ph.D.  (Worcester, 

Mass.) 
Hodson,  F.  W. 
Hope,  James. 

Houghton,  J.  A.  (Bennington,  Vt.) 
Hunt,  Miss  L.  E. 

Ide,  Wm,  ^..4. 

Irwin,  Lieut. -Col.  D.  T. 

Irvin,  Ward  M. 

Jackson,  Miss  Queenie. 


Jacobs,  Miss  C.  M.  (Hamilton, 

Ohio). 
Jacombe,  F.  W.  H.,  M.A.,  M.F. 
Johnson,  Miss  A.  E. 
Jamieson,  Thos.,  B.A. 
James,  C.  C,  M.A.  (Toronto). 
James,  H.  C. 
Jenkins,  S.  J.,  B.A. 
Jennings,  O.  E.  (Pittsburg,  Pa.) 
Johnston,  W.  A.,  B.Sc. 
Johnstone,  Miss  A. 
Jones,  Harold  (Maitland,  Ont.) 
Jones,  J.  W.,  B.A.,  (Macdonald 

College,  Que.) 

Kearns,  J.  C. 

Keefer,  Thos.  C,  C.M.G.,  C.E., 

F.R.S.C. 
Keele,  J.,  B.A.Sc. 
Kingston,  A.  G. 
Klotz,  Dr.  Otto. 
Klugh,  A.  B.  (Kingston). 
Knechtel,  A. 

Labarthe,  J.  (Trail,  B.C.) 

Lajeunesse,  Rev.  J.  A. 

Lainbart,  Hon.  O.  H. 

Lambart,  The  Hon.  Mrs. 

Lambe,  L.  M.,  F.G.S.,  F.G.S.A., 
F.R.S.C. 

Latchford,  Hon.  F.  R.,  B.A. 

Lee,  Miss  K.  G.  (CHnton,  N.Y.) 

Lees,  Miss  V. 

Lemieux,  E.  E. 

Le  Sueur,  E.  A. 

Le  Sueur,  Miss  Helen. 

Letourneau,  Jos.  A. 

Lewis,  J.  B.,  C.E. 

Levden,  Miss  M. 

Lochhead,  W.,  B.A.,  M.Sc.  (Mac- 
donald College,  Que.) 

Lyman,  H.  H.,  M.A.  (Montreal). 

McCready,    Prof.    S.    B.  (Guelph). 
McDougall,  Miss  J.  C. 
McDunnough,  Jas.    (Berlin,   Ger- 
many). 
McElhmney,  M.  P. 
McElhinney,  Dr.  M.  G. 
McElroy,  Rev.  W.  A. 
McGill.'A.,  B.A.,  B.Sc. 
McGillivray,  H. 
Mcllmoyle,  Miss  M. 
Mclnnes,  Wm.,  B.A. 
McLeod,  Miss  M.  F. 
McMillan,  H.  R.,  B.S.A. 
McMillan,  Thos.  (Seaforth). 
McNeill,  Alex. 

McNeill,  Miss  F.  J.  (Toronto). 
McVeigh,  Miss  K. 
MacCraken,  John  I.,  B.A. 


MacKay,  A.  H.,  LL.D.,  B.Sc. 

F.R.S.C.  (Halifax). 
MacLaughlin,  T.  J. 
Macnamara,  C.  (Arnprior). 
Macoun,  Prof.  John,  M.A.,  F.L.S. 

F.R.S.C. 
Macoun,  J.  M. 
Macoun,  W.  T. 
Malcolm,  Jno.  (Fergus,  Ont.) 
Mallock,  G.  S.,  B.A. 
Matthews,  Miss  Annie  L. 
Megill,  W.  H.  T.,  B.A. 
Meldrum,  A.  E. 
Metcalfe,  W. 
Michaud,  Geo. 
Millar,  H.  H.  (Chicago). 
Miller,  Prof.  W.  G.  (Toronto). 
Milne,  Wm. 

Moore,  W.  H.  (Scotch  Lake,  N.B.) 
Morris,  F.  J.  A.  (Port  Hope,  Ont.) 
Morris,  H.  U. 
Moule,  Mi.ss  F.,  B.A. 
Munro,  J.  A.  (Toronto). 
Murphy,  John. 
Murray,  James,  B.S.A.  (Brandon, 

Man.) 

•Nash,  C.  W.  (Toronto). 
Nelles,  D.  H.,  D.L.S. 
Newcombe,  C.  F.,  M.D.  (Victoria, 

B.C.) 
Newman,  L.  H.,  B.S.A. 
Nieuwland,  Rev.  Prof.  J.  A.,  (Notre 

Dame,  Ind.) 

O'Brien,  S.  E. 
Odell,  W.  S. 
Orde,  J.  F. 
O'Sullivan,  Owen. 

Perney,  F.  E.,  B.A. 

Pitts,  H.  H. 

Poole,  T.  C. 

Power,  ].  F.,  B.A.  (Toronto). 

Prince,  Prof.  E.  E.,  B.A..  F.L.S. 

Putman,  J.  H.,  B.A.,  B.  Paed. 

Raine,  Walter  (Toronto). 
Raynor,  T.  G.,  B.S.A. 
Richard,  Rev.  A.  E. 
Ritchie,  Miss  Isabella. 
Robertson,  C.  N. 
Robertson,  Prof.  J.  W.,  LL.D. 

(Macdonald  College,  Que.) 
Robinson,  Miss  M. 
Robinson,  Hiram. 
Rodman,  Miss  A.  E. 
Rose,  C. 
Rush,  M.  L.,  B.A. 

Saunders,  Wm.,  C.M.G.,  LL.D.. 

F.G.S.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.S.C. 
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.) 

Seton,  E.  Thompson  (Coscob, 

Conn.) 
Shannon,  Frank. 
Shearman,  F.  J.  W. 
Shutt,  F.  T.,  M.A.,  F.I.C.,  F.C.S., 
F.R.S.C. 

Simpson,  Willibert. 

Sinclair,  S.  B.,  B.A.,  Ph.D.  (Mac- 
donald  College,  Que.) 

Skales,  Howard  (Mt.  Forest,  Ont.) 

Small,  H.  Beaumont,  M.D. 

Smvthe,  J.  E. 

Snider,  W.  W. 

Soper,  John. 

Sowter,  T.  W.  E. 

Souliere,  O. 

Spence,  J.  C,  B.A. 

Spencer,  A.  G. ,  M.S. 

Spreckley,  R.  O. 

St.  Jacques,  H. 

Summerbv,  Wm.  J.,  M.A.  (Rus- 
sell, Ont.) 

Sutherland,  J.  C,  B.A.  (Richmond, 
Que.) 

Sutton,  Mrs.  L.  L. 

Swaine,  J.  M.  (Macdonald  College, 
Que.) 

Symes,  P.  B. 

Taylor,  F.  B.  (Fort  Wayne,  Ind.) 
Terrill,  L.  M.  (Montreal). 
Thompson,  R. 
Thompson,  Rev.  B.  W.,  B.A. 


Thorne,  Janies,  B.A. 
Topley,  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Tufts,  H.  F. 

Tyrrell,  J.  B.,  B.A.,  B.Sc,  F.G.S., 
F.G.S.A.  (Toronto). 

Venables,  E.  P.  (Vernon,  B.C.) 

Waddell,  Miss  K.  F. 

Walker,  B.  E.,  F.G.S.  (Toronto). 

Walker,  E.  M.,  B.A.,  M.B. 

(Toronto). 
Walker,  Bryant  (Detroit). 
Wallace,  J.  S.  (Toronto). 
Wallis,  J.  B.  (Winnipeg,  Man.) 

Warwick,  F.  W.,  B.Sc.  (Bucking- 
ham, Que.) 

Weld,  Wm.  E. 

Weston,  T.  C,  F.G.S.A. 

Whelen,  Peter. 

Whelen,  Miss  A. 

White,  E.  G. 

White,  George  R. 

Whfte,  James  (Snelgrove,  Ont.) 

White,  J.  F.,  M.A.,  LL.D. 

White,  Lieut. -Col.  W.,  C.M.G. 

Whiteaves,  J.  F.,  LL.D.,  F.G.S., 
F.R.S.C.,  F.G.S.A. 

Whyte,  Miss  Ida. 

AVhyte,  Miss  Isabella. 

Whyte,  R.  B. 

Wight,  E.  C. 

Williams,  Miss  M.  B.,  B.A. 

Williams,  J.  B.  (Toronto). 

Willing,  T.  N.  (Regina,  Sask.) 

Wilson,  Morley  E. 

Wilson,  Miss  L.  (Toronto). 

Wilson,  W.  J.,  Ph.B. 

Wilson,  E.  (Armstrong,  B.C.) 

Winchester,  H.  S. 

Young,  C.  H. 
Young,  Wm.,  B.Sc. 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Bethune,   Rev.  C.  J.   S.,  A^LA.,  D.C.L.,  F.R.S.C,  Guelph,  Ont. 
Greene,  Dr.  E.  L.,  United  States  National  Museum,  Washington,  D.C. 
Hill,  Albert  J.,  M.A.,  C.E.,  New  Westminster,  B.C. 
Holm,  Theodor,  Ph.D.,  Brookland,  Washington,  D.C,  U.S. 
Merriam,  Dr.  C.  Hart,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  U.S. 
Smith,  Prof.  John  B.,  D.Sc,  Rutger's  College,  New  Brunswick,  N.J. 
Taylor,  Rev.  G.  W.,  M.A.,  F.R.S.C,  F.Z.S.,  Nanaimo,  B.C. 
WiCKHAM,  Prof.  H.  F..  Iowa  City^  Iowa,  U.S. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,  APRIL.  1909  No.  1 


THE    REPORT    OF    THE    COUNCIL    OF    THE    OTTAWA 

FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB  FOR  THE  YEAR 

ENDING  MARCH  16tii,   1909. 


Membership. 

With  the  view  of  increasing  the  membership,  a  letter  was 
prepared,  outlining  the  work  of  the  Club,  and  copies  of  this 
letter  were  sent  to  persons  known  to  be  interested  in  such  work. 
During  the  year,  47  new  members  have  been  elected,  making  the 
present  membership  321,  composed  of  313  Ordinary  Members 
and  8  Corresponding  Members.  This  represents  a  net  gain  of  30 
for  the  year,  and  makes  the  present  membership  the  largest  in 
the  history  of  the  Club. 

Soirees. 

Acting  on  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  J.  F.  White,  Principal  of 
the  Normal  School,  the  various  scientific  and  literary  societies 
prepared  a  joint  lecture  programme  for  the  year  1908-1909. 
The  object  was  to  provide  a  series  of  lectures  of  somewhat 
popular  interest  to  be  given  at  intervals  of  two  weeks  in  the 
Assembly  Hall  of  the  Normal  School.  The  plan  has  been  com- 
pletely successful.  There  has  been  no  clashing  of  dates  as  in 
former  years,  the  various  societies  have  been  brought  into 
closer  relationship,  and  large  audiences  have  marked  the  entire 
course. 

The  societies  under  whose  auspices  addresses  have  been 
given  are:  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club,  The  Literary 
and  Scientific  Society,  The  Royal  Astronomical  Society,  The 
Women's  Art  Association,  The  Women's  Historical  Association, 
The  Dickens'  Fellowship,  McGill  University  Club,  Queen's  Uni- 
versity Club,  Toronto  University  Club,  and  The  Normal  School. 
Those  who  lectured  under  our  auspices  were  Dr.  A.  P.  Knight, 
of  Queen's  Universitv,  and  Dr.  Jas.  Robertson.  C.M.G..  Principal 
of  Ivlacdonald  College.  Dr.  Knight  read  an  able  paper  on 
December  11th  on  the  subject  of  "Water  and  Disease 


8  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

Robertson  spoke  on  February  Sth  on  "The  Call  of  the  Land," 
and  by  special  request  gave  a  twenty-minute  talk  on  the  work 
of  Macdonald  College.  This  meeting  was  graced  by  the  presence 
of  His  Excellency  the  Governor- General,  who  moved  the  vote 
of  thanks  to  the  lecturer,  which  in  turn  was  seconded  by  Hon. 
Sydney  Fisher,  Minister  of  Agriculture. 

As  in  former  years,  the  Soirees  Committee  prepared  a  pro- 
gramme of  fortnightly  meetings.  It  was  their  sad  duty  to  make 
the  first  of  these  a  Memorial  Meeting  for  the  late  Dr.  James 
Fletcher.  Lt.-Col.  Wm.  White,  C.M.G.,  the  first  president  of  the 
Club,  acted  as  chairman,  and  tributes  were  paid  to  the  memory 
of  our  lamented  leader  by  Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  Lt.-Col.  Wm.  White, 
Dr.  Wm.  Saunders,  Mr.  W.  H.  Harrington,  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte, 
Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  Prof.  John  Macoun,  Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Prof. 
F.  T.  Shutt,  Rev.  C.  G.  Eifrig,  Mr.  E.  R.  Cameron,  Mr.  T.  J. 
MacLaughlin,  Mr.  W.  J.  Topley  and  Dr.  S.  B.  Sinclair.  Verbatim 
reports  of  these  tributes  appear  in  the  Fletcher  Memorial  Number 
of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 

On  January  Sth,  Rev.  C.  G.  Eifrig  gave  an  address  in  the 
Normal  School  on  "Our  Canadian  Birds."  The  lecture  was 
illustrated  with  the  Bickmore  series  of  lantern  slides  on  this 
subject,  which  were  kindly  lent  by  McGill  University  for  this 
special  lecture.  Mr.  Eifrig's  address  was  rich  in  material  gained 
by  actual  observation  in  the  field,  and  his  talk  was  follow- 
ed with  keen  interest  bv  an  audience  that  completely  filled  the 
large  Assembly  Hall. 

On  January  19th,  Mr.  Thos.  W.  Sowter  read  a  paper  on 
"Algonquin  and  Huron  Occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley." 
Mr.  Sowter,  who  has  done  excellent  research  work  in  the  district, 
presented  three  distinct  sets  of  evidence  to  prove  that  the  Hurons 
had  occupied  portions  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.  The  lecturer  opened 
up  a  field  that  was  new  to  most  of  the  audience,  and  his  paper 
was  also  a  masterly  literary  effort.  This  paper  is  to  be  published 
in  The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 

Prof.  R.  W.  Brock,  Director  of  the  Geological  Survey, 
delivered  "A  Popular  Address  on  Minerals"  on  February  16th. 
Prof.  Brock's  lecture  was  made  specially  interesting  by  means  of 
his  excellent  use  of  a  large  number  of  specimens. 

March  2nd  was  "Ladies'  Night"  on  the  programme,  a 
pleasing  innovation.  Miss  M.  McKay  Scott  spoke  on  "Stories 
about  Flowers  and  their  Healing  Powers,"  dealing  particularly 
with  the  part  flowers  have  played  as  s^^mbols  and  emblems  from 
the  earliest  times  of  the  race.  Miss  Florence  Burt  followed  with  a 
paper  on  "Mimicry  in  Nature."    Various  interesting  examples  of 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  9 

mimicry  in  the  animal  world  were  described  and  the  underlying 
principles  were  dealt  with  in  a  skilful  manner.  Miss  B.  Gilbert- 
son,  the  third  speaker,  told  "  How  to  Become  a  Field-Naturalist." 
Miss  Gilbertson  treated  the  question  from  a  psychological  stand- 
point, tracing  clearly  the  development  of  the  spirit  that  produces 
the  field-naturalist. 

The  final  lecture  of  the  course,  "The  Weather"  is  to  be 
delivered  this  evening  by  Mr.  A.  McNeill,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Meteorological  Branch. 

Under  the  joint  auspices  of  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists' 
Club  and  the  Ottawa  Teachers'  Association,  an  address  on 
Forestry  was  given  by  Mr.  A.  Knechtel,  Inspector  of  Dominion 
Forest  Reserves,  in  the  Normal  School  on  February  26th,  with 
Dr.  J.  C.  Glashan,  Inspector  of  the  Ottawa  Public  Schools,  in 
the  chair.  The  large  audience  present  listened  to  one  of  the  most 
interesting  addresses  ever  given  before  the  Club.  The  address 
Vv-as  illustrated  with  a  collection  of  remarkably  fine  slides,  a 
special  lantern  having  been  secured  for  the  occasion. 

Excursions. 

In  prcA-ious  years  it  has  often  been  found  necessary  to 
cancel  an  excursion  completely  because  of  rain.  In  order  to 
obviate  this,  the  Excursions  Committee  of  the  present  Council 
announced  in  the  April  number  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  that 
on  rainy  Saturdays  the  Club  would  meet  in  turn  at  the  Fisheries 
Museum,  the  Seed  Division,  and  the  Geological  Survey.  The 
time  of  meeting  for  sub-excursions  was  changed  from  3  o'clock 
to  2.30,  and  the  Council  is  pleased  to  note  that  the  change  has 
proved  acceptable  to  the  members  of  the  Club. 

The  following  programme,  embracing  the  names  of  a  number 
of  localities  that  had  not  been  visited  by  the  Club  in  recent  years, 
was  drawn  up  for  the  spring  excursions : 

April  25th,  Rockliffe. 

May  2nd,  Beechwood. 

May  9th,  Queen's  Park,  Aylmer.    ■ 

May  16th,  Beaver  Meadow. 

May  23rd,  Ironsides  and  Wright's  Island. 

May  30th,  Cumberland  (General  Excursion). 

June  6th,  Brennan's  Wharf. 

June  13th,  Cache  Bay,  Hull. 

June  20th,  McKay's  Lake  and  Outlet. 

June  27th,  Eastm'an's  Springs  (General  Excursion). 

The  first  excursion  was  cancelled  because  of  rain,  but  the 
Club  met  at  the  Fisheries  Museum  where  a  pleasant  hour  was 


10  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

spent  in  examining  the  exhibits  under  the  leadership  df  Mr.  A. 
Halkett,  NaturaHst  of  the  Marine  and  Fisheries  Department  and 
Curator  of  the  Museum.  It  was  found  necessary  to  make  some 
other  changes  in  the  programme.  The  excursions  to  Brennan's 
Wharf  and  Cumberland  were  cancelled  because  of  the  abnormally 
high  water  of  the  Ottawa,  which  made  landing  at  these  places 
impossible.  Other  excursions  were  substituted,  however,  reports 
of  which  have  appeared  in  The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 

The  programme  of  fall  excursions  was  as  follows: 

Sept.  12th,  Fairy  Lake  and  Beaver  Meadow. 

Sept.  19th,  Experimental  Farm,  a  joint  excursion  of  the 
Ottawa  Horticultural  Societv  and  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists' 
Club. 

Sept.  26th,  RockHffe  and  McKay's  Lake 

The  fall  excursions  were  carried  out  as  arranged,  and  proved 
most  successful  in  every  respect.  Prof.  McCready,  of  the  Ontario 
Agricultural  College,  Guelph,  was  present  at  the  first  of  these 
excursions  and  gave  an  interesting  account  of  the  nature  study 
work  being  done  by  the  Macdonald  Institute.  Reports  of  all  the 
fall  excursions  appear  in  the  November  number  of  The  Ottawa 
Naturalist. 

The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 

Volume  XXII  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist,  the  official  organ 
of  the  Club,  has  been  published  in  monthly  numbers.  This  volume 
is  larger  than  the  average,  consisting  of  270  pages  and  8  full 
page  plates.  The  earlier  numbers  were  issued  under  the  editor- 
ship of  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun,  and  the  later  numbers,  published 
during  Mr.  Macoun's  absence  from  the  city,  were  edited  bv  Mr. 
Arthur  Gibson. 

The  January  number  takes  the  form  of  a  memorial  number 
to  the  late  Dr.  James  Fletcher.  It  consists  of  almost  fifty  pages 
and  contains  two  excellent  full  page  photographs  of  the  late 
Dr.  Fletcher.  It  gives  complete  reports  of  the  tributes  paid  to  his 
memory  by  all  the  speakers  at  the  memorial  meeting,  it  furnishes 
a  six-page  reference  list  of  his  published  articles,  and  is  in  every 
respect  a  worthy  tribute  to  this  great  man. 

The  following  are  among  the  papers  that  appear  in  this 
volume : 

On  Geology. 

1.  "Notes  on  Silurian  Stromatoporoids  from  Hudson's 
Bay,  "  Wm.  A.  Parks,  Ph.D. 

2.  "Report  on  a  Collection  of  Fossil  Woods  from  the 
Cretaceous  of  Alberta,"  D.  P.  Penhallow,  D.Sc. 

3.  "The  Pelecypoda  or  Bivalve  Mollusca  of  the  Chazy 
formation  in  Canada,"  Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  11 

On  Botany. 

1.  "Conditions  Unfavorable  to  the  Resumption  of  Growth 
by  the  Dormant  Embyro  in  Seeds,"  G.  H.  Clark,  B.S.A. 

2.  "Observations  on  Seedlings  of  North  American  Phaenog- 
amous  Plants,"  Theo.  Holm. 

3.  "Is  Rhus  Glabra  in  Canada?"  Ed.  L.  Greene. 

4.  "Two  Newly  Introduced  Plants,"  Dr.  James  Fletcher. 

On  Entomology. 

1.  "The  Dragonflies  of  the  Ottawa  District,"  E.  M.  Walker, 
B.A. 

2.  "  Fauna  Ottawaensis:  Hymenoptera — Superfamilv  III — 
Vespoidea,"  W.  H.  Harrington,  F.R.S.C. 

3.  "A  Remarkable  Visitation  of  the  Snow-white  Eugonia," 
Arthur  Gibson. 

4.  "Notes  on  the  Species  of  Phaeocyma  found  in  Canada," 
John  B.  Smith,  D.Sc. 

5.  "Notes  on  the  Lepidoptera    of    Lake  Rosseau  District, 
Muskoka.  Ontario,"  Arthur  Gibson. 

6.  "Gall  Midges  of  the  Goldenrod,"  E.  P.  Felt. 

On  Conchology. 
1.    "Lymnaea   umbilicata   in  Canada,"  Bryant  Walker. 

On  Ornithology. 

1.  "Winter  Birds  of  the  Cobalt  Region,"  Rev.  C.  G.  Eifrig. 

2.  "Bird    Migration,    1907;    observations   made    on    Sable 
Island,"  James  Bouteiller. 

3.  "Nesting    of    Henslow    Sparrow    in    Ontario,"    W.    E. 
Saunders. 

4.  "Some  Bird  Habits,"  Norman  Criddle. 

5.  "Blue  Birds  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,"  W.  H.  Moore. 

6.  "Birds    Observed    at    Ottawa,    Winter    of    1908-1909," 
Rev.  C.  G.  Eifrig. 

On  Zoology. 

1.  "Infant    CannibaUsm    among    Animals,"    Prof.    E.    E. 
Prince. 

2.  "The  Cotton-tail  Rabbit  in  Ontario,"  J.  H.  Fleming. 

3.  "Caribou  on  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,"  ].  H.  Keen. 

^' 

On  Meteorology. 

1.  "Meteorological  Optics,"  Otto  Klotz,  LL.D. 

2.  "Some  Sanitarv  Considerations  Regarding  the  Construc- 
lion.  Health  and  Ventilation  of  Houses,"  Dr.  P.  H.  Bryce. 


12  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [April 

Ox\   Nature  Study. 

1 .  "The  Importance  of  Nature  Study  with  some  sup:gestions 
as  to  methods,"  J.  F.  Power,  M.A. 

In  addition  to  the  above-named  papers,  this  volume  con- 
tains reports  of  excursions,  meetings  of  the  Branches,  and  meet- 
ings of  the  Council.  It  also  includes  an  unusually  large  number 
of  short  noLes  contributed  from  collectors  and  observers  in  dif- 
feren':  parts  of  Canada. 

Reports  of  Branches. 
The  Branches  again  report  an  active  year.  No  better 
evidence  could  be  furnished  to  show  the  all-round  activity 
manifested  by  the  Club  than  the  fact  that  every  Branch  has 
contributed  materially  during  the  year  either  to  the  pages  of 
The  Ottawa  Naturalist  or  to  the  lecture  programme. 

The  Geological  Branch. 

The  Geological  Branch  reports  that  collections  of  fossils  have 
been  made  during  the  year  from  the  vicinit}''  of  Ottawa,  and  that 
several  new  species  have  been  described  from  one  of  these  made 
by  Mr.  Walter  Billings.  One  or  more  of  the  leaders  have  attended 
the  field  excursions  and  have  given  what  assistance  they  could  in 
the  study  of  the  rock  in  the  localities  visited  The  leaders  point 
out  the  grand  opportunities  for  live  students  who  are  willing  to 
take  up  this  subject  systematically,  both  in  collecting  fossils  and 
studying  out  the  boundaries  and  relations  of  the  different 
formations  which  outcrop  within  easy  reach  of  the  city. 

The  Botanical  Branch. 

Meetings  have  been  h^ld  at  the  homes  of  various  members 
of  the  Branch  throughout  the  winter.  It  is  the  custom  of  the 
host  of  the  evening  to  present  a  paper,  after  which  there  is  a 
discussion  of  it  by  the  members  present.  The  following  subjects 
discussed  during  the  past  winter  will  give  some  idea  of  the  work 
done  by  this  department. 

"Methods  of  Forestry,"  at  residence  of  Mr.  E.  R.  Cameron; 
"Meanings  of  Some  Common  Plant  Names,"  bv  Mr.  A.  E. 
Attwood;  "Mendel's  Law,"  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun;"The  Habitat 
of  Wild  Plants,"  by  Prof.  Macoun;  "Some  Inter-relations 
of  Soils  and  Plants,"  and  "Recent  Work  on  the  Longevity  of 
Seeds,"  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Clark ;  "The  Origin  of  our  Cultivated  FruitsL' 
by  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte. 

Prof.  John  Macoun  is  at  present  collaborating  a  Flora 
Ottawaensis.   This  will  include  the  names  of  all  species  that  have 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  .   13 

been  found  in  what  is  known  as  the  Ottawa  district,  embracing 
the  area  within  a  radius  of  thirty  miles  in  every  direction  from 
Ottawa.  It  will  describe  the  characteristic  habitat  of  each 
species  collected  and  will  give  the  names  of  the.  localities  where 
it  has  been  collected  as  well  as  the  name  of  the  collector  and  the 
date  of  collection.  The  work  is  being  submitted  in  parts  to  local 
workers  so  that  each  may  add  the  results  of  his  own  field  work. 
Every  record  in  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher's  Flora  Ottawaensis  is  to 
be  included,  and  the  work,  when  completed,  cannot  fail  to  prove 
a  \'aluable  local  guide  to  the  botanists  of  the  Club. 

The  Entomological  Branch. 
This  Branch  of  the  Club's  work  has  had  an  active  year. 
During  the  collecting  season,  as  mentioned  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  Branch  read  at  the  evening  soiree  held  on  January  19th 
last,  several  of  its  members  collected  rather  extensively  in 
distant  parts  of  Canada,  thus  adding  considerably  to  the  known 
range  of  many  species  of  insects.  These  collections  have  not, 
as  yet,  been  fully  worked  up,  but  some  of  the  species  are  being 
recorded  in  the  "Entomological  Record  for  1908,"  which  has 
been  prepared  by  Mr.  Gibson,  and  which  is  being  published  in 
the  annual  report  of  the  Entomological  Society  of  Ontario,  for 
that  year. 

The  local  members  of  the  Branch  have  all  been  busy,  and 
several  interestnig  additions  have  been  made  to  the  Ottawa  list. 
Two  valuable  papers  appeared  in  the  Ottawa  Naturalist  during 
the  year,  which  are  of  particular  interest,  viz. :  Dr.  E.  M.  Walker's 
article  on  "The  Dragonflies  of  the  Ottawa  District,"  and  Mr.  W. 
H.  Harrington's  paper  on  "Fauna  Ottawaensis:  Hymenoptera— 
Superfamily  III — Vespoidea." 

» 

The  Ornithological  Branch. 
The  ornithological  section  has  made  progress  in  its  work 
during  the  past  year  inasmuch  as  regular  monthly  ineetings  have 
been  held  at  which  papers  have  been  read  by  the  various  members. 
Some  new  blood  has  been  infused  into  this  Branch  by  the  addition 
of  some  young  and  capable  ornithologists.  Headway  has  been 
made  in  the  revision  of  the  Ottawa  list  of  birds,  and  new  and 
interesting  records  have  been  made.  Particular  attention  might 
be  drawn  to  the  unusual  bird  visitors  of  the  present  winter  as 
recorded  in  the  November  nmnber  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 

The  Zoological  Branch. 
The  Committee  have  to  report  that  various  members  have 
carried  on  active  field  work;  but  of  actual  results  there  !<  VAf]c 


14  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

to  report.  The  chairman  was  absent  on  official  work,  in  the  course 
of  which  some  interesting  points  in  the  life-history  and  migrations 
of  the  shad  were  decided,  and  a  note  of  these  will  appear  shortly 
in  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  Mr.  Halkett  was  again  for  some 
months  in  the  Northwest  Provinces,  visiting  remote  lakes, 
where  interesting  observations  were'  made  in  fish  life  in  the 
Provinces  of  Alberta  and  Saskatchewan.  The  Biological  Stations 
at  St.  Andrews,  N.B.,  on  the  Georgian  Bay,  near  Penetanguishene 
Ont.,  and  at  Nanaimo,  B.C.,  have  carried  on  important  re- 
searches. At  the  last  named  station  Ronquihis  jordani  was 
taken  by  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Taylor  and  Mr.  Halkett  in  October, 
the  first  record  for  Canada  of  this  interesting  trachinoid.  A 
further  series  of  Biological  Reports  (forming  Part  III.)  will  be 
issued  at  an  early  date.  Three  specimens  of  the  interesting 
Rocky  Mountain  Whitefish  (Coregonus  ivilliamsoni)  have  just 
been  received  at  the  Fisheries  Museum,  and  a  short  account  of 
this  peculiar  species  is  being  prepared. 

The  Late  Dr.  Fletcher. 

In  the  death  of  Dr.  James  Fletcher  the  Club  has  sustained 
the  greatest  loss  in  its  history.  Dr.  Fletcher  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Club,  and  from  its  inception,  thirty  years  ago, 
he  continued  to  take  an  active  part  in  all  its  affairs  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  The  present  volume  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist 
contains  contributions  from  his  pen,  and  the  published  reports 
of  excursions  and  branch  meetings  of  the  past  year  bear  witness 
to  his  untiring  zeal.  No  member  ever  brought  to  the  work  of 
the  Club  greater  genius,  displayed  a  more  charming  personality, 
or  gave  more  unselfishly  of  his  time  and  talents.  It  is  quite 
fitting,  therefore,  that  the  Club  with  which  he  was  so  closely 
identified  should  take  the  initiative  in  the  movement  to  erect 
a  permanent  memorial  to  him.  A  circular  letter  has  been 
prepared  and  sent  to  societies  and  individuals  interested  in  his 
work,  and  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  movement  anticipates 
a  generous  response  to  its  appeal  for  contributions  towards  the 
proposed  memorial. 

The  Library. 

During  the  year  a  great  many  sets  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist 
have  been  transferred  from  the  room  in  the  basement  of  the 
Normal  School  to  the  Geological  Survey,  where  they  are  stored 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  Librarian,  Mr.  C.  H.  Young. 
The  Council  is  pleased  to  be  able  to  report  that  the  question  of 
making  the  exchanges  more  accessible  to  the  members  at  last 
bids  fair  to  be  settled  satisfactorily,  as  two  definite  plans  for 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  IS 

accomplishing  this  are  to  be  submitted  to  this  meeting  for  its 
consideration. 

On  May  2nd,  1908,  the  Evening  Journal  printed  a  full  page 
illustrated  article  on  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club,  prepar- 
ed by  Mr.  Andrew  Halkett  and  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson.  The  article 
dealt  with  the  history  of  the  Club,  its  aims  and  its  methods  of 
working.  Some  four  hundred  copies  of  this  issue  were  kindly 
suppHed  by  the  Evening  Journal  to  the  Club  for  distribution. 

The  president,  Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A.,  represented  the 
Club  at  the  May  meeting  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Canada. 

The  Treasurer's  Report  shows  a  balance  on  hand  of  $58.64. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  are  again  due  to  Principal  White 
for  the  use  of  the  Normal  School  Assembly  Hall,  to  the  Librarv 
Board  of  the  City  Council  and  the  Librarian,  Mr.  L.  J.  Burpee, 
for  the  use  of  the  Lecture  Hall  of  the  Carnegie  Librarv,  and  to 
the  Press  of  the  citv  for  its  co-operation  in  furthering  the  aims  of 
the  Club. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

T.  E.  CLARKE, 

Secretary. 


THE  FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 


The  members  of  The  Ottawa  Field- Naturalists'  Club,  and 
friends  of  the  late  Dr.  James  Fletcher,  will  be  glad  to  learn  that 
the  Committee  having  charge  of  the  above  fund  is  meeting 
with  very  encouraging  responses  to  the  appeal  for  subscriptions, 
which  was  sent  out  a  few  weeks  ago.  Already  the  sum  of 
$1,100  has  been  promised.  The  Committee  is  much  pleased 
with  the  varying  amounts  which  have  been  subscribed  by  many 
friends  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher  living  outside  of  Ottawa.  There 
are,  however,  many  local  members  of  the  Club  who  doubtless 
desire  to  contribute  something  towards  the  fund  and  who  have 
not  yet  sent  in  their  subscription  blanks  to  the  undersigned.  It 
would  help  the  Committee  very  much  if  these  friends  would  in- 
dicate soon,  the  amount  they  intend  to  give.  It  is  hoped  that 
the  sum  of  $1,800  will  be  raised. 

ARTHUR  GIBSON, 

Sec.-Treas.  of  Committee. 


16  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

TREASURER'S  STATEMENT  FOR  YEAR  ENDING 
16th   march,    1909. 

Receipts. 

Balance  from  previous  year S  197   24 

Subscriptions— 1908-1909 204  00 

Arrears 98  00 

$  302   00 

Advertisements  in  Ott.\wa  Naturalist 104  40 

Ottawa  Naturalists  sold 40  01 

Authors  '  extras  sold 32   44 

Maps  of  Ottawa  sold ,  60 

Net  proceeds,  General   Excursion  to  Chelsea,   May, 

1908 9  05 

Government  Grant 200  00 

$  885    74 
Expenditure. 

Printing  Ottawa  Naturalist,  Vol,  XXII,  12  Nos., 

2  70  pages,  including  cover $455   52 

Illustrations.. .  .  '. 60  45 

Authors  '  extras 62    13 

Miscellaneous  printing — circulars,  mailing  envelopes, 

post  cards,  etc 54  65 

$632   75 

Postage  on  Ottawa    Naturalist 35   84 

Editor 50  00 

$718  59 

Less  2  per  cent,  for  cash  on  printers  '  accounts.  .  .           12  33 

$  706  26 

Secretary 25  00 

Treasurer 25  00 

Soiree  expenses 34  64 

Library  expenses 2  50 

Sundry  expenses,  postage,  etc 33  70 

Balance 58  64 

$  885   74 

ARTHUR  GIBSON,      Treasurer, 
Examined  and  found  correct, 

R.  B.  WHYTE,)       a, editors 
F.  T.  SHUTT,     )"      ^^laixors. 


SUBSCRIPTIONS  FOR  THE  NEW  CLUB  YEAR  ARE  NOW  DUE, 
AND  SHOULD  BE  PAID   AT  ONCE. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  members  will  carefully  examine  the  advertise- 
ments in  this  volume  of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist,  and  make  a  point  of 
dealing  with  those  firms  who  thus  help  the  Club. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  17 

CANADIAN  SPECIES  OF  THALICTRUM.— I. 


By  Edward  L.  Greene. 


The  Dominion  of  Canada  being  a  northern  country,  at  least 
when  compared  with  Mexico,  or  even  the  United  States,  our 
census  of  Thalicirum  species  may  as  well  begin  with  that  northern- 
most member  of  the  genus  T.  alpinuni. 

That  familiar  books  and  lists  are  correct  in  attributing  this 
North- European  species  to  Canada  is  a  proposition  that  must, 
first  of  all,  be  put  to  the  usual  test.  An  end  ought  to  be  made  of 
the  practice  of  merely  sul:scribing  to,  and  reiterating  the  opinions 
of  past  generations  about  the  identity  of  our  native  plants. 

What  is  that  Old  World  plant  like  which  first  obtained  the 
appellation  Thahclrum  alpinuml  That  is  the  first  question; 
and  the  next  is:  Have  we  in  Canada  anywhere  any  plant  which 
as  to  essential  marks,  responds  to  the  original  description  of  that 
Old  World  type?  Queries  like  these  send  us  back  in  search  of 
the  first  beginnings  of  the  history  of  Thalicirum  alpinum;  and 
the  excursion  will  prove  an  interesting  and  instructive  one. 

Although  the  name  now  in  vogue  for  the  type  dates  from 
Linnaeus,  the  thing  itself  was  better  known  and  had  been  better 
described  before  that  nomenclator  Vvas  born  than  it  ever  was  by 
him.  The  earliest  records  I  have  been  able  to  find  of  the  plant 
show  it  to  have  been  discovered  originally  in  the  moimtains  of 
the  northern  part  of  Wales.  The  discoverer  was  an  Oxford 
student,  native  of  Wales,  Edward  Lloj^d  by  name,  the  same  to 
whom  Salisbury,  more  than  two  centuries  after  Lloyd's  death, 
dedicated  the  liliaceous  genus  Lloydia. 

The  discoverer  brought  roots  of  the  plant  to  Oxford,  where 
they  were  said  to  be  flourishing  at  the  time  when  the  first  de.scrip- 
tion  of  the  species  was  published,  that  is,  in  the  year  1699.* 
Lloyd  himself  had  named  his  new  plant  Thalictruni  montanum 
minimum  praecox  joliis  splendentihus ;  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to 
indicate  the  essential  peculiarities  of  the  species  more  clearly 
than  was  thus  done  by  Lloyd  more  than  two  centuries  since  in 
those  six  words.  As  compared  with  all  other  members  of  the 
genus  as  then  known,  this  was  alpine,  was  diminutive,  very 
early  flowering,  and  had  a  polished  or  shining  green  foliage. 
Bobart,  in  the  place  of  Morison's  Historia  cited  below,  in  a  very 
full  and  admirable  description  (containing  about  a  hundred 
words),  says  that  the  leaves  are  as  shining  as  if  oil  had  run  over 
the  surface  of  them.  This,  however,  only  of  the  upper  face,  the 
lower  being  pale  and  dull,  he  sa3"S. 


♦Bobart,  in  Moris.  Hist.  PI.   III.  325. 


18  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

There  are  before  me  two  sheets  of  specimens,  both  of  which 
were  collected — one  of  them  fifty  years  since,  the  other  seventy — 
by  the  late  Mr.  John  Ball,  and  which  must  be  understood  to 
represent  the  plant  of  Lloyd,  of  Bobart  and  of  Ray.  One  of  the 
sheets  Mr.  Ball  gathered  in  1859  on  mountains  near  Llanberis, 
North  Wales — the  very  region  whence  T.  alpinum  was  first 
obtained — the  other  is  from  Glen  Isla,  Forfarshire,  Scotland. 
In  the  interests  of  the  future  investigation  of  the  alpine  meadow- 
rue  in  America  I  shall  here  give  a  precise  account  of  these  two 
sheets  of  British  and  indubitably  typical  specimens.  Those  from 
Wales  are  in  flower  only,  those  from  Scotland  in  fruit. 

Plants  at  early  flowering  H  to  2|-  inches  high,  the  leaves 
themselves  1  to  1\  inches  long,  normally  of  11  leaflets,  these 
broad  at  base  and  with  little  suggestion  of  the  cunate,  the  whole 
leaflet  broader  than  long,  the  terminals  3-lobed,  the  laterals 
5-lobed,  all  lobes  obtuse;  upper  face  dark-green  and  polished, 
lower  face  glaucous,  but  between  the  veins  only,  the  veins  them- 
selves, fine,  delicate,  not  at  all  prominent,  deep-green,  in  no 
degree  glaucous ;  fruiting  pedicels  long,  filiform,  firmly  ascending, 
but  abruptly  curved  downwards  just  under  the  head  of  carpels. 

Nothing  well  answering  to  the  Welsh  and  typical  Thalictrum 
alpinum  is  knowm  to  occur  on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic;  yet  in 
North  America,  north  of  the  British  Boundary,  there  exist  at 
least  three  notably  different  plants,  all  of  which  are  in  so  far  at 
agreement  with  genuine  T.  alpinum  as  to  admit  of  their  being 
treated  as  varieties  of  it,  if  not  indeed  as  sub-species.  Their 
proposed  names,  and  the  peculiar  marks  of  each,  are  subjoined. 

Thalictrum  alpinum,  var.  Gaspense.  Plant  of  twice  the 
size  of  the  type,  often  6  or  8  inches  high;  leaflets  normally  11, 
longer  than  broad,  manifestly  cuneate,  less  deeply  lobed,  dark- 
green  and  lustrous  above,  glaucous  beneath  even  to  the  veins 
and  veinlets,  these  more  prominent  than  in  the  type,  and  colored 
green  only  during  early  stages;  pedicels  filiform,  spreading  away 
from  the  rhachis  and  curved  downward  throughout  their  whole 
length,  never  abruptly  bent  under  the  fruit;  carpels  (immature) 
3  or  4. 

Damp  ledges,  on  the  banks  of  the  Grand  River,  Gaspe  Co., 
Quebec;  30  June  and  3  July,  1904,  M.  L.  Fernald. 

Thalictrum  alpinum,  var.  microspermum.  Plant  very 
tall,  often  a  foot  high;  leaflets  normally  11,  always  longer  than 
broad,  cuneate,  few  more  than  3-lobed,  deep-green  and  shining 
above,  very  white  beneath  with  bloom  even  to  the  not  very 
prominent  veins  and  veinlets;  pedicels  short,  firm,  even  wiry, 
curved  throughout  and  not  at  summit  only;  carpels  minute, 
obliquely  oblong-oval,  sessile,  seemingly  one  only  from  each 
flower. 


a 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  19 

In  a  marsh  near  the  confluence  of  Exploits  River  and  Badger 
Brook,  Newfoundland,  13  August,  1894,  Robinson  and  Schrenk, 
their  n.  26  as  in  Herb.  Canad.  Geol.  Sur\^ 

Thalictrum  alpinum,  var.  nesioticum.  Nearly  as  large 
as  the  last,  stouter;  leaflets  about  17,  the  terminals  cuneate 
some  of  the  laterals  not  so,  but  broader  than  long,  all  lightly 
lobed,  dark  and  shining  above  save  as  there  marked  by  verv 
light-colored  anastomosing  veinlets,  beneath  only  moderately 
glaucous;  pedicels  firm,  curved  slightly  throughout,  not  at  apex; 
carpels  1-3,  narrowly  obovate,  tipped  with  a  straight  beak,  and 
conspicuously  as  well  as  rather  slenderly  stipitate. 

Said  to  be  common  in  gravelly  places  along  rivers  on  the 
Island  of  Anticosti,  Jupiter  River,  20  August,  1883,  John 
Macoun;  the  specimens  at  that  season  in  quite  mature  fruit. 
Types  in  Herb,  Canad.  Geol.  Surv. 

Thalictrum  alpinum,  var.  pudicum.  Size  of  the  last; 
leaflets  normally  2 1 ,  all  manifestly  cuneate  below  and  longer  than 
broad,  dark  and  shining  above,  glaucous  beneath  even  to  the 
veins;  pedicels  firm  but  altogether  drooping,  being  curved  down- 
ward from  almost  the  base  and  above  the  base  almost  straight ; 
carpels  2  or  3,  abruptly  tapering  at  base  rather  than  definitely 
stipitate. 

I  do  not  here  take  into  consideration  Greenland  specimens 
of  these  plants,  except  to  say  that  as  far  as  they  are  known  to  me, 
they  can  form  no  part  of  any  rational  Thalictnint  alpinum,  lack- 
ing, as  they  do,  the  essential  character  of  a  dark-green  shining 
foliage.  Those  very  high-northern  congeners  have  leaves  that 
are  of  the  same  dull  glaucous  green  on  both  faces.  This  type  is 
also  plentiful  in  Europe  outside  of  Great  Britain — perhaps 
present  locally  even  there — occurring  in  Lapland,  Norway,  and 
even  on  alpine  summits  in  middle  and  southern  Europe.  Again 
and  again  have  these  wholly  glaucous  plants  been  held  separate 
and  segregate  from  the  original  British  type  by  most  competent 
sy.stematists. 

CRATAEGUS  DOUGLASII,  LINDL. 

A  note  in  the  November  Ottawa  Naturalist  recorded  the 
finding  of  Crataegus  Douglasii  near  Lake  Abitibi.  Mr.  W.  J. 
Wilson  found  this  species  along  the  Abitibi  River  and  at  the 
mouth  of  Black  River  in  1901  and  again  about  100  miles  below 
Black  River  in  1902.  His  record  was  printed  in  The  Naturalist 
for  February  1903.  Mr.  Wilson  in  1906  again  found  C.  Doug- 
lasii east  of  Lake  Abitibi  so  that  it  is  probably  a  species  of  wide 
distribution  in  that  region.  It  has  also  been  collected  in  Michi- 
gan and  on  islands  in  both  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Superior. 

J.  M.  M. 


20  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [April 

MEETING   OF  BOTANICAL  BRANCH. 


Held  at  the  residence  of  Prof.  John  Macoun,  February  20th, 
at  which  were  present,  in  addition  to  the  host,  Messrs.  Attwood, 
Cameron,  Whyte,  Clark,  Bond,  Reid,  Groh,  Newman,  Campbeh, 
J.  M.  Macoun  and  W.  T.  Macoun. 

The  subject  for  the  evening's  discussion  was  "The  Habitat 
of  Plants  and  Its  Relation  to  Cultivated  Varieties." 

In  opening  the  meeting,  Prof.  Macoun  described  the  develop- 
ment of  a  well  informed  botanist.  In  the  colleges  he  was  trained 
to  learn  plants  from  a  biological  standpoint,  and  even  was  given 
some  lessons  in  systematic  botany.  The  relationships  of  plants 
to  one  another  was  also  now  given  considerable  attention  in  the  ; 
class-room,  by  means  of  the  improved  methods  of  studying  the 
parts  of  plants  which  had  been  preserved  in  liquids.  But  while 
he  could  from  books  and  miscroscopical  examinations  get  some 
idea  of  the  conditions  under  which  the  different  species  grew  in 
Nature,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  go  to  the  field  and  see  and  '; 
learn  for  himself  if  he  were  to  become  accurately  informed  and 
make  the  best  use  of  his  knowledge.  Having  become  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  the  wild  species  he  could  then  put  his  know- 
ledge to  practical  use.  In  the  examination  of  land,  for  instance, 
he  would  be  able  to  tell  fairly  accurately  from  the  wild  plants 
which  grew  on  it,  the  character  of  the  soil  and  whether  it  was 
dry,  moist  or  wet.  In  exploring  or  surveying  unsettled  districts 
it  would  be  possible  to  tell  by  analogy  what  the  climate  was 
likely  to  be  from  the  plants  which  grew  there  and  which  grew  in 
some  settled  district.  Prof.  Macoun  told  of  how  he  had  used  his  ^ 
knowledge  in  this  respect  when  he  explored  the  Northwest 
about  thirty  years  ago.  Finding  wild  species  of  grasses  there 
which  ripened  well  and  knowing  that  the  same  species  grew  and  m 
ripened  at  Belleville,  Ont.,  in  about  the  same  season  as  wheat,  * 
he  used  this  knovv'ledge  in  forming  his  conclusion  that  immense  ■. 
areas  in  the  Northwest  were  suited  for  wheat  growing.  Consider-  J; 
able  discussion  followed  bearing  on  thehardiness  of  plants, especial- 
tyin  regard  to  the  cause  of  apple  tree  killing  in  the  Northwest. 
The  conclusion  reached  by  a  number  of  the  members  was  that 
the  trees  were  dried  out  owing  to  long  continued,  severe  cold  and 
dr^nng  winds.  It  was  felt,  however,  that  when  the  newer  and 
hardier  sorts  were  more  widely  tested,  it  would  be  found  that 
abundance  of  apples  could  be  grown  in  many  sections.  This 
part  of  the  discussion  brought  out  the  fact  that  fruits  from  wild 
species  in  cold  climates  did  better  in  cool  soils  than  those  from  a 
comparatively  warm  climate,  instances  being  on  the  one  side  the 
gooseberry,  raspberry  and  currant,  and  on  the  other  the  peach. 

W.  T.  M.     ^Q6i        ^ 

/^<      % 


THE  OTTAWA   NATURALIST. 


Vol.    XXIII.    PLATE    1. 


Stepheoceras   Nicolense. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,  MAY,  1909  No.  2 


DESCRIPTION  OF  A  NEW  SPECIES  OF  AMMONITE    OF 

THE  GENUS  STEPHEOCERAS,  FROM  SOME  ROCKS 

OF  PRESUMABLY  JURASSIC  AGE  IN  THE  NICOLA 

VALLEY,    B.  C* 


By  J.  F.  Whiteaves. 


The  generic  name  Stepheoceras  was  proposed  by  Mr.  S.  S. 
Buckman,  in  1898, f  for  the  Ammonites  of  the  "  Humphreys- 
ianus-group  " ,  which  had  previously  been  regarded  as  the  most 
typical  section  of  Waagen's  genus  Stephanoceras.  But,  as  Mr. 
Buckman  has  pointed  out,  the  latter  name  was  "preoccupied  % 
when  proposed  by  Waagen"  in  1869,  and  "must  lapse  altogether 
on  account  of  prior  use".  Stepheoceras,  as  its  author  is  careful  to 
say,  is  "only  an  alteration  of  the  name  Stephanoceras" ,  and  per- 
haps is  not  altogether  free  from  objection  on  that  account.  Still, 
the  genus  itself  seems  to  be  quite  a  natural  one,  and  as  such  is 
accepted  as  valid  by  Hyatt,  in  1900,  in  his  revision  of  the 
Ammonoidea  in  the  first  volume  of  Eastman 's  translation  of 
Zittel  's  Text-book  of  Palaeontology. 

The  type  of  Stepheoceras ,  which,  so  far  as  known,  is  an  exclu- 
sively Jurassic  genus,  is  the  Ammonites  Humphreysianus  of 
Sowerby.  In  a  well  preserved  specimen  of  that  species,  from 
Dundry,  in  the  Museum  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Canada, 
which  is  five  inches  and  three-eighths  in  its  maximum  diameter, 
there  are  at  least  six  rounded  and  slender  whorls;  the  ombilicus 
is  wide  and  open,  exposing  a  considerable  portion  of  each  of  the 
inner  whorls ;  and  the  surface  is  marked  with  straight  and  trans- 
verse ribs,  which  trifurcate  from  a  tubercle  on  the  middle  of  each 
side. 

In  1876  Dr.  G.  M.  Dawson  made  a  collection  of  fossils  from 

*  Communicated  by  permission  of  the  Director  of  the  Geological 
Survey  of  Canada. 

t  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London,  vol.  LIV,  p. 
454. 

I   By  Ehrenberg,  in  1838,  for  a  genus  of  Rotifera. 


22  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

some  volcanic  rocks  of  mes  ozoic  age  on  the  Iltasyouco  River  and 
Tigutlat  or  Tsehouts  Lake,  in  the  coast  range  of  British  Col- 
umbia. These  fossils  were  reported  on  by  the  writer  in  1878,  in 
the  Report  of  Progress  of  the  Geological  Survev  for  1876-7  7,  in 
which  the  Ammonites  were  determined  by  Professor  Hyatt. 
Among  them  there  is  an  Ammonite  from  Tigutlat  Lake  that 
Hyatt  referred  to  Stephanoceras  H umphreysianum,  and  that 
the  writer  identified  with  Olcostephanus  LoganianMS  of  the  Queen 
Charlotte  Islands  in  1884,  and  figured  under  that  name  on  Plate 
XXIII,  fig.  1 ,  of  the  first  volume  of  "  Mesozoic  Fossils  "  published 
by  the  Canadian  Survey.  It  has  long  been  obvious,  however, 
that  this  Ammonite  can  no  longer  be  safelv  identified  with  either 
of  the  species  named,  and  it  would  now  seem  that  it  probably 
indicates  a  previously  unnamed  species  of  Stepheoceras,  which 
it  will  be  convenient  to  designate  as  5.  Pluto.  It  seems  to  differ 
from  the  typical  O.  Loganianus  chiefly  in  its  much  wider  and 
more  open  umbilicus. 

On  the  evidence  of  specimens  recently  collected  in  Alaska, 
Dr.  Stanton  regards  the  two  species  of  Ammonite  from  the  Queen 
Charlotte  Islands  which  the  writer  described  and  figured  in  the 
first  volume  of  "Mesozoic  Fossils  "under  the  names  Perisphinctes 
Carlottensis  and  Olcostephanus  Loganianus,  as  of  Jurassic  rather 
than  Cretaceous  age,  and  refers  them  both  to  Stephanoceras, 
Waagen.*  If  this  view  be  correct  these  two  species,  also,  may 
possibly  be  referable  to  Stepheoceras,  but  the  sutural  line  of  both 
is  unknown,  and  their  exact  generic  position  is  still  uncertain. 

In  August,  1904,  Dr.  R.  W.  Ells  and  Mr.  R.  A.  A.  Johnston, 
of  the  Geological  Survey  staff,  collected  a  few  specimens  of  a 
large  Ammonite,  which  is  by  far  the  most  typical  and  distinct 
species  of  Stepheoceras  that  has  yet  been  found  in  Canada,  from 
a  small  outlier  of  compact  and  readily  weathering  limestone  on 
the  side  of  a  mountain  about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  a  point 
in  the  road  midway  between  Nicola  and  Coutlee,  in  the  Yale 
district  of  British  Columbia. 

These  specimens  are  two  casts  of  the  interior  of  most  of 
the  septate  portion  of  the  shell,  and  eight  fraginents. 

The  larger  of  these  two  casts  was  originally  about  eighteen 
or  nineteen  inches  in  its  maximum  diameter,  but  a  piece  of  the 
anterior  end  of  it  has  been  mislaid,  and  the  specimen  is  now  only 
fourteen  inches  across. 

The  smaller  cast  is  about  eight  inches  in  its  greatest  diameter, 
and  has  most  of  the  two  outer  whorls  exposed  on  one  side. 

Neither  of  these  casts  show    any  evidence  of  septation,  but 

*  In  Bulletin  of  the  Geological  Society  of  America,  June,  1905,  vol. 
16,  p.  402. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  23 

some  of  the  fragments,  which  must  have  formed  part  of  as  large 
specimens  as  the  larger  of  them,  are  conspicuously  septate. 

The  eight  fragments  are  pieces  of  the  anterior  end  of  the  coil 
of  large  casts  of  the  septate  portion  of  the  shell,  which  not  only- 
give  clear  evidence  of  septation,  but  also  show  the  outline  of  a 
transverse  section  of  the  coil,  with  the  emargination  caused  by  the 
contact  furrow  on  the  dorsum. 

The  species  indicated  by  these  specimens  may  be  provision- 
ally named  and  described  as  follows : — 

StEPHEOCERAS    NiCOLENSE,    SP.    NOV. 

Shell  very  large,  with  rounded  whorls,  and  a  wide  and  open 
umbilicus.  Whorls  nearly  circular  in  transverse  section  anter- 
iorly but  concavely  emarginate  on  the  dorsum  by  a  well  defined 
longitudinal  furrow  of  contact.  They  increase  rather  slowly  in 
thickness,  the  earlier  ones  being  quite  slender,  but  thev  ultimately 
become  robust  and  strongly^convex.  Their  number  appears  to  be 
about  five  or  six,  but  only  four  are  visible  in  the  largest  specimen 
known  to  the  writer,  the  earlier  whorls  being  either  not  preserved 
or  covered  with  the  matrix. 

Umbilicus  occupying  considerably  more  than  one  half  of  the 
entire  diameter,  fully  one  half  of  each  of  the  inner  whorls  being 
exposed. 

Test  unknown;  surface  of  the  cast  everywhere  strongly  and 
regularly  ribbed,  the  ribs  being  straight,  transverse,  and  much 
narrower  than  the  concave  grooves  between  them.  On  the  outer 
whorl  each  rib  trifurcates  from  a  low  and  obscurely  defined  tub- 
ercle on  the  umbilical  margin.  As  thus  divided,  the  three  ribs  in 
each  set  pass  uninterruptedly  over  the  venter,  and  reunite  at  a 
corresponding  tubercle  on  the  umbilical  margin  of  the  opposite 
side. 

Body  chamber,  and  finer  details  of  the  sutural  line  unknown. 


HOW  THE   ENGLISH  SPARROW  IS  ADAPTING  ITSELF 
TO  NEW  CONDITIONS  OF  LIFE. 


By  Norman  Griddle,  Treesbank,  Man. 
The  English,  or  House  Sparrow,  was  introduced  into  the 
United  States  in  the  early  fifties  of  last  century  and  into  eastern 
Canada  in  1854.  Probably  but  few  colonies  were  started  in  the 
Dominion,  but  in  the  United  States  small  lots  were  liberated  in 
many  of  the  larger  cities,  both  on  the  coast  and  inland.  As  a 
result  of  those  early  introductions.  House  Sparrows  are  now 
to  be  found  in  nearly  every  portion  of  the  continent.  It  is 
uncertain  when  the  first  individuals  invaded  Manitoba.     They 


24  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May- 

were  certainly  rare  fifteen  years  ago,  even  in  the  cities,  and  it  is 
only  within  very  recent  times  that  the  country  farm  buildings 
have  become  inhabited  by  them.  The  western  birds  almost 
surely  introduced  themselves  from  the  south,  as  the  wide  chain 
of  hills  to  the  east  would  greatly  retard  a  movement  from  that 
direction.  It  is,  however,  of  small  importance  how  the  birds 
arrived;  they  are  here  to  stay  and  their  injurious  habits  present 
us  with  an  excellent  example  of  the  danger  of  introducing 
animials  of  questionable  value. 

The  mo.st  remarkable  attribute  of  English  Sparrows  is  the 
way  in  which  they  have  already  become  adapted  to  wide  cli- 
matical  conditions.  Heat,  cold,  wet  or  dry,  has  apparently 
little  effect  in  retarding  their  increase.  This  is  unquestionably, 
due,  in  part,  to  their  habit  of  seeking  shelter  in  buildings  from 
weather  extremes,  especially  cold.  There  is,  however,  a  limit, 
as  was  shown  in  Manitoba  last  January  during  an  exceptionally 
cold  spell,  when  shelter  of  somiC  sort  became  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  preservation  of  life.  Where  this  was  not  secured  there 
is  no  doubt  that  great  mortality  occurred,  even  shelter  in  sheds, 
etc.,  not  being  sufficient  to  save  them. 

During  the  period  mentioned  above,  lasting  ten  days,  with 
an  average  temperature  of  about  21  degrees  Fahr.  below  zero 
and  a  minimum  of  40  below,*  sparrows  were  found  dead  in  city 
streets  and  around  farm  buildings  by  observant  farmers  in  many 
parts  of  the  province,  while  a  number  of  the  birds  hardl}^  able 
to  fly  were  also  noticed.  The  chirp  so  commonly  associated 
with  them  remained  unheard  for  days,  as  if  the  fear  of  death  .>- 

was  upon  them   and  all  were  struggling  for  very  existence,  as  '■ 

indeed  was  the  case  with  those  individuals  obliged  to  pick  up  a 
living  in  the  open  air.  Many  undoubtedly  perished  from  cold 
and  starvation,  the  latter  being  the  direct  result  of  the  former. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  there  is  a  limit  to  the  birds'  range,  so 
far  as  open  air  is  concerned.  This  was  also  demonstrated  in 
southern  Greenland  by  introduced  sparrows  failing  to  survive 
more  than  a  few  seasons. 

There  are,  therefore,  but  two  ways  in  which  the  House 
Sparrows  can  withstand  our  northern  climate:  (1)  by  sheltering 
themselves  in  buildings  containing  animals  of  some  kind,  or 
(2)  b}^  migrating  to  warmer  regions  during  the  colder  months. 
Both  these  methods  have  already  been  adopted.  Migration  has 
taken  place,  to  some  extent,  for  several  years  past  and  is  ap- 
parently becoming  rapidly  more  general,  so  that  now  it  is  not 
an  uncommon  occurrence  to  see  fifty  or  more  birds  moving 
south  or  north  according  to  the  time  of  the  year.     Of  course, 

*  These  researches  are  from  the  meteorological  station  at  Aweme. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  25 

many  birds  move  into  the  cities  to  winter,  but  apart  from  this 
there  is  undoubtedly  a  movement  south  and  back  again.  The 
southern  flight  takes  place  at  many  odd  times,  but  chiefly  during 
November,  and  the  return  in  March  and  April. 

The  other  group  confines  itself  almost  entirely  within  build- 
ings throughout  the  colder  months  and  only  appears  outside 
during  the  warmer  hours  of  each  day,  or  when  the  weather  is 
not  excessively  cold.  Thus  we  have  the  domicile  birds  seeking 
winter  quarters  at  home  and  the  more  restless  individuals  pre- 
ferring to  move  to  milder  climates,  even  though  that  entails  a 
long  journey  twice  yearly.  The  question  is,  will  this  lead,  in 
time,  to  two  distinct  races?  Or,  will  the  individuals  of  both 
inclinations,  or  habits,  mix?  By  watching  the  resident  birds  I 
am  led  to  believe  that  these  commence  to  breed  earlier  thantheir 
migratory-inclined  relatives,  and  if  this  is  so  it  is  possible  to 
conceive  that  use  or  disuse  of  wing  power,  accustoming  the 
eyes  sufificiently  to  partly  dark  buildings  to  pick  up  food, 
different  winter  conditions  and  many  other  considerations  might 
eventually  cause  a  change;  just  as  geographical  conditions  have 
caused  so  mam^  local  races  to  appear. 

I  believe  much  valuable  information  might  be  secured  as  to 
migration  and  acquired  habits,  by  a  careful  study  of  the  English 
Sparrow,  especially  if  observations  were  made  in  all  parts  of  the 
continent.  The  birds  are  already  learning  to  migrate  and  to 
build  nests  in  trees  away  from  buildings,  in  fact  they  are  show- 
ing marvelous  powers  of  adapting  themselves  to  new  conditions 
of  life,  and  it  would  be  a  great  pity  to  lose  an  insight  into  their 
evolutionary  characters  through  lack  of  careful  study. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  far  the  birds  move 
south,  whether  they  become  more  plentiful  in  any  special  State 
during  the  winter  months  than  in  the  summer.  Does  the  winter 
movement  exceed  the  southern  limit  of  the  summer  range?  and, 
are  there  any  differences  in  the  habits  of  securing  food,  etc., 
in  those  parts  of  the  continent  where  shelter  from  cold  is  un- 
necessarv  ? 


THE  FOREST  RESERVES. 

(Synopsis  of  a  lecture  given  by  Mr.  A.  Knechtel,  Inspector  of 

Dominion  Forest  Reserves,  on  Feb'y  26th,  1909,  under  the 

joint  auspices  of  the  Ottawa  Field- Naturalists'  Club  and 

the  Ottawa  Teachers'  Association.) 


It  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  white  race  had  begun  wrong 
on  this  continent.  Needing  cleared  land  for  agriculture,  \ye 
began  in  the  woods,  and  now  when  we  need  the  woods  we  begin 


26  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

on  the  cleared  land.  The  prairie  should  have  been  placed  near 
the  Atlantic  and  the  woodland  in  the  Northwest.  Arranged  as 
it  was  with  the  forest  on  the  land  that  was  close  to  the  market  for 
its  products,  forest  destruction  was  at  first  a  necessity  and  later 
became  a  habit.  Fire,  the  good  servant  in  clearing  the  land,  ran 
rampant,  carrying  forest  destruction  far  beyond  the  necessities 
of  the  people. 

The  earliest  settlers  coming  from  Europe  were  used  to  forest 
conservation.  They  had  practised  it  in  the  countries  from  which 
they  came.  Forest  destruction  was  to  them  a  new  thing;  but 
the  forests  were  so  vast  that  they  thought  there  never  could  be 
a  scarcity  of  wood,  and  they  reasoned  that  the  more  the  forest 
was  destroyed  the  more  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  country 
would  be  advanced.  But  the  modern  settler  sees  the  forest  in  a 
different  light,  especially  so  in  the  great  Northwest, where,  on  the 
wide  prairie,  wood  is  a  luxury.  To  him  forest  conservation  is  the 
necessity,  not  forest  destruction.  He  has  no  delight  in  the  de- 
vastation of  the  woods  by  fire,  and  he  hails  with  hope  legislation 
and  management  tending  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  forest. 
He  sees  clearly  that  his  comfort  and  his  agricultural  interests 
are  closely  dependent  upon  a  plentiful  supply  of  wood. 

The  country  is  so  vast  and  the  demand  for  wood  so  great 
that  it  is  a  tremendous  problem  to  so  manage  the  forests  that  this 
demand  may  be  met  continuously.  Hope  seems  to  lie  in  the 
creation  of  forest  reserves,  and  the  policy  of  setting  aside  land 
to  be  used  as  forest  reserves  is  now  pretty  well  established  by  the 
Dominion  Government. 

The  Dominion  Forest  Reserves  are  intended  to  preserve  and 
produce  a  perpetual  supply  of  timber  for  the  people  of  the  prairie, 
the  homesteader's  needs  being  considered  of  first  importance. 
They  are  not  intended  to  furnish  wood  for  the  lumber  trade. 
Hence  the  policy  of  the  reserves  is  favorable  to  small  mills 
rather  than  to  large  ones  which  need  large  tracts  of  forest,  and 
manufacture  lumber  beyond  the  needs  of  the  settlers. 

Let  us  consider  some  of  the  various  purposes  that  forests 
subserve.  In  the  first  place,  we  need  them  to  supply  us  with 
wood,  and  wood  we  must  have  to  cook  our  food;  to  build  and 
furnish  our  houses,  our  railroads,  our  steamships;  to  erect  our 
telegraph  and  telephone  lines;  to  mine  our  metals  and  our  coal, 
which  takes  no  small  amount  of  wood;  to  supply  us  with  paper, 
charcoal,  tan-bark,  dynamite,  boxes,  tools,  pails,  matches,  and 
many  innumerable  articles. 

On  going  from  a  forested  country  to  a  prairie,  one  realizes 
the  importance,  convenience  and  cheapness  of  wood  to  a  home. 
To  be  sure,  coal  and  gas  may  be  used  for  fuel,  and  brick,  stone, 
cement  and    iron  for   building;    but   wood    is  still   largely    used 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  27 

for  such  purposes  in  places  where  it  must  all  be  imported  and  is 
very  high  in  price.  Even  in  Venice,  Italy,  the  lecturer  saw  in 
the  canals  several  barges  laden  with  firewood  and  he  was  astonish- 
ed at  the  quantity  of  wood  used  for  other  purposes.  In  Italy  the 
use  of  wood  is  reduced  to  the  minimum,  and  yet  the  country 
finds  it  necessary  to  import  twenty-five  million  cubic  feet  an- 
nually, although  she  herself  produces  two  hundred  and  forty-five 
million  cubic  feet  annually. 

Then,  we  need  forests  to  give  an  even  flow  of  water  in  the 
streams,  to  prevent  the  washing  away  of  the  soil,  and  to  act  as  a 
break  to  the  wind.  In  some  parts  of  the  Northwest  the  soil  is  a 
peculiar  clay  loam  that  breaks  beneath  the  feet  like  ashes.  In 
other  parts  it  is  a  light  sand.  Such  soil  is  picked  up  and  carried 
by  the  wind  as  if  it  were  light  snow.  To  prevent  this  drifting 
of  soil  the  settlers  are  planting  shelter  belts  in  manv  places.  The 
Dominion  Government  has  already  sent  out  from  Indian  Head 
eleven  million  trees  free  of  charge  for  this  purpose. 

Forests  are  needed  also  for  health,  rest  and  recreation,  and 
to  furnish  food  and  shelter  for  the  game  and  the  fish.  The  esthetic 
value  the  forests  have  for  the  country  one  learns  to  appreciate 
in  travelling  over  it.  The  trees  with  their  variety  of  form  and 
richness  of  coloring,  clothing  the  hills  and  bordering  the  lakes 
and  streams,  lend  a  peculiar  grace  and  loveliness  to  the  landscape. 

Some  of  the  reasons  why  forests  should  be  preserved  have 
now  been  given.  They  furnish  wood,  feed  springs,  prevent  floods, 
hinder  erosion,  shelter  from  storms,  protect  the  game  and  fish, 
and  give  the  country  esthetic  features.  How  then  can  the  forests 
best  be  preserved? 

To  protect  the  forest  from  fire  is  the  first  law.  In  our  forests 
where  old  rotten  logs  lie  everywhere  on  the  ground,  and  where  the 
lumberman  leaves  the  tops  of  trees,  and  gathers  the  brush  into 
heaps  as  if  getting  the  woods  ready  for  burning,  the  question  is 
difficult.  In  Europe,  where  the  brush  is  all  utiHzed,  and  where 
even  the  stumps  are  taken  out  of  the  ground  for  fuel,  the  problem 
is  comparatively  simple. 

The  Forestry  Branch  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
keeps  constantly  in  the  woods  a  large  force  of  fire  rangers,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  prevent  and  extinguish  forest  fires.  They  prevent 
fires  by  posting  along  roads,  trails  and  streams  cloth  notices 
which  state  the  law  in  regard  to  the  use  of  fire.  They  also  call 
upon  the  farmers  and  caution  them  in  regard  to  burning  fallows, 
logs,  stumps,  brush,  grass  and  straw  stacks  in  violation  of  the 
law. 

Then,  these  fire  rangers  extinguish  fires  that  start  in  the 
woods.  It  is  their  duty  to  warn  out  the  settlers,  who  are  obliged 
bv  law  to  obev  the  summons,  and  direct  them  in  fighting  the  fire. 


28  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

When  a  forest  fire  occurs  there  is  a  deplorable  loss.  The 
forest  is  a  great  chemical  laboratory,  taking  air,  and  earth,  and 
water,  and  combining  them  together  for  the  use  of  the  people. 
Fire  comes  along,  the  laboratory  is  burned,  wood  production 
stops  and  the  people  must  do  without. 

There  is  a  common  notion  that  the  forest  will  restore  itself, 
and  that  valuable  species  of  trees  will  by  natural  seeding  again 
cover  the  soil.  Such  hope  is  in  most  cases  vain.  Poplar  and  white 
birch  will  probably  occupy  the  ground;  but  the  hope  that  the 
spruce  and  the  tamarac  will  again  cover  the  soil  is  just  a  poetic 
dream.  These,  to  be  sure,  do  reproduce  in  certain  places  and  on 
certain  soils ;  but  if  one  observes  carefully  the  conclusion  is  forced 
upon  him  that  this  kind  of  reproduction  of  the  conifers  is  not 
going  on  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  furnish  a  perpetual  supply  of 
timber  to  meet  the  demand  of  the  country.  If  the  conifers  are 
to  be  kept  in  the  reserves  in  commercial  quantity  they  will  need 
to  be  reproduced  artificially,  either  by  sowing  the  seed  or  planting 
small  trees.  The  Canadian  Government  has  already  begun  thus 
to  provide  for  the  future. 

The  forest  cannot  be  properly  managed  without  the  cutting 
of  trees.  Like  the  farmer,  the  forester  has  his  seed  time  and  his 
harvest.  Agriculture  produces  food  crops ;  forestry,  wood  crops. 
The  lumberman  harvests  the  natural  wood  crop,  which  Nature 
has  taken  about  two  hundred  years  to  produce;  the  forester 
harvests  an  artificial  one,  which  takes  him  about  eighty  years  to 
produce.  The  lumberman  takes  in  his  harvest  everything  from 
which  he  can  make  present  profit ;  the  forester  leaves  the  smaller 
trees  in  the  forest  to  grow  into  future  values.  It  is  of  no  concern 
to  the  lumberman  if  the  falling  timbers  crush  little  trees  or  the 
skidding  tear  them  out  by  the  roots.  They  offer  no  present 
profit  and  he  looks  upon  them  as  worthless;  but  the  forester  sees 
in  these  voung  trees  his  future  harvest  and  gives  them  his  most 
earnest  care.  The  lumberman's  path  has  been  full  of  fire.  In 
many  places  he  has  been  followed  by  flaming  forests  and  dense 
clouds  of  smoke.  But  in  the  forester's  tracks  the  green  trees 
grow,  forests  again  flourish  on  the  denuded  wastes,  and  shed  upon 
the  whole  country  their  benign  influences. 


REPORT  OF  THE  ENTOMOLOGICAL  BRANCH,   1908. 

The  members  of  the  Entomological  Branch  have  been 
active  during  1908.  The  season  on  the  whole  from  the  collecting 
standpoint  was  better  than  it  has  been  for  several  years,  not- 
withstanding the  continued  drought  which  began  in  early  June 
and  lasted  well  on  into  September.      Many  interesting  species 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  29 

of  insects  have  been  taken  during  the  season  in  the  Ottawa 
district  by  local  members. 

The  Entomological  Branch,  in  the  death  of  its  foremost 
leader,  Dr.  James  Fletcher,  has  sustained  an  irreparable  loss. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  refer  here  other  than  briefly  to  this  sad 
event  which  is  felt  so  keenly  by  the  Club,  as  the  January  issue 
of  the  Ottawa  Naturalist  is  a  Memorial  Number  containing 
tributes  from  leading  members. 

In  August  we  were  glad  to  welcome  to  the  Branch,  Mr. 
Herbert  Groh,  a  new  Assistant  in  the  Division  of  Entomology 
and  Botany  of  the  Dominion  Experimental  Farms. 

During  the  winter  months  the  fortnightly  meetings  of  the 
Branch  have  been  continued.  These  meetings  are  most  helpful. 
Many  specimens  of  great  interest  are  exhibited  at  each  meeting 
and  much  information  given  concerning  their  habits,  etc.  At 
these  meetings  it  is  customary  for  each  member  to  bring  some- 
thing to  exhibit  or  some  paper  to  read.  New  books  on  ento- 
mology are  shown  from  time  to  time,  and  in  this  way  the  members 
are  kept  in  touch  with  publications  as  they  appear.  It  is  a 
pity  that  more  members  of  the  Club  do  not  take  an  interest  in 
insect  life.  There  is  no  more  promising  field  for  good  work  of 
a  scientific  nature  than  in  entomology,  and  certainly  no  subject 
of  more  intense  interest.  The  pleasure  derived  from  watching 
an  insect  emerge  from  its  egg,  or  a  caterpillar  change  to  the 
chrysalis  state,  or  a  moth  issue  from  its  cocoon,  is  most 
fascinating. 

As  in  previous  years  some  of  our  local  members  brought 
back  with  them  from  their  distant  fields  of  labour,  small  collec- 
tions of  insects  of  special  interest.  Mr.  Joseph  Keele,  of  the 
Geological  Survey,  made  some  valuable  collections  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Gravel  River  and  along  the  McKenzie  River  adjacent, 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rockies.  Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  of  the 
same  department,  spent  the  months  of  August  and  September 
at  the  Biological  Station,  Departure  Bay,  B.C.,  with  our  highly 
esteemed  Honorary  Member,  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Taylor,  who 
is  now  there  as  Curator  of  the  Station.  Mr.  Young  collected 
insects  of  several  orders,  among  which  are  some  of  much  interest. 
Mr.  Douglas  H.  Nelles,  of  the  Alaska  Boundary  Survey,  spent 
the  summer  in  the  Yukon  district  between  Whitehorse  and  the 
141st  Meridian  and  brought  back  with  him  a  small  collection  of 
butterflies.  Mr.  Andrew  Halkett,  of  the  Fisheries  Museum, 
returned  to  Ottawa  in  November,  with  a  small  collection  of 
insects  taken  in  Alberta.  Dr.  Fletcher  made  a  hurried  trip  to 
British  Columbia  in  September  and  October  and  while  stopping 
over  for  a  day  or  two  each  at  Nepigon,  Ont.,  Regina.  Sask.. 
Banff,  Alta.,  and  Departure  Bay,  B.C.,  collected  many  insects 


30  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

of  value.      Mr.  Arthur  Gibson  spent  the  most  of  July  at  Youghall, 
N.B.,  and  while  there  made  collections  in  all  orders. 

The  members  of  the  Branch  were  delighted  to  have  with 
them  in  Ottawa  during  spring  and  early  summer,  Mr.  Norman 
Criddle,  of  Aweme,  Man.  Mr.  Criddle  while  here  attended  the 
spring  excursions  of  the  Club  and  also  did  some  splendid  collect- 
ing in  the  neighborhood. 

During  the  year  Mr.  Harrington  completed  a  paper  on  Su- 
perfamily  III  of  the  Hymenoptera  of  the  Ottawa  District,  which 
was  published  in  the  July  number  of  the  Ottawa  Naturalist. 
Dr.  Walker's  paper  on  the  Dragonflies  of  the  Ottawa  District 
appeared  in  the  April  and  June  numbers  of  the  Naturalist. 
This  has  been  of  much  help  to  members  of  the  Branch. 

Among  the  more  interesting  insects  taken  during  the  year 
at  Ottawa,  within  the  area  limited  by  the  Club,  as  the  Ottawa 
District,  the  following  may  be  mentioned: — 
Lepidoptera: 

Brenthis  triclaris,    Hbn.  Mer  Bleue,  June  6,  three  specimens, 

(Young,  Criddle,  Gibson). 
Phyciodcs  tharos,  Dru.,  var.  packardii,    Saund.  Mer  Bleue, 

(Young). 
Phyciodes  hatesii,  Reakirt.    On  railway  track  between  Cache 

Bav  and  Beaver  Meadow,  June  13,  (Gibson). 
Pholus  pandorus,  Hbn.     Larva  on  Virginian  creeper,  moth 

emerged  July  8,  (Gibson). 
Hyphoraia  parthenos,  Harr.  July  1,  (Baldwin). 
Catahena  lineolata,  Wlk.  July  20,   (Baldwin).      New  record 

for  the  district. 
Platysenta  videns,  Grt.  June  6,  (Gibson). 
Pachnobia  monochromata ,  Morr.    Mer  Bleue,  July  3,  (Young). 
Agrotis    geniculata,    G.    &    R.      Meach    Lake,    August    31, 

(Fletcher). 
Mamestra  gussata,  Sm.  April  24,  (Young). 
Homoptera  minerea,  Grt.     Britannia,  June  20,  (Baldwin). 
Homoptera  helata,  Sm.     Britannia,  June  20,  (Baldwin). 
Cramhus  bidens,  Zeller.    Mer  Bleue,  July,  (Young). 
Crambus  zeellus,  Fern.  July  15,  (Gibson). 
Crambus  youngellus ,  K.     Mer  Bleue,  July  2-10,  (Young). 
Eucosma  medioviridana,  K.  August  21,  (Young). 
Coleophora  elcBagnisella,  K.      Larvae  abundant  on  ElcBagnus 
argentea;  moths  emerged  July,  (Fletcher  and  Gibson). 
LithocolleHs  basistrigella,  Clem.     Bred  from  oak,  March  11, 

(Young). 
Argyresthia  laricella,  K.     Mer  Bleue,  reared  from  terminal 
twigs  of  Larix  americana;    moths  issued  June   12-23, 
(Fletcher  and  Gibson). 


^ 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


31 


Coleoptera: 

Hydrophilus  ovatus,  G.  &  H.  May  12,  (Fletcher). 
Acanthocinus  csdilis,  S.     A  specimen  of  this  fine  European 
beetle  was  found  at  Ottawa  b}^  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte  among 
some  packing   in   a   box   of  chinaware  received  from 
Germany. 
Hymenoptera: 

Bombus  mfocinctus.  Cress.    September  20,  (Fletcher).    This 

species  is  rare  in  eastern  Canada. 
Bombus  virgimcus,  Oliv.     Mer  Bleue,  June  6,  (Gibson). 
Ephialtes  gigas,  Walsh.     Hull,  June  13,  (Gibson). 
Hemiptera: 

A  number  of  species  new  to  the  Ottawa  list  have  recently 
been  determined  by   Mr.   E.   P.   Van  Duzee.     Among 
these  may  be  mentioned : 
Telamona  am  pel  ops  ides,  Harr.,  July  14,  (Gibson). 
Cyrtolobus  vau,  Say.  June  29,  on  red  oak,  (Fletcher). 
Cyrtolobus  griseus,  Van  D.    On  oak,  August  25,  (Metcalfe). 
Scolops  sulcipes,  Say.      On  goldenrod,  September  5,  (Groh). 
Liburnia   foveata,    Van    D.      Mer    Bleue,    June-September, 

(Metcalfe). 
Phlepsius  irroratus.  Say.  October  8,  (Fletcher). 
Thyreocoris  unicolor,  P.  B.    Aylmer,  August  29,  (Groh). 
Geocoris  limbatus,  Stal.    Mer  Bleue,  uncommon,  (Metcalfe). 
Plagiognathiis  obscurus,  Uhler.     Aylmer,  August  29,  (Groh). 
Corythuca  marmorata,  Uhl.  June,  rare,  (Metcalfe). 
Ranatra  quadridentata,  Stal.  July,  (Metcalfe). 
Hydrometra  m.artim,  Kirby.  July,  (Metcalfe). 

W.  H.  Harrington,  ] 
Arthur  Gibson, 
C.  H.  Young, 
J.  W.  Baldwin, 


Leaders. 


BOOK  REVIEW. 


Thirty-ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Entomological  Society 
of  Ontario:  Ontario  Department  of  Agriculture,  Toronto.  This 
is  a  volume  of  152  printed  pages,  with  19  excellent  plates.  Like 
all  its  worthy  predecessors,  it  is  a  publication  which  can  be  per- 
used with  interest,  not  only  by  the  scientific  and  working 
entomologist,  but  equally  by  the  novice  and  merely  casual 
reader.  It  contains  the  official  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Society,  held  at  Guelph  in  November  last, 
including  the  reports  of  the  Branch  Societies,  and  of  the  District 
Directors  and  other  officers,  the  discussions  on  insect  pests  of  the 

^ 


32  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

season,  and  the  various  papers  presented  during  the  two  days' 
session.  Among  the  latter  are  several  by  members  of  the  Ottawa 
Field-Naturalists'  Club  who  attended  the  meeting,  viz. :  Hydroecia 
micacea  in  Canada,  by  Arthur  Gibson;  Some  Beetle  Haunts  by 
an  Amateur  Botanist,  by  F.  J.  A.  Morris,  Port  Hope;  Notes  on 
the  Occurrence  of  Lachnosternas  in  1908,  and,  Collecting  with  a 
Lantern-trap  in  1908,  by  J.  D.  Evans,  Trenton,  Ont. ;  The  Straw- 
berry Weevil,  b}^  Prof.  W.  Lochead,  Macdonald  College,  Que.; 
The  Farmer's  Woodlot,  by  Rev.  T.  W.  Fyles,  Levis,  Que;  Life 
History  of  Euchaetias  ore gonensis,  by  H.  H.  Lyman,  Montreal; 
and.  Injurious  Insects  in  Ontario  in  1908,  by  Rev.  Prof.  Bethune, 
Guelph.  Two  excellent  papers  by  Dr.  E.  P.  Felt,  Albany,  N.Y., 
The  Economic  Importance  and  Food-habits  of  American  Gall 
Midges,  and.  The  Interpretation  of  Nature,  also  appear.  An 
article  of  more  than  ordinary  value  is  the  Catalogue  of  the  Gall 
Insects  of  Ontario,  by  T.  D.  Jarvis,  Guelph,  which  arranges  the 
species  which  he  has  found  in  his  several  years  of  collecting,  under 
their  host  plants,  and  furnishes  means  of  identification  by  the 
galls.  A  bibliography  of  references  completes  his  useful  treat- 
ment of  the  subject.  The  Entomological  Record,  which  has  for 
some  years  been  contributed  by  James  Fletcher  and  Arthur 
Gibson  as  a  regular  feature,  again  appears,  presenting  in  a  con- 
cise way  the  most  valuable  of  the  results  of  Canadian  collectors' 
activities  during  the  year.  Also,  the  loss  which  entomology  has 
suffered  in  the  removal  by  death  of  two  of  its  foremost  representa- 
tives, Dr.  Fletcher,  late  President  of  the  Society,  and  Dr.  W.  H. 
Ashmead,  of  Washington,  is  given  suitable  recognition  in  brief 
references  to  their  respective  careers. 

H.  G. 


OBITUARY. 

THE  LATE  REV.  CANON  BURMAN,  B.D. 


The  death  of  Canon  W.  A.  Burman,  which  occurred  on 
January  20th,  is  a  heavy  loss  to  the  people  of  Winnipeg  and  of 
the  Northwest.  For  so  many  years  he  has  been  among  us  that 
his  place  will  indeed  be  difficult  to  fill. 

The  late  Canon,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Ottawa  Field- 
Naturalists'  Club  for  many  years,  was  an  Englishman  by  birth 
and  came  to  Manitoba  in  the  late  seventies.  He  entered  the 
ministry  in  1879  and  soon  became  well  known  and  loved  for  his 
work  among  the  Sioux  Indians.  He  was  made  Rural  Dean  of 
Brandon  in  1886,  and  was  given  charge  of  the  Rupert's  Land- 
Industrial  School  (Indian)  in  1889.  In  1893  he  came  into  Win- 
nipeg as  incumbent  of  St.  Peter's,  combining  with  his  duties  there 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  33 

those  of  the  Rural  Dean  of  Lisgar.  The  work  proving  too 
onerous,  he  resigned  in  1903,  to  take  up  the  position  of  bursar  and 
steward  of  St.  John's  College,  Winnipeg,  which,  with  the  position, 
in  the  same  institution,  of  lecturer  in  botany  and  the  English 
Bible,  he  held  until  his  death. 

As  a  botanist  Canon  Burman  was  widely  known.  An 
enthusiastic  collector,  his  herbarium  of  local  plants  is  easily  the 
finest  in  Manitoba.  Not  only  local  plants  are  represented  how- 
ever. Some  five  years  ago,  I  well  remember  a  delightful  evening 
of  the  Manitoba  Natural  History  Society,  when  Canon  Burman 
showed  a  splendid  collection  of  Arctic  plants. 

To  know  the  Canon  was  to  admire  and  love  him.  Quiet, 
unassuming,  he  was  always  engaged  in  work  for  the  benefit  of 
others,  as  the  history  of  our  Humane  Society  and  that  of  our 
Children's  Aid  Society  testify. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  found  he  was  suffering  from  tubercular 
trouble,  and  nothing  could  be  done  to  check  its  inroads.  Just 
before  Christmas  I  spoke  to  him  and  he  told  me  of  an  intended 
visit  to  Texas  in  January.  His  illness  took  a  worse  turn  and  he 
was  unable  to  leave.  For  several  weeks  he  suffered  intensely  but 
with  marvellous  fortitude  and  then  death  intervened. 

Truly  Canada  has  reason  to  mourn  that  two  such  men  as 
Dr.  Fletcher  and  Canon  Btirman — warm  personal  friends — have 
been  called  awav  within  such  a  short  space  of  time. 

J.   B.  Wallis. 


MEETINGS  OF  THE  BOTANICAL  BRANCH. 


At  the  Botanical  Branch  meeting  of  February  27th,  a 
discussion  on  the  inter-relation  of  soils  and  plants  was  led  by 
Mr.  George  H.  Clark,  sixteen  members  of  the  Club  being  present. 

Evidence  was  presented  to  illustrate  that  plants  are  grouped 
in  nature  according  to  the  physical,  chemical  and  biological 
conditions  of  the  soil.  A  knowledge  of  plant  relations,  range  of 
conditions  respecting  their  habitat,  and  their  habits  of  growth 
under  those  varying  conditions,  serves  the  botanist  as  an  index 
to  the  range  of  temperature  of  the  district,  the  moisture,  and 
the  physical,  chemical,  and,  to  some  extent,  the  biological  con- 
ditions of  the  soil  on  which  the  species  are  found. 

"De  Candolle's  theory  of  the  excretions  of  plants"  and  the 
results  of  recent  experiments  and  observations  pertaining  to 
toxic  excretions  from  the  roots  of  plants  were  discussed.  Ex- 
periments in  the  seed  laboratory  at  Ottawa  showed  that  after 
making  germination  test  with  cereal  grains,  it  was  necessary  to 
discard  the  soil   from  the  boxes  before  making   a  subsequent 


34  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

germination  test  with  cereals..  Aeration  and  drying  of  the  soil 
produced  only  a  slight  improvement.  The  average  percentage 
germination  from  twelve  tests  of  oats  in  a  good  fresh  compost 
soil  was  86  per  cent.  When  the  same  soil  was  used  for  sub- 
sequent germination  tests,  after  being  aerated  and  dried,  the 
average  percentage  vitality  of  twelve  tests  of  the  same  oats 
(100  grains  of  oats  being  used  for  each  test)  was  reduced  to  76 
per  cent. 

If  the  theory  of  toxic  root  excretions  is  to  be  accepted  as 
an  explanation  for  this  falling  off  in  vitality,  as  would  be  shown 
by  soil  test,  it  would  seem  that  the  poisonous  excretions  from 
the  first  crop  of  oats  proved  to  be  fatal  to  the  weaker  plants 
from  the  second  and  subsequent  crops.  Since  the  oat  plants 
had  been  left  in  the  soil  fourteen  days  only,  the  reduction  in 
plant  food  would  be  inconsiderable. 

If,  as  contended  b}'  supporters  of  the  "De  CandoUe  theory 
of  root  excretions,"  plants  excrete  from  their  roots  substances 
which  impair  growth  within  themselves  and  render  the  soil  less 
suitable  to  the  growth  of  other  plants  belonging  to  the  same 
order  or  having  the  same  requirements  in  respect  to  plant  food, 
then  the  necessity  of  crop  rotation  in  agriculture  and  horti- 
culture becomes  more  obvious;  the  reasons  for  the  so-called 
clover  sickness  in  some  soils,  "fairy  rings"  of  mushrooms,  and 
much  in  connection  with  plant  relations  in  nature  also  becomes 
easier  of  explanation. 

It  was  suggested  that,  in  consideration  of  how  plants  feed, 
it  would  seem  reasonable  to  expect  that  these  toxic  root  excre- 
tions, if  anv,  would  be  more  abundant  with  a  given  species  on 
some  soils  than  on  others,  owing  to  the  relation  between  the 
requirements  of  the  plant  and  the  mineral  constituents  in  solu- 
tion in  the  soil ;  also  that  bacterial  life  and  the  fermentation 
induced  bv  it  in  the  soil  might  be  expected  largely  to  overcome 
the  effects  of  toxic  excretions  from  plant  roots. 

A  short  discussion  on  the  longevity  of  seeds  and  recent 
work  by  Dr.  Ewart,  of  Melbourne  University,  Australia;  Dr. 
Croker,  of  Chicago  University,  and  Dr.  Duval,  of  Washington, 
D.C.,  was  also  taken  up,  and  the  progress  results  of  some  work 
that  is  being  conducted  by  Mr.  William  Bond,  of  the  seed  labora- 
tory staff,  in  making  periodic  germination  tests  of  weed  seeds 
that  were  collected  in  1902,  were  presented.  The  evidence  now 
available  would  seem  to  make  clear  that  weed  seeds  and  other 
seeds  which  are  buried  in  the  soil  do  not  retain  their  vitality 
as  long  as  when  stored  in  a  cool,  dry  place.  There  are  relatively 
few  kinds  of  seeds  which  will  retain  their  vitality  for  a  longer 
period  than,  approximately,  fifteen  years.  Ewart  found  from 
exhaustive  tests  that  of  the  species  which  are  best  able  to  retain 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  35 

vitality  in  their  seeds  for  a  long  period,  those  belonging  to  the 
Leguminosffi  are  in  greatest  numbers. 

G.  H.  C. 


"The  Origin  of  Our  Cultivated  Fruits"  was  the  main 
subject  under  discussion  at  a  meeting  of  the  Botanical  Branch 
held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte  on  March  6th.  There 
were  present  in  addition  to  the  Chairman,  Messrs.  Attwood, 
Campbell,  Bond,  T.  E.  Clarke,  Geo.  H.  Clark,  Eddy,  Binnie', 
Groh,  Morris,  and  W.  T.  Macoun. 

The  origin  of  our  cultivated  fruits  had  evidently  been 
thoroughly  investigated  by  Mr.  Whyte,  who  gave  a  very  interest- 
ing account  of  what  was  known  in  regard  to  it.  Most  of  our 
fruits  have  been  cultivated  for  such  a  long  time  that  there  is 
little  definite  information  as  to  their  origin.  It  is  known  that 
the  Romans  cultivated  the  apple,  for  Pliny  wrote  about  it. 
An  apple  was  also  exhibited  by  Mr.  Eifrig  at  a  former  meeting 
of  the  Botanical  Branch  taken  from  the  ruins  of  the  habitations 
of  Lake  Dwellers  in  Switzerland  who  lived  probably  a  thousand 
or  more  years  before  the  Roman  era.  Practically  all  of  the  culti- 
vated apples  are  derived  from  European  species,  the  only 
named  variety  with  American  blood  being  the  Soulard  crab, 
one  of  whose  parents  was  Pyrus  coronaria.  The  pear  is  also 
a  native  of  the  old  world  and  has  evidently  been  cultivated 
since  very  ancient  times.  One  of  the  first  historical  references 
to  the  pear  is  in  Virgil,  where  it  is  stated  that  "Varieties  of 
pears  are  almost  countless  and  nine-tenths  are  unworthy  of 
census."  The  two  species  of  pears  from  which  most  of  the 
cultivated  varieties  came  are  Pyrus  communis  and  Pyrus  sinensis. 

The  peach  is  another  fruit  of  which  little  is  known  regard- 
ing its  origin,  but  it  is  believed  to  be  a  native  of  China  and  taken 
to  Persia  in  very  early  times,  in  which  country  it  has  been 
improved  very  much. 

The  early  history  of  the  European  plum  is  also  wrapt  in 
mystery,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from  Pninus 
spinosa  and  later  from  Prunus  domestica.  The  Asiatic  species 
from  which  comes  the  Japanese  plums  is  Prunus  trifbra.  The 
Apricot  plum,  Prumis  Simoni,  from  China  is  another  Asiatic 
species.  In  America  improvement  is  just  beginning  with  the 
native  species,  P.  americana,  nigra,  hortulana,  and  angustijolia. 

The  European  grapes  are  derived  from  Vitis  vinijera, 
improvement  evidently  having  been  begun  in  very  early  times. 
In  America,  hybrids  of  Vitis  Labrusca,  the  fox  grape,  and  this 
European  species  had  given  marked  results.  One  of  the  earliest 
known  grapes  of  American  origin  is  the  Catawba,  found  wild 
in  Maryland  in  1819.     It  probably  has  European  blood.     The 


36  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

Isabella  also  appeared  about  the  same  time.  The  Concord  grape, 
a  pure  seedling  of  Vitis  Labrusca,  was  introduced  in  1853. 
Rogers'  Hybrids  followed  in  1856,  and  since  that  time  many 
have  been  introduced.  No  grapes  of  high  quality  have  yet  been 
originated  from  the  Canadian  species  including  Vitis  riparia 
and  V.  cordijolia,  although  some  improved  varieties  have  been 
introduced. 

All  our  cultivated  red  currants  have  been  originated  from 
the  European  species  Rihes  rubruni.  This  fruit  has  been  culti- 
vated since  the  middle  ages  as  has  also  the  black  currant  which 
has  also  been  derived  from  the  European  species  Rihes  nigrum. 
No  good  improved  forms  of  our  native  Rites  ,^oridum  have  been 
introduced. 

The  European  gooseberry,  Rihes  Grossularia,  began  to  be 
cultivated  in  the  16th  century.  It  is  a  very  important  fruit  in 
Great  Britain,  where  it  has  been  cultivated  for  300  years.  The 
greatest  improvement  has  taken  place  in  the  last  100  years  and 
to-day  specimens  are  produced  weighing  two  ounces  each.  The 
climatic  conditions  in  most  inland  places  in  America  are  not 
suited  for  the  European  gooseberry  and  it  does  not  thrive  well 
except  under  specially  favourable  conditions.  The  native 
American  species,  Rihes  oxyacanthoides  is  the  parent  of  the 
Houghton,  an  improved  form,  and  from  the  Houghton  has 
sprung  the  Downing,  probably  with  some  European  blood  in 
it.  The  Pearl,  one  of  Dr.  Wm.  Saunders'  productions,  is  a 
hybrid  between  Houghton  and  a  European  variety.  Rihes 
Cynoshati  has  not  given  any  good  variety  yet,  but  this  has  been 
improved  by  Dr.  Saunders  by  crossing  it  with  the  European 
gooseberry. 

The  red  raspberry  has  been  cultivated  since  the  4th  century 
and  probably  before.  It  became  popular  in  the  16th  century 
in  Europe.  The  European  varieties  are  derived  from  Rubus 
Id(Fus.  For  the  most  part,  these  are  not  hardy  in  the  colder  parts 
of  America.  Most  of  the  named  sorts  grown  in  Canada  are  from 
the  native  species,  Rubus  strigosus,  which  began  to  be  cultivated 
about  1831.  The  Herbert  raspberry  originating  with  Mr.  Whyte, 
has  probably  considerable  European  blood  and  may  claim  as  its 
parent  some  two  of  the  varieties  Herstine,  Clark  and  Franconia. 

Practically  all  the  named  black  cap  raspberries  grown  to- 
day are  chance  seedlings  of  the  wild  species,  Rubus  occidentalism 
as  are  the  cultivated  blackberries  of  Rubus  allegheniensis  and  its 
varieties.  Other  fruits  of  less  importance  were  also  dealt  with 
by  Mr.  Whyte. 

The  lines  of  improvement  in  our  cultivated  fruits  suggested 
by  him  were:  the  raising  of  new  sorts  of  apples  from  seed 
specially  suited  for  certain  conditions;  improvement  of  American 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  37 

plums  to  ameliorate  the  skin;  the  breeding  of  red  currants  for 
greater  mildness,  and  black  currants  for  size;  the  raising  of 
seedlings  of  the  European  gooseberry  to  obtain  varieties  more 
immune  from  disease;  and  the  raising  of  seedling  grapes  from 
the  many  hybrid  forms  already  in  existence. 

In  the  discussion  which  followed,  Mr.  Whyte  stated  it  as 
his  belief  that  the  growing  of  seedlings  under  very  favourable 
conditions  would  change,  and  cause  to  be  perpetuated,  the 
characteristics  of  a  seedling  in  respect  to  vigor  of  plant,  size  and 
flavor  of  fruit,  etc.  In  other  words,  that  after  a  seed  had 
germinated  the  merits  of  that  seedling  would  not  necessarily 
depend  on  inherited  characteristics,  but  would  be  largely  in- 
fluenced by  the  environment  up  to  time  of  fruiting.  A  curious 
freak  was  shown  by  Mr.  Geo.  H.  Clark,  it  being  a  cane  of  Cuthbert 
raspberry  which  instead  of  being  of  the  usual  shape  w^as  quite 
flattened  out,  having  grown  this  way. 

In  order  to  ensure  a  record  being  kept  of  the  meetings  of 
the  Botanical  Branch,  it  was  decided  to  recommend  a  Botanical 
Associate  Editor  to  the  new  council  of  the  Club,  Mr.  W.  T. 
Macoun  being  nominated  for  this  office. 

W.  T.  M. 


CANADIAN  SPECIES  OF  THALICTRUM.— II. 


By  Edward  L.   Greene. 

The  species  discussed  in  our  first  paper,  namely,  T. 
alpinum*  is  in  many  particulars  widely  different  from  every 
other;  so  very  different  that  no  member  of  any  other  group 
leads  up  to  it.  The  transition  to  any  others  is  abrupt;  there- 
fore it  is  unimportant  what  other  meadow  rue  be  selected  to 
immediately  succeed  it  in  a  systematic  sequence  of  the  species. 
It  may  as  well  be  that  other  northern  type,  or  aggregation, 
that  passes  under  the  name  of  T.  dioicum. 

Out  of  the  great  diversity  of  plants  so  designated  in  books 
and  herbaria  there  is  not  one  that  can  to  any  certainty,  or  even 
with  any  high  probability,  be  identified  with  that  of  Linnaeus. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  name  itself  that  is  indicative.  Almost 
all  meadow  rues,  certainly  the  greater  proportion  of  the  American 
species,  are  dioecious.  Moreover,  the  short  Linnaeus  description 
would  be  wholly  inadequate  to  the  determination  of  his  type, 
even  if  the  description  were  not  also  in  two  points  false  for 
anything  that  botanists  have  heretofore  called  T.  dioicum;  for 
he  says  that  both  the  sepals  and  the  filaments  of  his  plant  are 

*  cf.  Ott.  Nat.  xxiii. 


38  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

white. t  To  every  one  knowing  American  meadow  rues  such 
an  expression  will  seem  to  point  to  something  belonging  to  the 
group  of  T.  polygamum;  yet  when  he  assures  us  that  the  plant 
he  has  in  mind  is  hardly  a  foot  high,  and  is  also  distinguished 
from  all  other  members  of  the  genus  by  a  drooping  foliage,  we 
seem  to  see  that  he  probably  had  something  of  this  T.  dioicum 
sort  before  him. 

I  have  met  with  no  good  evidence  that  this  type  of 
Thalictrum  was  known  before  Kalm;  though  Philip  Miller  says 
that  Parkinson  grew  the  plant  a  hundred  years  earlier.  J  I  can 
not,  however,  verify  this  by  anything  which  I  find  in  Parkinson. 

Out  of  that  multitude  of  things  which,  while  answering  to 
the  Linnaean  account  of  the  size  and  habit  of  T.  dioicum,  are 
still  widely  dissimilar  among  themselves  in  essential  marks  of 
flower  and  fruit,  it  is  necessary  that  some  one  marked  type  be 
selected,  and  that  of  necessity  arbitrarily,  to  be  described,  as  not 
one  of  them  ever  yet  has  been,  with  something  approaching 
fulness  and  precision.  To  such  a  type,  though  arbitrarily 
chosen  from  among  others,  the  name  T.  dioicum  mav  l)e  assigned, 
according  to  the  now  prevailing  custom ;  though  from  several 
points  of  view  it  would  seem  wiser  to  abandon  that  name 
altogether,  as  one  that  has  never  been  adequately  published. 

Thalictrum  dioicum.  Thalictrum  dioicum,  Linn.,  Sp.  PI. 
545.  Stem  solitary,  1-2  feet  high,  upright  from  a  tuft  of  fleshy- 
fibrous  widely  spreading  and  not  deeply  seated  roots;  leaves  2 
or  3,  ample  for  so  small  a  plant,  long-petioled,  thin  and  delicate, 
deep-green  above,  pale  beneath,  glabrous;  terminal  leaflets  in 
maturity  1  inch  broad  or  more,  of  suborbicular  outline,  commonly 
with  subcordate  base,  the  length  seldom  quite  equalling  the 
breadth,  primary  lobes  3,  reaching  to  near  the  middle,  the 
central  one  broadly  equally  and  shortly  3-lobed,  the  other  two 
unequally  2-lobed,  or  sometimes  entire,  all  lobes  short  and  very 
obtuse;  lateral  leaflets  smaller,  in  general  3-5-lobed  with  little 
or  no  distinction  of  primary  and  secondary  lobes:  staminate 
plant  with  fewer  flowers  and  less  ample  inflorescence  than  the 
pistillate,  its  sepals  4,  oval,  obtuse,  thin,  pale,  often  purplish- 
tinged,  delicately  parallel-veined;  anthers  green,  not  quite  as 
long  as  the  purplish  filaments,  linear,  acutely  rather  long- 
pointed:  achenes  rather  light-green,  less  than  5  mm.  long,  of 
soraewhat  obliquely  elliptic  outline,  the  about  10  ribs  thick 
but  acutely  edged,  the  furrows  between  them  as  broad  and 
acute. 

Billings'  Bridge,  Ottawa,  Ont.,  J.  M.  Macoun,  12  May,  1891, 

t  Linn.  Sp.  PI.  545. 

X  Mill.  Diet.  Ed.  vii  (1749). 


1909  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  39 

being  Geol.  Surv.  No.  841,  a  rank  staminate  plant  in  flower; 
also  from  the  same  station  and  by  the  saine  collector,  June,' 
1898,  Geol.  Surv.  59,615,  the  summit  of  a  plant  in  mature  "fruit; 
also  "Whirlpool  Woods,"  Niagara,  Ont.,  9  May,  1901,  Geol.' 
Surv.  33,609,  staminate  plant  in  flower;  Wingha'm,  Ont.,  J  A 
Morton,  May,  1891,  Geol.  Surv.  840. 

Numerous  localities  for  the  same  type  as  occurring  within 
the  United  States  need  not  here  be  cited. 

Thalictrum  dioicum  var.  adiantinum.  Leaves  of  a  more 
vivid  and  rather  metallic  green  above,  also  marked  with  delicate 
dark  veins  and  veinlets ;  both  terminal  and  lateral  leaflets  more 
slightly  lobed  primarily  as  well  as  secondarily,  the  secondary 
extremely  short  and  subtruncate,  thrice,  and  even  more  than 
thrice  as  broad  as  long:  achenes  a  trifle  shorter  and  notably 
thicker  than  in  the  type,  being  4  mm.  long  and  of  oval-elliptic 
outline,  the  ribs  very  thick,  turgid,  broadly  rounded,  the  inter- 
vening furrows,  when  not  nearly  obsolete,  very  narrow  and 
sometimes  deep. 

Southwestern  Ontario,  near  St.  Thomas,  Mr.  Macoun,  24 
June,  1907,  Geol.  Surv.  72,515. 

The  specimens  of  this  quite  remarkable  and  very  handsome 
meadow  rue  consist  of  the  terminal  portions  of  two  fruiting 
plants.  The  largest  is  a  foot  long,  and  shows  but  one  of  the 
usually  two  or  three  leaves.  The  leaflets,  no  less  clearly  than 
the  achenes,  indicate  relationship  of  some  more  or  less  close 
degree  to  the  foregoing.  If  when  flowers  of  plant  become  known, 
especially  the  staminate,  these  show  as  much  divergence  from 
the  type  as  do  the  leaflets  and  the  fruits,  the  rank  of  a  distinct 
species  w411  be  assured  for  it. 

Thalictrum  dioicum,  var.  Huronense.  Size  and  habit 
perfectly  as  in  the  type,  but  leaflets  almost  v/ithout  distinction 
of  primary  lobes  and  secondary,  being  not  very  unequally  5-7 
crenate-lobed:  sepals  of  staminate  flowers,  more  green-her- 
baceous, purplish-edged,  the  veinlets  faint;  anthers  much 
elongated,  longer  than  the  filaments,  greenish-yellow,  pointless, 
not  even  mucronulate  but  rather  obtuse,  or  at  least  obtusish. 

Port  Huron,  Michigan,  4  May,  1896,  Charies  K.  Dodge;  the 

1^.  type  specimen  being  in  Herb.  Univ.  of  Wyoming.    The  remark- 

^    ably  long  and  quite  blunt  anthers  no  less  than  the  peculiar  cut 

of  the  foliage  mark  this  as  a  thing  not  to  be  confused  with  our 

ktype  of  T.  dioicum.  The  fruit  when  known  may  confirm  it  in 
the  rank  here  assigned,  or  may  demand  its  promotion. 
There  is  a  fragment  of  a  pistillate  specimen  mounted  with 
the  staminate,  purporting  to  have  been  obtained  a  week  later 
in  the  same  neighborhood;  but  the  one  leaf  which  this 
fragment  bears  shows  leaflets  of  a  cut  so  extremely  different  that 


40  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [May 

I  am  unable  to  think  of  it  as  representing  the  same  species.    The 
fruits  of  this  fragment  are  immature. 

Since  Port  Huron,  whence  this  new  variety  comes,  is  only 
separated  from  Ontario  by  the  St.  Clair  River,  it  becomes 
extremely  probable  that  this  plant  will  be  found  also  on  the 
Ontario  side;  so  that  it  ought  to  be  here  inserted  at  least  pro- 
visionally as  a  Canadian  type. 

Thalictrum  dioicum,  var.  Langpordii.  Stem  2  feet  high, 
marked  for  6  or  8  inches  up  to  the  first  and  sometimes  the  only 
well  developed  leaf;  leaflets  much  smaller  than  in  the  type, 
seldom  subcordate  or  even  subtruncate  at  base,  and  more  inclined 
to  flabelliform,  their  lobes  somewhat  less  obtuse:  filaments  short, 
purplish;  anthers  also  not  long  as  in  other  forms,  somewhat 
uncinate-mucronate:  achenes  long  and  narrow,  obliquely  oblong, 
fully  5  mm.  long,  their  10  ribs  not  very  thick,  closely  approxi- 
mate, more  or  less  wavy. 

Vanorder's  Grove  near  Kingston,  Ont.,  T.  E.  Langford, 
1897,  the  flowering  specimens  on  the  10th,  the  fruiting  on  the 
25th  of  May.  Tvpe  specimen  in  Herb.  Field  Museum,  Chicago, 
sheets  83,939  and  83,940. 

While  the  foliage  of  this  beautiful  form  does  not  so  widely 
differ  from  that  of  ordinary  T.  dioicum,  the  carpels,  with  their 
irregular  outline  and  undulating  rather  thin  ribs,  might  well 
be  thought  to  mark  a  species.  The  same  is  in  Herb.  Field  Mus., 
sheet  190,985,  from  Hamilton,  Massachusetts,  by  the  late  Thos. 
Morong,  in  1875,  the  flowers  in  May,  fruit  in  June;  the  waviness 
of  the  ribs  less  pronounced. 


THE  FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 


Since  the  appearance  of  the  note  in  our  April  issue,  a  fur- 
ther number  of  subscriptions  have  been  received  from  members 
of  the  Club  and  friends  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher.  There  must 
still,  however,  be  many  members  who  are  desirous  of  contribut- 
ing something  to  the  above  fund,  and  it  would  help  the  work  of 
the  Committee  very  much  if  they  would  intimate  the  amount 
of  their  subscription,  at  an  early  date,  to  the  Secretary-Treas- 
urer, Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  Central  Experimental  Farm. 


I 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,  JUNE,  1909  No.  3 


THE  PRONG-HORN   ANTELOPE. 

(Antilocapra  americana,  Ord.) 


By  Professor  Edward  E.   Prince,  Dominion  Commissioner 

OF  Fisheries,  Ottawa. 


Like  most  railway  travellers,  crossing  our  vast  wastes  of 

^irairie  in  the  west,  I  have  found  one  of  the  most  interesting 

occupations  to  be  that  of  observing  the  mammals,  birds,  etc., 

which  from  time  immemorial   have  peopled  the  lonely  plain 

bel!v/een  Brandon  and  the  foot-hills  of  the  Rockies.     It  has  been 

m  .1  lot  to  make  the  journey  nearly  a  score  of  times,  but  it  never 

proves  wearisome  if  one  keeps  a  sharp  lookout  for  living  creatures 

on  :hese  grassy  wilds.     On  my  last  recent  trip  Isaw  once  more 

th"^,  usual  gophers,  prairie    hares,  hawks,  ducks,  geese,  and  sea- 

g..llis  in  numbers,  the  beautiful  prairie  wolf  or  coyote  with  bushy 

tail,  either  wandering  deviously  like  a  lost  sheep-dog  or  taking 

a  survey  from  a  rising  knoll,  while  the  appearance  of  a  badge 

shambling  along  rewarded  my  sight.     These  I  had  seen  before, 

yet  in  spite  of  my  keen  watch  for  antelopes,  I  had  crossed  the 

prairie  time  after  time  without  seeing  those  wonderfully  interest- 

ir  -J  animals.     On  one  occasion,  however,  when  travelling  from 

Prince  Albert  to  Regina,  in  the  company  of  His  Grace  Monsignor 

Pascal,  and  I  was  in  the  act  of  expressing  my  disappointment 

at  always  failing  to  see  any  antelope.  His  Lordship  suddenly 

turned  to  the  right  as  we  stood  on  the  rear  platform  of  the  car, 

exclaiming,  "Why,  there  is  a  band  of  them,"  and,  lo,  five  or  six 

of  these  lovely  creatures  proudly  pranced  along  not  more  than. 

100  yards  from  the  train.     With  heads  aloft  and  stepping  high 

on  their  nimble  feet,  they  recalled  the  action  of  trained  ponies 

in  a  circus.    They  were  going  northward  as  our  train  sped  south, 

so  that  my  near  view  was  brief,  but  the  beautiful  animals  were 

so  near  and  apparently  so  fearless  that  I  had  ample  timeto 

notice  their  form,  colour,  and  general  appearance.    Their  active 

graceful  actions  delighted  me.   Few  experiences  in  the  wilds,  and 


42  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  [June 

I  have  had  many,  have  given  me  greater  pleasure,  and  I  felt 
rewarded  for  my  long  disappointment  in  failing  to  see  before 
that  remarkable  mammal  the  prong-horn  antelope  of  Canada. 

Several  years  have  since  elapsed  and  I  continued  to  keep 
a  keen  outlook  on  the  occasion  of  my  many  recent  journeys,  but 
I  was  not  privileged  to  see  the  antelope  again  until  a  few  weeks 
ago.  In  the  first  week  of  May,  about  70  miles  west  of  Swift 
Current,  a  western  man  in  the  Pullman  car  was  calling  my 
attention  to  a  large  herd  of  cattle  scattered  over  some  low  hills, 
400  or  500  yards  from  the  railway  track,  when  he  excitedly 
exclaimed,  "There's  a  small  band  of  antelope  beside  them." 
A  group  of  four  or  five  prong-horn  antelope  were  grazing  about 
one  hundred  yards  from  the  cattle.  They  fed  nervously  and 
every  few  seconds  one  or  other  of  them  would  raise  his  head  and 
look  round,  keeping  watch.  They  were  plainly  to  be  seen, 
though  less  favourably  than  the  group  which  I  had  observed  a 
few  years  before.  My  friend  had  the  keen  acute  vision  of  the 
western  man,  familiar  with  the  moving  objects  of  the  plains,  and 
he  had  made  no  mistake.  Indeed,  one  can  make  no  mistake 
about  this  graceful  prairie  animal  as  it  haughtily  tosses  its 
head  and  looks  round,  the  dark  perpendicular  horns  resembling 
a  high  crown  on  its  forehead  and  adding  to  its  proud  bearing. 
The  slender  neck  held  erect,  the  sharp  nose,  high  forehead,  small 
ears  not  unlike  those  of  a  pony,  and  the  forked  curved  horns, 
impart  to  it  a  peculiar  aspect,  very  characteristic,  and  not 
readity  forgotten.  There  is  a  resemblance  to  the  goat,  the 
delicate  trim  feet  and  the  erect  horns  being  so  goat-like,  but 
the  expression  of  the  eyes  and  the  light  graceful  bearing  recall 
the  deer  tribe.  Our  prong-horn  antelope  is  indeed  neither  a  deer 
nor  true  antelope  nor  goat,  but  is  intermediate  in  position,  and 
combines  their  zoological  features.  Like  the  giraffe,  which, 
is  also  a  unique  Ruminant,  the  antelope  of  the  Canadian  prairie 
occupies  a  position  by  itself  amongst  mammals.  The  Rumi- 
nantia  form  the  highest  group  of  the  even-toed  Ungulates  or 
hoofed  animals.  This  group  includes  the  Bovidae  or  hollow- 
horned  cattle,  oxen,  sheep,  goats,  and  true  antelopes;  the 
Cervidse  or  deer,  the  Ruminants  with  solid  horns;  the  Camelidae 
or  Camels;  and  two  peculiar  families,  the  Giraffidae  or  Giraffes, 
and  the  Antilocapridaj  or  Prong-horn  x^ntelopes.  These  two 
last  families  are  remarkable  as  containing  each  only  one  species, 
unless  there  be  two  species  of  Giraffes.  The  Prong-horn  is  there- 
fore a  unique  species  in  a  unique  family,  and  cannot  be  ranked 
with  any  other  living  ruminant.  In  height  our  antelope  is  about 
three  feet  at  the  shoulder  and  about  forty-eight  inches  from 
snout  to  tail,  while  its  weight  averages  70  pounds,  being  therefore 
much   smaller  than  the   Virginia   deer    (Cariacus   virginianiis). 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  43 

which  is  usually  four  feet  high  and  about  five  feet  in  length  and 
averages  100  to  175  pounds  in  weight.  The  general  ground- 
colour is  almost  white  with  a  kind  of  saddle  or  saddlecloth  patch 
on  the  back  and  the  side  of  the  body,  of  a  light  yellowish  brown; 
the  neck  is  brown  with  two  bands  or  collars  of  white  across  the 
throat,  there  is  a  dark  patch  on  each  cheek,  the  nose  is  dark 
and  the  chin  and  sides  of  the  mouth  pale  ochre.  The  tail  is 
almost  black,  and  a  large  patch  of  white  surrounds  the  tail 
region.  The  white  hairs  forming  this  large  rounded  patch  are 
said  to  be  erectile,  and  in  extreme  fear  or  anger  they  rise  and 
give  a  very  peculiar  appearance  to  the  prong-horn.  This  com- 
plex arrangement  of  white,  yellow,  and  dark  brown  wotild  be 
grotesque  were  it  not  for  the  grace  and  delicacy  of  the  form  and 
action  of  the  wearer  of  these  colours. 

The  sharp  goat -like  muzzle,  the  high  precipitous  forehead, 
the  bright  piercing  grey  eyes  near  the  summit  of  the  brow  and 
close  below  the  root  of  the  horns,  the  slender  erect  neck,  per- 
pendicular short  ears  and  the  deer-like  bod}^  make  a  peculiar 
combination.     The  creature  is  a  goat  with  its  trim  delicate  legs, 
not  an  antelope;   its  hair  is  coarse,  tubular  and  fragile  just  as  is 
the  hair  of  a  deer.   But  it  has  no  tear-canal  near  each  eye  with 
the  double  lachrymal  apertures  of  the  deer,  and  the  posterior 
accessory  hoof  or  "deer  claw"  is  absent.     There  is  a  mane,  not 
unlike  that  of  the  moose,  consisting  of  firm,  erect  red  hairs  pro- 
jecting four  or  five  inches  from  the  back  of  the  neck.     But  the 
most  striking  feature  is  the  pair  of  horns  standing  upright  on  the 
summit  of  the  brow,  10  or  12  inches  high  and  of  a  black  or  dark 
brown  colour,  thicker  at  the  base  and  for  a  third  of  the  total 
length,  at  which  point  the  prong  or  sharp  knob  projects  forward, 
while  the  sharp  upper  part  curves  backward  like  a  hook.     The 
short    anterior   fork   on   each   horn  imparts   a  peculiar  jaunty 
aspect  to  the  head,  and  justifies  the  name  "prong-horn."     But 
still  more  remarkable  is  the  fact  that  this  hollow  horn  is  de- 
ciduous or  shed  annually.     All  the  deer  tribe  have  solid  antlers, 
which  are  shed  each  season,  but  in  the  oxen,  antelopes,  goats, 
sheep,  etc.,  the  horns  which  are  of  the  nature  of  a  sheath  cover- 
ing a  projecting  bony  core  of  the  frontal  bone,  are  not  shed  but 
permanent  through  life.      Alone  amongst  cavicorn   or  hollow- 
horned  ruminants,  the  prong-horn  sheds  these  ornaments  which 
are  possessed  bv  both  sexes.      The  hollow  horn  becomes  loose 
in  mid-winter   after  the  "battles  of  the  fall,"  and  in  January 
or  earlier  they  drop  off.    The  frontal  process  or  core,  if  examined 
after  the  old  horn  has  dropped,  is  found  to  show  fine  white  pro- 
jecting hairs  developed  in  a  soft  epidermal  layer.     At  the  tip 
these  hairs  are  black  and  dense  and  they  coalesce  to  form  the  new 
horn.    A  writer  in  Forest  and  Stream  (New  York)  stated  that : — 


44  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

"Towards  autumn  the  periosteum  becomes  thicker,  and 
takes  on  the  character  of  skin,  and  from  this  skin  grows  the 
fine  hair,  which,  as  stated,  finally  pushes  the  sheath  of  the  old 
horn  away  from  its  supporting  bone,  and  at  the  extremity  of 
the  skin  becomes  new  hard  horn.  After  the  sheath  has  been 
shed,  the  hair  continues  to  grow,  and  as  it  grows  it  becomes 
matted  together  below  the  tip,  dark  and  hard,  and  gradually 
working  down  toward  the  head,  changes  from  a  covering  of  single 
hairs,  which  are  white  in  color,  to  a  mass  of  black  agglutinated 
fibres,  precisely  like  the  sheath  which  the  animal  carried  the 
year  before.  This  process  gradually  extends  further  and  further 
down  the  horn,  until  at  the  base  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  be 
certain  just  where  the  sheath  ends  and  the  skin  of  the  head  begins. 

"During  September  and  during  the  first  half  of  October, 
antelope  use  their  horns  to  some  extent  in  fighting,  and  often 
come  together  with  considerable  force  and  energv,  and  push 
head  to  head  for  a  long  time.  It  is  not  probable,  however,  that 
such  battles  are  ever  severe  enough  to  loosen  the  horns,  or  that 
they  have  anything  to  do  with  the  annual  loss  of  the  sheath, 
which  has  been  described." 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  female  prong-horn 
possesses  these  ornaments,  but  they  are  smaller,  rarely  more 
than  3  or  4  inches  long,  if  hunters  are  to  be  trusted.  Packard 
gives  an  interesting  figure,  after  Hays,  of  a  young  prong-horn 
with  a  pair  of  sharp  conical  horns,  not  pronged,  but  covered 
with  hair  like  the  rest  of  the  head.  Its  method  of  feeding  is 
unlike  that  of  the  deer  for  it  crops  grass  but  never  nibbles  ^: 
leaves  or  shrubs.  It  is  nomadic  and  so  far  as  I  could  learn  has 
no  special  local  haunts. 

Formerly  large  bands  numbering  thousands  roamed  over 
the  prairie,  but  it  is  now  scarce,  indeed  in  some  of  the  western 
states  it  is  quite  exterminated,  so  that  where  fifteen  years 
ago  in  a  county,  in  Colorado,  fifty  thousand  of  these  beau- 
tiful creatures  were  known  to  exist,  to-day  there  are  not 
fifty.  They  never  frequent  wooded  or  sheltered  districts,  but 
constantly  roam  over  the  open  plains  where  they  are  exposed 
to  the  hunter's  rapacity.  East  of  the  Rockies,  in  Canada,  small 
bands  may  be  found,  but  excepting  in  California  where  a  few 
have  occasionally  been  noticed,  the  prong-horn  is  absent  from 
the  coast  country  west  of  the  mountains.  Only  in  severe  storms 
do  they  forsake  the  open  country,  and  seek  shelter  on  the  slopes 
of  coulees,  and  they  have  been  known  to  migrate  hundreds  of 
miles  in  winter  to  find  slopes  where  the  snow  was  light  and  feed 
obtainable.  They  cannot  subsist  on  the  rich  eastern  grasses,  or 
live  confined  in  sheltered  reserves,  and  in  captivity  very  little 
grass  must  be  given  if  the  captives  are  to  be  kept  in  health. 


**7 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  45 

Even  on  the  prairie  they  are  subject  to  mysterious  maladies,  due 
no  doubt  to  improper  food,  and  they  have  been  noticed  to  be 
plentiful  one  year  and  very  ■scarce  the  next  from  this  cause. 
The  year  1873  (or  1874)  was  said  to  be  a  scarce  year  for  prong- 
horns.  Owing  to  their  rapid  nimble  gait  they  can  cover  long 
distances,  especially  when  disturbed.  "In  fleetness",says  Caton, 
"they  exceed  all  other  quadrupeds  of  our  continent."  When 
feeding  out  in  the  open,  usually  standing  prominently  on  some 
rounded  grassy  area,  they  are  visible  from  a  long  distance;  but 
on  the  lower  fiats,  and  near  coulees,  they  are  less  easily  detected 
as  their  peculiar  patched  coloration  effectually  masks  them. 
When  watched  one  sees  them  feeding  for  a  few  moments  and 
then  moving  on,  one  or  two  of  the  herd  constantly  raising  the 
head  and  keeping  a  lookout.  The  wolves  are  their  main  enemies, 
apart  from  the  insatiable  cruelty  of  man,  and  in  June  when  the 
voung  are  born,  the  prong-horns  are  especially  on  the  alert. 
Theodore  Roosevelt  tells  of  the  spectacle  described  by  a  western 
rancher  who  saw  a  prong-horn  attacked  b}-  two  eagles.  It  was 
a  brave  contest,  the  animal  rearing  on  his  hind  legs  and  striking 
like  a  goat  with  his  horns  and  hoofs.  Curiosity  is  so  strong  in 
these  animals  that  it  makes  them  an  easy  pre)'.  When  suddenly 
startled  they  make  several  leaps,  high  from  the  ground,  then 
stop  and  stare  wildly.  They  are  easily  shot  theit.  Often  a  band 
will  run  a  few  hundred  yards,  wheel  about  and  stare  vacantlv, 
and  return  almost  to  their  starting  point.  This  "circling"  habit 
enables  the  unscrupulous  hunter  to  slaughter  a  whole  herd, 
indeed  a  hunter  has  been  known  to  shoot  a  wagon  load  of  them 
before  the  remnant  of  the  herd  fled  away.  When  once  started 
in  full  cry  they  veritably  fly,  apparently  scarcely  touching  the 
ground;  but  they  are  soon  exhausted  and  a  horse  has  no  diffi- 
culty in  keeping  up  with  them  if  the  chase  is  prolonged.  A 
bright  cloth  waved  on  a  stick  wiU  cause  a  herd  to  approach  a 
partly  hidden  hunter.  The  older  larger  animals  are  the  most 
inquisitive,  and  the  hunter  can  make  sure  of  the  finest  prong- 
horns.  Curious,  nervous,  swift  in  flight,  they  have  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  pluckv  when  cornered  and  make  a  gallant  and 
dangerous  fight.  When  leisurely  trotting  along  at  their  leisure, 
as  I  saw  them  from  the  end  of  a  Pullman  car,  nothing  could  be 
more  easy,  elegant,  and  confident.  I  have  only  once  tasted 
prong-horn  or  antelope  steak,  and  I  found  it  juicy,  fine-grained 
and  of  exceedingly  good  flavour. 

Why  is  it  that  this  lovely  and  scientifically  interesting 
native  animal  is  allowed  to  be  exterminated'  Its  numbers  on 
our  prairie  are  few  compared  with  the  large  bands  of  twenty 
years  ago.  Unlike  the  buffalo,  as  settlement  proceeds,  it  need 
not    become   extinct  if  protection  is  afforded  and  our  praine 


46  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

settlers  educated  to  care  for,  and  not  destroy,  this  almost  unique 
creature.  The  vast  herds  of  buffalo  had  to  go,  the  huge  savage 
bovine  defied  the  settler;  but  this  swift  and  timid  animal  would 
keep  out  on  the  lonely  waste  far  from  danger,  and  would  sur^•ive, 
(  were  anything  done  to  prevent  merciless  slaughter. 

Antilocapra  amencana,  Ord.,  is  dissociated  in  every  way  from 
the  typical  antelopes  of  the  old  world  and  is  neither  a  deer,  a  goat, 
a  sheep,  nor  an  ox.  One  American  author  says,  "It  is  like  an 
island  in  a  vast  sea,  unrelated,"  though  it  would  be  more  true 
to  say  that  it  is  a  connecting  link  related  to  many  diverse 
branches  of  the  Ruminantia.  Its  horns  are  hollow  like  the 
Bovidas,  but  deciduous  like  the  Cervidae;  yet  it  has  the  gall- 
bladder which  no  deer  possesses.  Scent  glands  which  antelopes 
and  deer -exhibit ,  the  prong-horn  lacks,  nor  has  it  the  tear  sinus, 
nor  the  posterior  hoof  or  "deer  claw."  Mr.  Roosevelt  charac- 
terizes it  as  "the  extraordinary  prong-buck,  the  only  hollow- 
horned  ruminant  which  sheds  its  horns  annually" — and  it  is  the 
sole  species  in  the  family  Antilocapridae,  a  family  all  by  itself. 
It  combines  features  of  the  deer,  antelope,  goat  and  sheep,  and 
can  be  compared  only  to  the  giraft'e  in  this  respect  as  occupying 
an  isolated  zoological  position  amongst  the  Ungulates. 

In  confinement  it  makes  a  great  pet,  but  rarely  lives  long 
and,  until  June,  1903,  none  had  been  known  to  have  been 
born  in  captivitv.  It  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  domesticate 
completely  and,  since  it  was  first  scientifically  described  in  1855, 
and  its  peculiar  features  studied  in  a  captive  specimen  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens,  London,  its  numbers  have  continued  to 
decrease  so  that  it  bids  fair  to  soon  become  one  of  the  rarest  of 
our  interesting  larger  native  mammals. 


AVINTER  BIRDS  AT  POINT  PELEE. 
Bv  W.  E.  Sauxders,  London,  Ont. 


The  most  southerly  piece  of  land  in  Canada  is  the  south 
end  of  Point  Pelee,  the  latitude  being  about  41'  55°,  while 
London  is  almost  exactly  43'  and  Ottawa  about  45'  25°.  It 
will  readily  be  seen  that  there  is  sufficient  \-ariance  between 
these  places  to  make  a  radical  difference  in  the  winter  bird 
population  and  it  was,  therefore,  with  niuch  interest  that  Mr. 
J.  S.  Wallace  and  I  undertook  this  year  a  couple  of  journeys 
to  determine  what  the  winter  population  of  the  Point  actually 
was. 

In  the  midst  of  a  mild  season  it  happened  tlvat  the  two 
closing  days  of  January  and  the  Ist  of  February  produced  the 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  47 

most  severe  weather  that  had  been  seen  at  Point  Pelee  durincr 
the  whole  winter,  so  that,  as  far  as  enjoyment  was  concerned, 
it  could  not  be  called  first  class,  but  for  the  real  purpose  we  had 
in  mind,  namely,  to  find  out  just  what  birds  stayed  at  the  Point 
through  the  winter,  it  was  perhaps  ideal.  If  the  birds  have  the 
power  of  foretelling  weather  and  desired  to  miss  the  most 
strenuous  spells,  they  certainly  would  have  been  absent  from 
the  Point  at  this  time.  The  two  closing  days  of  January  were 
one  continuous  blizzard,  and  yet,  in  the  midst  of  weather  of  this 
character,  the  Carolina  Wrens  were  still  to  be  heard  singing. 
Cardinals  ought  to  be  fair  winter  singers,  but  the  weather  over- 
came their  spirits.  They  and  the  Carolinas  are  usually  to  be 
found  even  in  summer,  in  that  part  of  the  Point  which  we  call 
"The  Jungle,"  composed  of  a  tangle  of  grape  vines  with  shrubbery 
in  a  rather  open  forest  growth,  and  here  were  grouped  most  of 
the  birds  that  we  saw,  and  a  queer  group  it  was.  Bluebirds  and 
Robins,  Carolina  Wrens  and  Cardinals,  Redpolls  and  Goldfinches, 
Evening  Grosbeaks  and  Cedar  birds,  with  three  Bohemian 
Waxwings,  all  living  under  practically  the  same  conditions, 
although  at  varying  heights  from  the  ground.  In  the  list  which 
is  appended,  everything  which  we  expected  we  might  find  is 
not  included,  and  on  the  contrary,  of  those  which  we  found  we 
are  inclined  to  think  are  not  regular  winter  residents.  For 
instance,  our  one  Brown  Thrasher  and  Chipping  Sparrow, 
although  in  good  condition  physically  were  probably  left  behind 
through  some  unusual,  and  perhaps  individual  cause. ,  The  lone 
Cowbird  was  not  in  good  health  and  doubtless  felt  unable  to 
make  the  crossing. 

It  would  seem,  however,  that  the  Hermit  Thrushes, 
Chewinks,  Vesper  and  White-throated  Sparrows,  Bluebirds, 
Robins  and  Flickers  must  be  regular  winter  residents.  It  chanced 
that  we  saw  onlv  one  Song  Sparrow  on  two  separate  days,  but 
it  is  hardly  to  be  doubted  that  further  exploration  of  the  thickets 
would  have  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  more. 

In  the  following  Hst  the  numbers  noted  are  those  taken  from 
the  days  of  greatest  abundance.  As  we  were  working  the  same 
ground  every  day  it  would  be  manifestly  unfair  to  consider  that 
we  saw  different  birds  each  day,  but  the  probability  is  that  we 
saw  rather  more  than  the  numbers  given. 

Bluebird 40  Redpoll 50 

Robin 15  Purple  Finch 60 

Hermit  Thrush 5  W.  W.  Crossbill 1 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet .  .  40  Evening  Grosbeak 3 

Brown  Creeper 15  Cedar  Bird 15 

Carolina  Wren 11  Bohemian  Waxwing "i 


48  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

White-breasted  Nuthatch.  3  Flicker 8 

Brown  Thrasher 1  Downy  Woodpecker 10 

Cardinal 8  Dove 1 

Chewink 5  Crow 1 

Cowbird 1  Blue  Jay 5 

Junco 25  Prairie  Horned  Lark 1 

Snowflake 50  Marsh  Hawk 3 

Vesper  Sparrow 4  Cooper's  Hawk 10 

Song  Sparrow 1  Red-shouldered  Hawk..  .  .  ] 

Tree  Sparrow 100  Bald  Eagle 3 

Chipping  Sparrow. 1  Long-tailed  Duck 500 

White-throated  Sparrow.  .  0  Am.  Merganser 10 

Goldfinch 30  Golden  Eye  Duck 1 

Pine  Finch 10  Herring  Gull 25 

Our  next  visit  to  the  Point  was  on  March  14,  15  and  16, 
by  which  time  a  large  number  of  changes  had  taken  place.  We 
arrived  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  13th  and  the  next  morning 
our  ears  were  greeted  by  songs  of  the  Robin,  Song  Sparrow  and 
Cardinal,  and  the  call  of  the  Chewink.  Before  the  day  had  fully 
dawned  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  end  of  the  Point  to  see,  if 
possible,  the  northern  migrations  in  the  very  act  of  arrival  from 
the  south.  On  our  way  down  the  Carolina  Wrens  were  added 
to  the  above-named  chorus  and  numbers  of  other  birds  were 
heard,  particularly  Bluebirds  and  Crows.  At  the  end  of  the 
Point  we  found  we  were  doomed  to  disappointment  as  we  saw 
nothing  whatever  arrive  from  the  south.  To  our  surpirse  we 
saw  a  small  number  of  English  Sparrows'  migrating  south  and 
this  experience  was  repeated  in  the  days  following,  but  northern 
migration  of  the  same  species  was  also  noted  on  the  latter  days. 
A  short  distance  away  from  the  end  of  the  Point  we  saw  a  large 
flock  of  Cedar  Waxwings  which  we  judged  were  just  arriving, 
and  on  the  15th  a  flock  of  Cowbirds  in  the  same  condition,  but 
both  of  these  were  flying  vigorously  and  might  have  rested  near 
the  end  of  the  Point. 

Two  curious  facts  were  noted,  first,  three  Shore  Larks  came 
from  near  the  end  of  the  Point  and  flew  north-east  across 
the  Lake,  only  a  few  feet  above  the  water.  They  disappeared 
in  the  distance  still  holding  the  same  direction.  The  other  occur- 
rence was  that  of  a  small  flock  of  about  nine  Crossbills  which 
flew  almost  directly  east  up  the  Lake.  We  watched  them 
also   until   they   had   disappeared,   still   holding  their  course. 

The  jungle  chorus  on  this  trip  was  something  to  be  re- 
membered. The  birds  seemed  to  congregate  in  the  same  locality 
as  that  in  which  we  found  them  six  weeks  before  but  their 
numbers  were  very  much  increased  and  the  later  date  brought 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  49 

them  into  a  much  more  musical  frame  of  mind.  The  group 
found  on  this  trip  consisted  of  about  20  or  30  each  of  Redwings 
and  Rusty  Blackbirds,  50  Purple  Finches,  100  Tree  Sparrows, 
5  White-throats  and  50  Redpolls,  with  an  occasional  Carolina 
Wren.  All  of  these  were  singing  nicely,  though  of  course  they 
had  not  yet  their  full  spring  voices.  Added  to  these  were  others, 
such  as  Juncos,  Bluebirds,  Waxwings  and  Goldfinches,  which 
were  not  as  yet  singing  at  all  but  the  melody  produced  by  all 
these  sweet  voices  was  exceedingly  agreeable  to  our  ears,  eager 
as  we  were  for  bird  music.  Each  day  this  group  of  birds  was  to 
be  found  in  the  same  spot  which  was  evidently  the  song  centre 
for  the  whole  Point. 

On  our  former  trip  we  saw  four  Vesper  Sparrows  and  toward 
the  end  of  February  Messrs.  Taverner  and  Swales  also  saw  four 
of  these,  but  on  the  present  occasion  only  one  was  noted.  This, 
however,  is  sufficient  to  show  that  this  species  does  winter  in 
Canada,  although  in  small  numbers. 

With  the  thawing  of  the  ice  in  the  marsh  the  muskrat 
trapping  had  begun  and  the  ducks  were  returning.  Black  Ducks 
were  in  the  majority  but  Redheads,  Ruddys  and  Buffles  were 
also  there,  and  on  the  open  Lake  the  two  large  Mergansers  and 
the  Golden  Eye,  nearly  200  altogether  were  seen. 

The  Bohemian  Waxwings  of  our  former  trip  were  gone  and 
we  saw  no  Grosbeaks  either,  but  winter  had  left  one  representa- 
tiA^e  behind  in  the  person  of  a  Snowflake.  We  had  not  a  very 
good  view  of  this  bird  but  it  appeared  to  be  acquiring  the  black 
spring  plumage. 

The  last  birds  which  we  added  to  our  list  were  the  Kildeer 
and  Bronzed  Grackle,  only  7  of  the  latter.  At  London  one  is 
puzzled  to  know  which  Blackbird  arrives  first  and  my  own  idea 
has  been  that  the  Bronzed  is  ahead  of  the  others,  but  our  ex- 
perience at  Pelee  seems  to  point  to  the  Redwing  and  Rusty  as 
the  earlier  species,  with  the  Cowbird  next,  followed  closely_  by 
the  Bronzed,  of  which  there  had  been  no  noteworthy  arrival 
up  to  March  15th.  Of  course  the  relative  date  of  arrival  in  other 
years  might  vary  from  that  of  1909,  but  certainly  Point  Pelee 
seems  to  be  the'  place  where  migrations  can  be  studied  under 
advantages  which  cannot  be  obtained  elsewhere. 

One  exceedingly  striking  point  noted  during  last  autumn, 
and  this  spring  so  far,  has  been  the  entire  absence  of  any  migra- 
tory movement  on  the  part  of  the  Chicadee.  One  bird,  I  think, 
comprises  the  whole  number  seen  in  about  eighteen  days' 
observation  during  the  period  mentioned,  showing  that  this 
bird  sometimes,  at  least,  is  practically  resident. 

The  following  list  comprises  as  nearly  as  possible  the  birds 
seen  on  the  three  days  of  this  latter  trip: — 


50 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[June 


Bluebird 300 

Robin 100 

Hemiit  Thrush 1 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet.  .  75 

Brown  Creeper 2 

Carolina  Wren 10 

White-breasted  Nuthatch.  1 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch. .  .  1 

Cardinal 15 

Chewink 10 

Cowbird 150 

Bronzed  Grackle 7 

Red-winged  Blackbird. ...  150 

Rustv  Blackbird 75 

Meadow  Lark 2  5 

Junco 50 

Snowflake 1 

Vesper  Sparrow 1 

Song  Sparrow 100 

Tree  Sparrow 150 

White-throated  Sparrow.  .  5 

Goldfinch 30 

Purple  Finch.  , 50 


Red  Cross  Bill 13 

Redpoll 100 

Cedar  Bird 100 

Flicker 5 

Downy  Woodpecker 4 

Crow.'. 400 

Blue  Jay 5 

Prairie  Horned  Lark 15 

Marsh  Hawk 4 

Great  Horned  Owl 1 

Bald  Eagle 1 

Kildeer  Plover 2 

Red-head  Duck 40 

Buffle-head  Duck 12 

Black  Duck 150 

Golden  Eve  Duck 7 

Blue  BiUDuck 8 

Ruddy  Duck 2 

Am.  Merganser 150 

Red-breasted  Merganser.  .  150 

Ring  Billed  Gull 10 

Herring  Gull 50 


MEETINGS  OF  THE  ENTOMOLOGICAL  BRANCH. 


December  17th,  1908.  Meeting  held  at  the  residence  of 
Mr.  W.  H.  Harrington.  Present:  Messrs.  Halkett,  Groh,  Baldwin, 
Gibson,  Young,  Wilson,  Eifrig,  MacLaughlin,  Harrington  (in  the 
chair),  and  Master  G.  Eifrig. 

On  opening  the  meeting  the  Chairman  referred  to  the  great 
loss  which  the  Entomological  Branch,  in  the  death  of  Dr.  James 
Fletcher,  had  sustained.  He  spoke  of  his  remarkable  knowledge 
of  all  things  concerning  insects,  and  how  much  he  would  be  missed 
by  all  the  members  of  the  Branch,  by  all  of  whom  he  was  much 
loved.  The  December  numbers  of  the  Canadian  Entomologist, 
Entomological  News,  Le  Naturalist  Canadien,  and  the  Journal 
of  Economic  Entomology,  all  of  which  had  full  obituary  notices, 
were  shown  by  Mr.  Harrington,  and  read  by  those  present.  The 
Chairman  also  referred  to  the  death  of  Dr.  William  Ashmead, 
of  the  United  States  National  Museum,  and  showed  his  photo- 
graph. Dr.  Ashmead  was  one  of  the  leading  scientific  entomo- 
logists of  North  America,  being  the  highest  authority  on  the 
large  order,  the  Hymenoptera.  Mr.  Harrington  also  showed 
Fascicule    No.    62    of    Genera    Insectorum,    on    the    subfamily 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  51 

Pimplinffi.  This  was  much  admired  by  all  present.  He  also 
placed  on  view  several  cases  containing  his  collection  of  local 
species.     These  were  of  much  interest. 

Mr.  Groh  exhibited  a  box  containing  about  eight  species  of 
plant  lice  illustrating  the  differences  in  size,  wing  venation  and 
general  structure.  Mr.  Groh  reported  that  he  had  given  special 
attention  to  the  collection  of  plant  lice  during  late  summer  and 
autumn  and  had  found  these  insects  on  about  70  different  plants. 

Mr.  Baldwin  exhibited  some  lepidoptera,  in  all  20  specimens. 
These  were  all  of  local  species  which  had  been  collected  during  the 
past  summer.  Some  fine  specimens  were  noticed  of  Oligia 
festivoides,  Melalopha  apicalis  and  Azelina  ancetaria. 

Mr.  Young  exhibited  some  living  chrysalids  of  one  of  the 
Orange-tips,  (Anihocharis).  These  are  curious  objects  with  their 
conspicuous  keel-shaped  projection.  The  specimens  were  collect- 
ed by  Mr.  Young  at  Departure  Bay,  B.C.  He  also  showed  some 
parasitized  larvae,  and  living  pupae  of  a  species  of  Aids,  a  geo- 
metrid  moth.  A  general  discussion  followed  on  the  pupation  of 
the  Rhopalocera. 

Mr.  Gibson  showed  a  small  collection  of  named  Ephemeridae 
which  had  been  collected  in  Manitoba,  chiefly  at  Winnipeg,  by 
Mr.  J.  B.  Wallis.  It  was  pointed  out  that  good  work  could  be 
done  in  making  collections  of  these  insects  and  in  observing  their 
habits,  as  little  was  known  concerning  the  greater  number  of 
Canadian  species.  A  box  of  Hemiptera  taken  at  Vernon,  B.C., 
by  Mr.  E.  P.  Venables  was  examined  with  interest.  Among  these 
were  specimens  of  Eurygaster  carinatus,  Carpocoris  remotus, 
Nysius  scolopax  and  Geocoris  uliginosus,  var.  limbatus. 

Rev.  G.  Eifrig  exhibited  a  small  collection  of  lepidoptera 
which  he  had  made  in  Germany  in  1908.  Also  a  few  specimens 
of  the  large  handsome  Mcrphns  from  Brazil.  These  were  much 
admired.  A.   G. 


January  7th,  1909.  Held  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Arthur 
Gibson.  Present:  Messrs.  Harrington,  Simpson  Baldwin,  Eifrig 
Jr.,  Groh,  Halkett,  Metcalfe,  Young  and  Gibson. 

Mr.  Harrington  spoke  at  some  length  on  the  sub-familv  Pim- 
plinag  of  the  Hymenoptera.  He  had  been  re-arranging  his  local 
collection  of  these  insects;  and  stated  that  70  different  species 
are  known  to  occur  at  Ottawa.  Of  these  he  exhibited  48  species 
and  gave  information  concerning  many  of  them.  The  sub- 
family Pimplinffi  belongs  to  the  super-family  Ichneumoidea,  the 
members  of  which  have  unusually  long  and  slender  bodies. 
They  are  decidedly  beneficial  in  nature,  preying  upon  injurious 
kinds  of  insects;  they  thus  render  very  important  service  to  the 
agriculturist. 


7' 

f' 


52  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

Mr.  Metcalfe  showed  Anisota  rubicunda,  a  very  beautiful 
moth,  also  specimens  of  the  injurious  leaf-hopper,  Typhlocyha 
rosce.  The  insects  known  as  leaf-hoppers  occur  on  grasses  and 
trees  and  shrubs  of  all  kinds,  and  many  are  decidedly  destructive. 
Mr.  Gibson  spoke  of  the  injury  caused  last  year  in  eastern 
Ontario  to  potatoes,  beans  and  other  plants  by  the  apple  leaf- 
hopper,  Enipoasca  malt. 

Mr.  Baldwin  exhibited  specimens  of  Silvanus  SMrinamensis 
which  had  been  found  in  Ottawa  on  bags  of  flour.  This  little 
beetle  is  a  well  known  enemy  of  stored  grain,  dried  fruits,  etc. 
He  also  showed  a  small  general  collection  of  coleoptera,  among 
which  was  noticed  a  specimen  of  Pityobius  anguinus  which  is 
rare  at  Ottawa. 

Mr.  Young  brought  to  the  meeting  a  box  of  micro-lepidoptera 
beautifully  mounted.  Among  these  were  co-types  of  recently 
described  new  species,  viz. :  Crambus  yotmgelhts,  Crambus  polingi, 
Crambus  nevadellus ,  and  Thaumotopsis  coloradella. 

Mr.  Groh  showed  examples  of  the  Greenhouse  White  Fly 
(Aleyrodes)  in  the  egg,  larval  and  perfect  states.  He  mentioned 
that  these  insects  were  of  considerable  economic  importance,  and 
outlined  some  experiments  in  destroying  them  by  fumigation 
with  hydroc3^anic  gas,  which  he  had  carried  on  while  attending 
the  Ontario  Agricultural  College  at  Guelph. 

Mr.  Halkett  spoke  of  some  dipterous  larvse  which  he  had 
found  in  the  Northwest  feeding  in  the  head  of  a  bird.  The  flies 
had  been  reared  but  as  yet  had  not  been  identified. 

Mr.  Gibson  showed  a  collection  of  Sesiidae  most  of  which  had 
recently  been  named  by  Mr.  W.  Beutenmuller,  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  York.  None  of  the  species 
were  particularly  rare,  but  the  exhibit  as  a  whole  was  interesting. 
These  moths  resemble  rather  closely  wasps  or  hornets.  The 
larvae  are  borers  living  in  the  stems,  trunks,  roots,  or  branches 
of  living  trees.  A  fine  pair  each  of  Catocala  coccinata,  taken  at 
Winnipeg,  Man.,  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Wallis,  and  Hepialus  hyperboreus, 
collected  at  Hymers,  Ont.,  bv  Mr.  H.  Dawson,  were  also  shown. 

A.  G. 


January  28th,  1909.  Held  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  W. 
Simpson.  The  members  present  were:  Messrs.  Harrington, 
Halkett,  Metcalfe,  Groh,  Eifrig  Jr  ,  Gibson,  Baldwin,  Young  and 
Simpson  in  the  chair.  Numerous  specimens  were  exhibited  by 
the  various  members  in  turn,  all  of  which  called  forth  keen 
discussion 

Mr.  Harrington  showed  a  number  of  flies  of  the  curious 
genus  Microdon,  and  read  portions  of  an  article  on  them  by 
Wheeler  in  the  Journal  of  the  New  York  Entomological  Society. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  53 

The  larval  and  pupal  stages,  which  are  spent  in  the  nests  of  ants 
have  always  been  a  source  of  perplexity  to  many  collectors,  and 
even  to  naturalists  of  experience,  as  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
the>-  have  been  repeatedly  named  and  placed  in  genera  even  out- 
side of  the  insect  world.  They  are  especially  liable  to  be  taken 
for  snails.  The  larv^  seem  to  be  tolerated  by  the  ants,  and 
evidently  do  them  no  harm.  It  is  not  known  with  certainty  on 
what  they  feed. 

Mr.  Groh  had  some  cockroaches,  with  their  egg-masses 
attached.  The  eggs  of  these  creatures  are  all  laid  at  once, 
enclosed  in  a  sort  of  capsule,  which  is  large  for  the  size  of  the 
insect.  They  are  carried  about  for  some  time  before  being 
deposited. 

The  Chairman  exhibited  several  cases  of  specimens,  com- 
menting on  specimens  of  particular  interest.  Among  them  were 
many  insects  which  were  examined  closelj^ 

Mr.  Metcalfe  showed  a  box  of  miscellaneous  insects,  among 
which  were  a  species  of  Machronycus  and  Stenehnis  crenatus. 
These  are  acquatic  in  their  habits,  and  somewhat  snail-like  in 
motion. 

A  box  of  lepidoptera,  shown  by  Mr.  Baldwin,  included 
several  species  uncommon  at  Ottawa.  Mention  may  be  made  of 
Euchalcia  venusta,  E.  putnanii,  Hyphoraia  parthenos,  and  Haploa 
confusa.    They  were  all  taken  during  1908  at  light. 

Mr.  Young  exhibited  a  small  collection  of  British  Columbia 
coleoptera,  which  contained  several  specimens  of  the  handsome, 
large  wood-borer,  Rosalia  funebris. 

Mr.  Gibson  reported  that  some  nests  of  the  dreaded  Brown- 
tail  Moth  had  been  found  in  shipments  of  nursery  stock  imported 
into  Ontario  from  France.  This  necessitated  a  close  inspection 
of  all  such  shipments  coming  into  Canada.  He  showed  actual 
nests  which  had  been  taken  from  fruit  seedling  stocks  found  to 
be  infested.  He  also  exhibited  specimens  of  the  curious  little 
Bvrrid,  Exoma  pleuralis,  collected  at  Metlakatla,  B.C.,  by  the 
Rev.  J.  H.  Keen. 

Mr.  Halkett  read  some  interesting  paragraphs  on  the  dura- 
tion of  the  life  of  insects  from  a  work  entitled  "The  Prolongation 
of  Life,"  by  Elie  Metchnikoff,  sub-Director  of  the  Pasteur 
Institute.  Paris,  France,  and  also  paragraphs  from  the  same 
work  on  "The  Social  Life  of  Insects."  He  also  showed  a  number 
of  living  mites  which  had  been  handed  to  him  by  Mr.  Henry,  the 
taxidermist,  who  had  found  *:hem  on  canaries. 

H.  G. 


54  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

MEETINGS  OF  THE  BOTANICAL  BRANCH. 


Held  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  D.  A.  Campbell,  226  Clemow 
Avenue,  Saturday  evening,  March  20th,  1909.  There  were 
present  in  addition  to  the  host,  Messrs.  Attwood,  Whyte,  Clarke, 
Gibson,  Michaud,  Bond,  and  W.  T.  Macoun. 

The  subject  for  the  evening's  discussion  was  "The  Stems 
of  Seed  Plants."  Lantern  slides,  photographs  and  drawings  of 
sections  of  various  stems  were  used  to  illustrate  the  types  dis- 
cussed. After  a  reference  to  the  monocotyledon  stem,  a  series 
of  slides  was  exhibited  showing  the  various  stages  leading  from 
the  soft  herbaceous  stem  with  relatively  small  wood  bundles 
to  the  woody  stem  with  the  wood  bundle  the  major  portion  of 
the  stem.  These  furnished  the  material  for  the  discussion. 
Among  the  topics  dealt  with  were  growth  in  length  and  in 
diameter,  and  the  elements  of  the  stem  which  contributed  to 
this  growth,  the  chief  active  living  portion  of  the  stem  being 
the  cambium,  the  medullary  ray  cells,  the  younger  inner  bast, 
and  the  young  outer  wood.  The  function  of  each  of  these  parts 
of  the  tree  stem  was  dealt  with.  The  wood  cells  of  the  heart 
of  the  tree  gave  stiffness,  the  wood  cells  of  the  sap  wood  were 
the  channels  for  water  from  root  to  leaf,  the  sieve  tubes  of  the 
bast  carried  food  from  leaf  towards  ro6t,the  cambium  was  the 
source  of  new  cells  added  to  wood  and  bast,  the  medullary  rays 
served  to  carrv  water  and  plant  food  across  the  stem. 

In  the  discussion  on  sap  flow  and  ascent  of  water  in  the 
stem,  some  of  the  members  were  in  doubt  as  to  the  existence 
of  such  a  force  as  root  pressure  and  some  were  not  prepared  to 
accept  the  proposition  that  living  plant  cells  have  the  power 
to  select  certain  substances  from  the  soil.  It  seems  necessary 
to  assume  a  root  pressure  to  account  for  the  ascent  of  water 
in  a  glass  tube  tied  tightly  a  few  inches  above  the  soil  to  the 
cut  end  of  a  stem. 

In  reference  to  selective  absorption  it  was  pointed  out  that 
two  trees  may  grow  in  the  same  soil  and  one  may  contain  more 
ash  than  the  other.  Barley  and  red  clover  in  flower  grown  in  the 
same  soil  have  about  the  same  total  ash  or  mineral  matter,  yet 
the  clover  contains  over  five  times  as  much  lime  as  the  barley 
and  the  barley  about  eighteen  times  as  much  silica  as  the 
clover. 

Reference  was  made  to  a  recent  explanation  of  the  ascent 
of  water  in  trees  of  great  height.     This  explanation  will  be  con-  - 
sidered  more  fully  at  some  future  time.     It  was  generally  con- 
sidered that  the  known  forces  seem  inadequate  to  fully  account 
for  the  phenomenon.  ^-    T:ii-^*^ 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  55 

Held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte,  Saturday,  April  3rd, 
1909.  Present;  Prof.  John  Macoun,  Messrs.  Whyte,  Attwood,' 
Clarke,  Bond,  Cameron,  Campbell,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Groh,  and 
Newman.  As  per  previous  arrangement,  Mr.  L.  H.  Newman 
acted  as  Chairman  and  opened  the  discussion  on  the  following 
subject:  "Certain  Biological  Principles  and  their  Relation  to 
Plant  Improvement."  The  speaker  outlined  some  of  the  prin- 
ciple theories  respecting  the  methods  of  organic  evolution  and 
made  some  deduction  from  the  behavior  of  plants  in  Nature 
which  he  considered  to  be  suggestive  of  how  plants  growing 
under  domestication  might  be  improved.  A  most  interesting 
discussion  followed  the  presentation  of  this  subject  and  many 
important  observations  were  submitted  as  contributions  to  our 
knowledge  of  the  various  factors  and  circumstances  which  have 
a  bearing  upon  the  development  and  improvement  of  our 
domestic  plants. 

At  the  request  of  the  Associate  Editor  of  the  Club  in  Botany 
the  Chairman  agreed  to  prepare  his  remarks  in  the  form  of  a 
special  article  to  appear  in  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  at  an 
earlv  date. 

L.  H.  N. 

OUR  FIRST  EXCURSION  OF  THE  SEASON  OF  1909. 


The  excursion  of  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalist's  Club,  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  24th  of  April,  was  not  much  favored  by  the 
weather.  Although  there  was  no  rain,  the  sun  even  shining  over- 
head in  all  its  brightness,  yet  the  thermometer  hovered  between 
3  5  and  40°,  which,  together  with  a  cold,  fitful  wind,  made  people 
shiver.  In  spite  of  that,  about  forty  members  and  friends  of  the 
Club  assembled  at  the  Experimental  Farm  at  2.30  in  the  after- 
noon. This  is  not  only  one  of  the  main  show  and  beauty  spots 
of  the  Capital,  but  also  a  ready  source  of  interest  and  informa- 
tion to  nature  lovers. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  W.  Saunders,  Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt, 
and  Mr.  W.  T.  Macoun,  the  big  barn  with  its  up-to-date  ma- 
chinery and  agricultural  implements  was  first  inspected,  and 
then  the  different  breeds  of  fine  cattle  in  the  basement.  The 
arrangement  here  is,  as  is  to  be  expected,  a  model  one.  The 
different  kinds  of  farm  animals  are  certainly  well  worth  seeing. 

Next,  the  beds  of  fine  crocuses  in  bloom  near  Dr.  Saunders' 
residence  were  admired.  Thence  we  wended  our  way  into  the 
Arboretum,  where  Mr.  Macoun  gave  much  in.struction  on  native 
and  exotic  species  of  trees,  especially  conifers  and  shrubs,  and 
pointed  out  differences  between  closely  allied  species.  A  tinge 
of  sadness  was  also  interspersed  in  his  remarks,  when  he  pointed 


56  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

out  the  trees  planted  twenty  years  ago  by  our  late  friend,  Dr. 
Fletcher,  as  well  as  young  trees  sent  last  fall  by  him  from  British 
Columbia,  namely,  of  Larix  occidentalis.  Last  year  at  about  the 
same  time  he  had  been  with  us  going  over  the  same  places  and 
speaking  in  his  usual  kindly,  animated  way.  Let  us,  who  knew 
him,  never  forget  him,  and  emulate  his  noble  example. 

Birds  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence,  which  in  view  of 
the  cold  wind  was  not  to  be  wondered  at.  In  general,  the  first 
migrants  with  the  exception  of  the  Crow  and  Prairie  Horned 
Lark  were  one  to  two  weeks  later  than  usual  this  spring.  Birds 
like  the  Junco,  Robin,  Bluebird,  Red-winged  and  Bronze  Black- 
birds and  the  Song  Sparrow  did  not  come  this  year  until  the 
first  week  in  April,  instead  of  March  21st  to  23rd.  However,  a 
few  Robins  and  Song  Sparrows  were  seen  and  heard,  and  while 
we  were  in  the  Arboretum  a  Flicker  was  loudly  calling  and 
hammering.  Beside  these  only  a  small  flock  of  Golden-crowned 
Kinglets  and  one  Brown  Creeper  were  seen.  Had  there  been  no 
wind  a  great  many  more  species  would  undoubetdly  have  been 
observed. 

Humor  was  also  not  entirely  lacking.  While  all  were  in- 
specting a  queer-looking  bush,  with  branches  recurved  to  the 
ground,  Picea  excelsa  inverta,  it  was  found  that  a  hare,  our  vary- 
ing species,  Lepus  americanus ,  had  made  its  home  under  it. 
With  admirable  generalship,  Mr.  MacMurray,  of  the  farm  staff, 
had  the  little  tree  or  bush  surrounded  by  the  younger  element 
of  the  party,  in  order  to  catch  the  rabbit,  as  it  was  termed, 
although  we  have  no  rabbit  here.  However,  the  frightened 
animal  broke  through  the  cordon  and,  pursued  by  Mr.  MacMurray 
with  flying  coat-tails,  made  good  his  escape.  To  duly  impress 
the  difference  between  hare  and  rabbit  for  future  occasions, 
our  indefatigable  President,  Mr.  Attwood,  quickly  drew  up  this 
set  of  differences: — 

The  Hare.  The  Rabbit. 

Ears  longer  than  head.  Ears  equal  in  length  to  head. 

Lives  above  ground.  Lives  in  burrows. 

Young  born  with  eyes  open.  Young  born  with  eyes  closed. 

Solitary.  Gregarious. 

Hind  legs  longer  than  head.  Hind  legs  not  longer  than  head. 

Fur  turning  white  in  winter.  Fur  not  turning  white. 

It  w^as  interesting  to  note  the  zigzag  course  of  the  hare's 
flight,  which  proved  rather  puzzling  for  Mr.  MacMurray  and  the 
two  dogs  accompanying  him. 

At  the  close  of  our  walk  short  addresses  were  made  by  Mr. 
McNeill  on  the  weather  which,  by  reason  of  the  poor  brand  he 
had  supplied  for  the  day,  caused  more  hilarity  or  resentment 
than  would  otherwise  have  been  the  case.     He,  however,  made 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  57 

a  strong  plea  that  the  members  should  use  the  barometer  and 
weather  charts  to  better  advantage.  Mr.  Halkett,  our  expert 
in  herpetology  and  "frogology,"  made  some  general  remarks, 
not  pertaining  to  his  branch,  since  batrachians,  etc.,  and  insects,' 
were  absent  on  account  of  the  cold  weather.  Only  in  one  pool 
of  the  swamp  below  St.  Louis' Dam  a  vigorous  chorus  of  frogs 
could  be  heard,  and  not  one  in  the  other  pools.  Beside  these 
two  gentlemen  Messrs.  Macoun,  Attwood  and  the  undersigned 
spoke  brieflv.  G.   EI  FRIG. 


COUNCIL  MEETINGS. 


The  first  meeting  of  the  Council  for  the  year  1909-1910 
was  held  in  the  Carnegie  Library  on  March  23rd. 

Members  present:  Messrs.  A.  E.  Attwood,  A.  Halkett,  C.  H. 
Young,  A.  G.  Kingston,  A.  McNeill,  L.  H.  Newman,  and  T.  E. 
Clarke;  Miss  F.  Burt,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson,  and  Miss  M.  McK. 
Scott. 

Ordinarv  members  elected: 

Miss  C.  P.  Grenfell,  B.A.,  Ottawa. 

Miss  Frances  Moule,  B.A.,  Ottawa. 

At  this  meeting  standing  committees  and  leaders  for  the 
excursions  were  appointed.  The  name  of  the  Publishing  Com- 
mittee was  changed  to  Publications  Committee,  and  the  duties 
of  the  committee  were  enlarged  to  include  all  business  relating 
to  exchanges.  The  following  motion  was  carried:  That  for 
the  ensuing  year  it  be  the  duty  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Excursion 
Committee,  after  an  excursion  is  held,  to  have  a  report  of  the 
same  sent  to  the  Editor  of  the  Ottawa  Naturalist  for  publica- 
tion; and  similarh'  that  it  be  the  duty  of  the  Chairman  of  the 
Soirees  Committee  to  have  reports  of  the  soirees  sent  to  the 
Editor. 

Mr.  L.  J.  Burpee,  Librarian  of  the  Carnegie  Library, 
appeared  before  the  Council  at  the  request  of  the  Library 
Committee.  He  extended  to  the  Club  the  privilege  of  placing 
its  important  exchanges  on  file  in  the  Carnegie  Library,  and  he 
submitted  a  list  of  scientific  periodicals  not  now  received  by 
either  the  Club  or  the  Carnegie  Library,  with  the  proposal  that 
the  Club  might  secure  a  number  of  these  in  exchange  for  the 
Ottawa  Naturalist. 

April  29. — Members  present:  Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  Rev.  C. 
G.  Eifrig,  Messrs.  A.  Halkett,' J.  W.  Gibson,  A.  McNeill,  L.  H. 
Newman,  and  T.  E.  Clarke;  Miss  F.  Burt,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson.  and 
Miss  M.  McK.  Scott. 

Ordinarv  members  elected: 


58  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

Mr.  Wm.  Smeaton,  B.A.,  Ottawa. 

Mr.  A.  D.  Watson,  Ottawa. 

Miss  A.  J.  Wilson,  Ottawa. 

Mr.  A.  Effingham  Fleck,  Vancouver,  B.C. 

The  President  suggested  the  formation  of  branches  or  small 
affiliated  clubs  in  places  near  Ottawa  such  as  Carp  and  Stitts- 
ville.  These  branches  would  carry  on  local  field  work  and  could 
be  visited  each  year  by  the  Club  at  some  time  when  a  joint  field 
day  could  be  held.  The  Council  approved  of  the  plan  and  ap- 
pointed Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson  to  make  preliminary  arrangements 
for  the  organization  of  such  a  branch  at  Carp. 

T.    E.   C. 


NOTES. 


DioscoREA  viLLOSA. — On  page  184,  Vol.  XXII.  of  The 
Ottawa  Naturalist,  Mr.  W.  A.  Dent  describes  a  delightful 
retreat  for  the  nature  lover  where  Lake  Huron  has  gradually 
narrowed  into  the  St.  Clair  River. 

Referring  to  the  rarity  of  the  slender  twiner  found  there 
popularly  known  as  the  Wild  Yam  (Dioscorea  villosa)  he  invites 
reports  of  its  distribution.  It  is  not  rare  in  wooded  flats  along 
the  Thames  River  westward  from  London.  There  is  a  fine  patch 
of  it  in  a  thicket  by  the  bank  of  the  River  within  the  city  limits. 

J.   Dearness,  London,  Ont. 

Snake  Behavior. — The  observation  which  follows  seems 
worthy  of  presentation,  if  not  as  an  unusual  occurrence,  yet  as 
one  which  may  be  new  to  many.  My  own  opinion  is  that  it 
might  be  less  unusual  than  it  probably  is,  if  the  reception  almost 
invariably  accorded  to  members  of  the  snake  fraternity  did  not 
render  it  next  to  impossible. 

One  morning  last  April,  while  strolling  among  the  ruins  of 
an  old  building,  I  came  upon  a  large  garter  snake,  which  was 
making  strenuous  efforts  to  get  out  of  my  way.  As  soon  as  I 
noticed  it  I  stopped  short,  only  a  couple  of  feet  away,  and  was 
rather  surprised  to  see  it  do  the  same.  Evidently  it  was  aiming 
to  avoid  detection  until  I  should  pass  on.  With  the  object  of 
seeing  what  would  follow,  I  waited  motionless,  and  for  a  whole 
minute  or  more  nothing  took  place.  Finally  it  began  to  venture 
on  escape,  and  in  the  most  cautious  way  drew  itself  forward  a 
trifle,  so  slight  as  almost  to  escape  notice.  After  another  wait  a 
slightly  bolder  hitch  forward  was  made.  This  procedure  was 
repeated  many  times  with  increasing  confidence  and  more  sub- 
stantial progress  each  time,  until  it  had  got  about  four  feet 
away  from  me,  when  it  glided  quietly  off  among  the  weeds. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  59 

I  was  sufficiently  interested  by  what  I  had  seen  to  wonder 
if  the  snake  would  repeat  its  successful  ruse;  and  so  I  overtook 
it  once  more  at  a  little  distance,  stopping  when  within  a  foot  or 
two  of  it.  It  stopped  as  before,  drawing  back  its  head,  and 
throwing  its  body  into  considerable  curves.  What  followed 
was  substantially  the  same  as  I  have  already  described,  but  was 
if  anything  even  more  cautious,  and  longer  in  accomplishment. 
The  markings  of  the  snake  were  admirably  suited  for  harmoniz- 
ing with  its  surroundings  and  in  doubling  from  side  to  side,  the 
body's  motion  did  not  greatly  break  the  homogeneity  with  the 
waving  grass.  The  creature's  self-possession  and  apparent  con- 
fidence in  its  tactics,  impressed  one  particularly,  whenever  the 
peculiarity  of  its  mode  of  travel  compelled  it  to  direct  its  head 
almost  squarely  toward  the  quarter  from  which  it  sought  to 
escape.  Needless  to  sa^^  its  well-earned  liberty  was  gladly 
granted;  and,  I  suppose,  if  it  succeeds  in  running  the  gauntlet 
of  human  persecution  until  a  like  occasion  again  presents  itself, 
it  will  all  the  more  instinctively  rely  on  what  has  once  proved 
safe  wood-craft,  and  if  the  next  intruder  also  witnesses  the  little 
drama  of  which  he  is  the  cause,  will  furnish  him  with  another 
instance  of  the  marvels  of  animal  sagacity. 

Herbert  Groh,  Ottawa. 

BiRxO  Notes. — In  the  Montreal  Witness  of  February  13th, 
1909,  a  note  reporting  the  appearance  of  a  solitary  robin  in 
the  vicinity  of  Montreal,  called  forth  another  from  Ottawa. 
Quoting  from  the  Ottawa  Journal  this  correspondent  says,  that 
small  flocks  of  robins  have  been  frequently  seen  at  Ottawa 
during  the  winter,  f  This  is  so  unusual  that  we  should  be 
pleased  to  learn  something  more  about  these  wintering  robins; 
particularly  as  to  their  feeding  habits  and  whether  they  were 
immature  birds  or  not. 

Pine  Grosbeaks  and  Redpolls  have  been  unusually  common 
here  this  winter,  the  Grosbeaks  feeding  on  seeds  of  Mountain 
Ash  and  apple  trees.  Prairie  Horned  Larks  were  first  noticed 
on  the  28th  of  February,  when  I  saw^  four  birds;  a  week  later 
saw  six,  apparently  mated. 

On  February  21st,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  the  grat- 
ing notes  of  a  Northern  Shrike.  It  was  unusually  tame,  pennit- 
ting  a  near  approach  to  its  perch  in  an  apple  tree,  though  becom- 
ing very  nervous  and  excited,  whilst  emitting  a  series  of  cries, 
one  of  them  a  good  imitation  of  an  alarmed  Catbird  and  yet 
another  reminding  me  of  the  Blue  Jay's  cry.  At  intervals  it 
also  indulged  in  its  customary  warble,  suggesting  that  of  the 
Purple  Finch.     The  body  of  a  Redpoll  impaled  on  a  twig  of  the 

tSee  also  Ottawa  Naturalist,  March  190Q,  p.  ?65.— Ed. 


60  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [June 

apple  tree  explained  the  cause  of  all  this  ontcry.  The  head  of  the 
Redpoll  was  almost  completely  eaten  away,  pointing  to  a  fact 
which  I  have  noticed  with  the  Migrant  Shrike,  namely,  that 
the  head  contains  what  is  to  them  the  greatest  delicacy.  In 
fact  although  I  have  often  come  across  the  larder  of  the  Migrant 
Shrike  and  occasionally  that  of  the  Northern,  usually  in  the 
shape  of  small  birds  or  mice,  I  have  always  found  the  body 
fairly  intact,  while  the  head  would  be  missing.  Evidently,  they 
do  not  suffer  for  want  of  food.  We  remained  for  several  minutes 
in  the  vicinity  and  during  that  time  the  Shrike  kept  up  its 
imitating  notes,  perhaps  thinking  to  frighten  us  awa}^  from  its 
booty.  L.  McI.  Terrill,  Westmount,  Que. 

Intimacy  with  Nature. — There  are  some  men  to  whom 
intimacy  with  Nature  in  her  obvious  aspects  and  forms  appears 
to  be  an  inheritance;  they  are  born  into  it,  and  are  never  con- 
scious of  the  hour  from  which  it  dates.  Their  eyes  see  the  world 
about  them  with  a  clearness  and  accuracy  of  observation  which 
turns  their  hours  of  play  into  unconscious  study  of  science. 
Flowers,  trees,  shrubs,  birds  and  animals  seem  akin  to  them, 
and  are  recognized  at  first  sight,  and  put  into  proper  place  and 
order.  Other  men,  failing  of  this  birth-gift  and  missing  the 
training  of  the  senses  in  childhood,'  must  slowly  and  of  set  pur- 
pose piece  out  a  defective  power  of  observation  by  habits  formed 
in  maturity.  This  introductory  relationship  with  Nature  is  a 
source  of  inexhaustible  delight  and  enrichment ;  to  establish  it 
ought  to  be  as  much  a  part  of  every  education  as  the  teaching  of 
the  rudiments  of  formal  knowledge ;  and  it  ought  to  be  as  great  a 
reproach  to  a  man  not  to  be  able  to  read  the  open  pages  of  the 
world  about  him  as  not  to  be  able  to  read  the  open  page  of  the 
book  before  him.  It  is  a  matter  of  instinct  with  a  few;  it  may 
be  a  matter  of  education  with  all.  Even  those  who  are  born 
with  the  eyes  and  ears  of  naturalists  must  reinforce  their 
native  aptitude  by  training. 

The  man  who  goes  into  the  woods,  and  by  self-forgetfulness 
becomes  a  part  of  the  woods,  is  aware  not  onl}-"  of  a  freshening 
of  his  nature  and  a  deepening  of  his  thought,  but  also  of  a  re- 
velation of  a  knowledge  through  closer  fellowship  with  the  order 
and  beauty  which  enfold  them.  There  enters  into  his  mind,  in 
such  moods,  something  more  enduring  than  the  scene  about 
him,  something  to  which  a  poet  will  give  expression  in  verses 
which  are  not  only  touched  with  the  beauty  beyond  that  of 
words,  but  in  which  that  beauty  becomes  the  symbol  of  truth. 
The  man  Vn^Iio  lacks  the  gift  of  expression  will  not  write  the 
-vierse,  but  he  will  see  the  beauty  and  be  enriched  by  the  truth. 
^\  Hamilton  Wright  Mabie,  in  Nature  and  Culture. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,  JULY,  1909  No.  4 


ALGONKIN  AND  HURON   OCCUPATION   OF 
THE  OTTAWA  VALLEY. 


By  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  Ottawa. 


To  the  student  of  Indian  archaeology,  the  great  highway  of 
the  Ottawa  wall  always  be  a  subject  of  absorbing  interest.  As 
yet,  it  is  almost  a  virgin  field  of  inquir}^  as  far  as  any  systematic 
effort  has  been  made  to  exploit  it.  As  yet,  there  are  vast  stores 
of  information,  along  this  old  waterway,  which  await  the  magic 
touch  of  scientific  investigation,  to  be  turned  into  romance 
chapters  of  Canadian  history.  Sooner,  or  later,  we  must  appre- 
ciate these  potential  opportunities  for  the  collection  of  data 
that  may  solve  mam-  important  ethnic  problems,  which  have 
been  transmitted  to  us  from  the  dim  twilight  of  prehistoric  times 
and  are,  as  yet,  only  presented  to  us  in  the  will-o'-the-wispish 
light  of  tradition.  The  OttaAva  River  may  yet  furnish  us  with 
clues  to  the  elucidation  of  much  that  is  problematical  in  regard 
to  areas  of  occupation,  migrations  and  dispersions  of  some  of 
our  great  native  races,  who  were  leading  actors  in  many  of  the 
tragic  wilderness  dramas,  that  were  played  out  in  Canada  before 
and  after  European  contact. 

The  early  Jesuit  missionaries  have  left  us,  in  their  Relations 
a  priceless  record  of  Algonkin  and  Huron  sociology,  as  well  as 
an  invaluable  basis  for  the  study  of  such  of  the  Indian  tribes  of 
Canada  as  came  within  the  sphere  of  their  activities,  As  those 
gentle  and  lovable  pioneers  of  the  Cross  were  among  the  first 
Europeans  to  come  in  contact  with  these  red  children  of  the 
forest,  they  enjoyed  exceptional  opportunities  for  observing 
their  habits  of  thought  and  action,  ere  their  primitive  folk-lore 
and  traditions  had  been  modified  by  the  cradle  stories  of  the 
pale-faces. 

We  are  told  by  Parkman,  one  of  the  most  trustworthy 
historians  of  modern  times,  that  "By  far  the  most  close  and 
accurate  observers  of  Indian  superstition  were  the  French  and 
Italian  Jesuits  of  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century.     Their 


62  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  U'^^Y 

opportunities  were  unrivalled;  and  they  used  them  in  a  spirit  of 
faithful  inquiry,  accumulating  facts,  and  leaving  theory  to  their 
successors."  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  Jesuit  Relations 
should  be  regarded  as  the  groundwork  of  Indian  archaeology, 
as  far  as  Canada  is  concerned.  They  were  written  by  men  of 
absolute  integrity,  who  have  given  us  as  much  of  the  life  history 
of  the  individual,  the  clan  and  the  tribe,  as  came  under  their 
observation;  or  as  they  were  able  to  obtain  from  the  most  trust- 
worthy sources.  They  describe  the  Indian,  as  the}'"  found  him, 
embowered  in  the  seclusion  of  his  native  forests;  surrounded 
by  innumerable  okies  or  manitous,  both  benevolent  and  malig- 
nant, to  whom  he  appealed  for  aid  in  the  hour  of  his  need,  or 
propitiated  with  sacrifices;  venerating,  with  a  sentiment  akin 
to  worship,  such  animal  ancestors  as  happened  to  be  the  proto- 
types of  his  various  clans;  adhering  to  mythologies  that  agreed 
fairly  well  in  essentials  though  somewhat  loosely  defined  in 
matters  of  detail;  believing,  in  his  Nature-M-orship.  in  the  soul 
or  spirit  of  the  lake,  the  river  and  the  cataract ;  but  without  any 
vestige  of  belief  in  that  personification  of  benificence  called  "The 
Great  Spirit"  who  was  presented  to  him  afterwards  by  the  mis- 
sionaries, as  the  archetype  of  mankind,  and  recommended  to 
him  as  the  Supreme  Being  whom  he  should  worship. 

That  the  Jesuit  record  has  been  dictated  by  a  spirit  of 
truthfulness,  is  apparent  from  its  impartial  treatment  of  Indian 
tradition  and  worship;  for,  while  some  writers  have  endeavored 
to  interpret  Indian  mythology  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it 
confonn  to  the  bias  of  preconceived  theories,  these  worthy 
apostles  of  the  Cross  have  given  us  the  simple  truth  without 
•embellishments.  Examples  of  this  kind  may  be  found  in 
Ragueneau's  Relation,  of  1648,  in  which  he  refers  to  the  Hurons 
as  having  received  from  their  ancestors  no  knowledge  of  God; 
■and  in  the  denial  of  AUouez,  in  his  Relation  of  1667,  that  any 
such  knowledge  existed  among  the  tribes  of  Lake  Superior.  It 
is  not  probable  that  these  men  would  have  failed  to  recognize 
any  such  belief  had  the  case  been  otherwise.  Thus,  these  subtle 
reasoners,  and  past-masters  in  theological  disquisition,  were 
unable  to  discover,  in  such  manitous  as  Manabozho,  or  the  Great 
White  Hare  of  the  Algonkins,  or,  in  Rawen  Niyoh,  the  great  oki 
of  the  Huron-Iroquois,  beings  analogous  to  the  white  man's  God. 

Now,  the  writer  is  convinced  that  this  field  of  archaeological 
Inquiry  should  be  entered,  with  the  assistance  of  the  "open  se- 
same" of  the  historical  record;  and  that,  by  following  up  the 
clues,  transmitted  to  us  by  the  Jesuits  and  other  contemporary 
writers,  we  should  devote  our  attention  to  such  portions  of  this 
field  as  are  most  likely  to  yield  the  best  results,  under  careful 
and  methodical  cultivation. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  63 

The  great  stream,  which  forms  the  main  boundary  between 
the  provinces  of  Ontario  and  Quebec,  was  called  in  early  times 
the  River  of  the  Ottawas;  but,  it  might  have  been  named,  also, 
the  River  of  the  Hurons.  Owing  to  its  geographical  position,  it 
offered  the  advantages  of  a  direct  and  convenient  highwav  be- 
tween the  French  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  Great  Lakes.  This  river,  especially  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  was  traversed  by  Algonkins  and  Hurons,  Frenchmen 
and  priests,  following,  either  along  its  shores  or  at  its  distant 
terminals,  their  varied  pursuits  of  explorers,  fur-traders,  scalp- 
hunters  or  ministers  of  the  gospel.  vSometimes,  huge  fleets  of 
canoes,  bearing  red  embassies  from  the  west,  or  white  punitive 
expeditions  from  the  east,  consignments  of  furs  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence trading  posts,  or  native  supplies  for  the  winter  hunt,  black 
robed  Jesuits  with  donnes  or  artisans  for  their  western  missions, 
passed  up  or  down  this  great  highway;  while,  at  other  times, 
fugitive  parties,  both  white  and  red,  crept  along  the  shadow  of 
its  shores  to  avoid  some  scalping-party  of  the  ubiquitous  and 
dreaded  Iroquois. 

We  are  thus  indebted  to  historical  testimom^  for  much  of  our 
knowledge  of  what  took  place  on  the  Ottawa,  since  the  beginning 
of  the  French  regime.  We  should  now  endeavor  to  amplify  this 
knowledge,  by  the  accumulation  of  such  data  as  may  be  derived 
from  the  domain  of  archaeology.  The  prospects  in  this  direction, 
though  somewhat  dubious  at  first  sight,  are  much  impro^'ed 
upon  closer  acquaintance. 

It  is  no  great  tax  upon  our  ingenuity  to  discover  traces  of 
the  presence  of  French  and  Indians  on  the  Ottawa,  in  bygone 
times.  The  Indian  dictum  that,  "water  leaves  no  trail,"  applies, 
only  to  the  deeper  parts  of  the  stream;  for  the  writer,' has  in  his 
collection,  stone  tomahawks  of  native  manufacture,  together 
with  trade  bullets,  which  were  taken  from  the  shallow  shore- 
water  of  this  river.  It  is,  however,  in  the  ancient  camping 
grounds,  which  dot  the  shores  of  the  Ottawa  at  frequent  intervals, 
that  we  should  search  for  traces  of  early  human  occupation.  As 
the  recovery  of  the  loose  leaves,  which  have  been  lost  out  of 
some  old  story  book,  is  necessary  to  complete  the  tale;  so  is  the 
interpretation  of  the  sign  language  of  these  camp-sites,  a  requisite 
for  the  recovery  of  many  lost  or  unwritten  pages  of  our  historical 
manuscript. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  the  examination  of  these 
places.  The  ground  should  be  all  gone  over  on  the  hands  and 
knees,  as,  with  his  nose  to  the  ground,  so  to  speak,  one  is  not 
liable  to  overlook  anything  of  importance.  As  he  is  about  to 
turn  up  a  chapter  on  the  social  and  domestic  life  of  a  native 
community,  he  should  observe  the  topographical  features  of  the 


64  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

site  and  the  position  it  occupies  relative  to  the  main  river, 
whether  situated  on  its  margin  or  at  any  considerable  distance 
away  from  its  shores;  and  also,  its  proximity  to  smaller  streams 
that  might  have  been  navigated  by  canoes  before  the  deforest- 
ation of  the  district.  He  should  first  of  all  examine  the  surface 
before  disturbing  it;  after  which  he  may  search  out  the  secrets 
concealed  in  the  ashes  of  dead  camp  fires,  by  passing  the  ashes 
through  a  sieve,  so  as  to  retain  such  works  of  art  as  might,  other- 
wise, pass  unnoticed.  Every  work  of  art,  or  portion  thereof, 
should  be  studied  with  great  care,  even  to  apparently  insignifi- 
cant fragments.  The  composition  of  pottery  should  be  noted  and 
efforts  made  to  discover  if  its  ingredients  are  obtainable  in  the 
vicinitv.  All  forms  of  arrow-heads  should  be  noted,  as  well 
as  the  color  and  character  of  the  flint,  or  other  material,  from 
which  they  have  been  fabricated,  and,  if  possible,  the  source 
from  which  this  material  has  been  derived  should  be  ascertained. 
Arrow-heads,  that  appear  to  be  of  foreign  make,  as  differing  from 
the  prevailing  forms,  should  be  noted  for  future  reference  and 
comparison.  Search  should  also  be  made  amidst  the  usual 
litter  of  the  flint  workshops,  in  the  locaHty,  for  evidences  of 
domestic  manufacture,  such  as  pieces  of  raw  material,  flakings 
or  heads  that  have  been  spoilt  in  the  making  and  discarded  by 
the  ancient  workmen.  This  flint  refuse  is  found  in  greatest 
abundance  about  the  bases  of  large  boulders,  which  appear  to 
have  been  utilized-  by  the  prehistoric  artificers,  as  convenient 
work-benches  in  their  primitive  industries.  Articles  of  European 
workmanship,  which  are  too  apt  to  be  considered  as  of  little 
consequence,  should  be  searched  for  with  the  greatest  diligence, 
making  due  allowance  of  course,  for  the  difference  in  relative 
values  between  such  finds  as  the  rude  pistol  flint  of  the  ancient 
hunter,  and  the  metal  cap  or  stopper  from  the  pocket  pistol  of 
the  well  equipped  modern  fisherman.  A  sharp  lookout  should 
also  be  kept  for  implements  of  slate,  especially  such  as  are 
fabricated  from  the  Huronian  variety;  and,  as  a  last  but  most 
important  recommendation,  the  location  of  the  camp  site  should 
be  kept  a  secret  from  relic  hunters,  until  its  examination  has 
been  completed. 

C.  C.  James,  in  his  Downfall  of  the  Huron  Nation,  says  that 
"The  history  and  downfall  of  the  Hurons  may  be  studied  in 
three  sources.  1st.  The  traditions  of  the  Indians  themselves. 
2nd.  The  letters  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  the  written  records 
commonly  called  The  Jesuit  Relations.  3rd.  Modern  archaeo- 
logical research  and  ethnological  investigation.  These  three 
contributers  to  a  common  story  are  widely  different  in  method, 
and  when  they  verify  one  another  we  are  bound  to  accept  the 
conclusions  as  facts  of  history."     It  may  be  said  also  that  the 


1909]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  65 

same  sources  of  information  are  available  in  studying  the  question 
of  Algonkin  and  Huron  occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.  We 
have  already  considered  the  value  of  the  Jesuit  writings,  let  us 
now  examine  some  of  the  traditions  of  the  Indians  themselves. 

Life  on  the  old  Ottawa,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  was  always  strenuous  and  frequently  dangerous. 
On  this  rugged  old  trade  route,  during  the  French  regime,  the 
fur-traders  from  the  interior,  both  white  and  red,  experienced 
many  vicissitudes  while  conveying  the  products  of  the  chase  to 
the  trading  posts  on  the  St.  Lawrence.  Shadowy  traditions  of 
those  days  of  racial  attrition,  have  been  transmitted  from  father 
to  son,  from  the  old  coureurs  de  bois  and  their  Indian  confreres, 
to  their  half-breed  descendants  of  the  present  dav.  These 
traditions  account  for  the  human  bones  washed  out  some  vears 
ago  at  the  foot  of  the  old  Indian  portage  at  the  Chats,  and  those 
that  are  scattered  in  great  profusion  at  Big  Sand  Point,  lower 
down  the  river ;  also,  for  quite  a  number  of  brass  kettles  found  at 
one  time  near  the  mouth  of  Constance  Creek,  for  the  Indian 
burials  on  Aylmer  Island,  as  well  as  for  the  presence  of  arrow- 
heads, stone  celts,  flint  knives  and  other  native  implements  in 
the  gravel  beds  at  the  foot  of  the  Chaudiere,  and, without  pausing 
to  consider  whether  these  relics  of  a  departed  people  are  not  the 
ordinary  litter  of  Indian  camp-sites,  or  the  disinterred  bones 
from  Indian  burial  places,  tradition,  as  usual,  takes  charge  of 
them  as  the  ominous  tokens  of  a  period  of  violence. 

At  Big  Sand  Point  there  is  a  sand  mound  or  hillock,  fringed 
with  scrubby  trees,  which  has  the  uncanny  reputation  of  having 
been  once  the  home  of  a  family  of  Wendigoes.  These  Wendigoes, 
as  is  usual  with  this  species  of  manitou,  were  a  source  of  constant 
annoyance  to  the  native  dwellers  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Deschenes 
but  more  particularly  to  an  Algonkin  camp  on  Sand  Ba>',  quite 
close  to  the  headquarters  of  these  malignant  spirits.  The  old 
man,  who  possessed  the  gigantic  proportions  of  his  class,  was 
frequently  seen  wading  about  in  the  waters  of  the  bay,  when  on 
foraging  expeditions  after  Indian  children  of  whose  flesh,  it  is 
said,  he  and  his  family  were  particularly  fond.  The  family 
consisted  of  the  father,  the  mother  and  one  son.  The  bravest 
Indian  warriors  had,  on  several  occasions,  ambushed  and  shot 
at  the  old  man  and  woman  without  injuring  either  of  them,  but, 
by  means  of  sorcerv,  they  succeeded  in  kidnapping  the  boy, 
when  his  parents  were  away  from  home.  Holding  the  young 
hopeful  as  a  hostage,  they  managed  to  dictate  terms  to  his  father 
and  mother  and  finally  got  rid  of  the  whole  family. 

The  writer  heard  this  story  one  night  while  camping  at  the 
Chats  and,  though  far  from  believing  than  any  sane  Indian  of 
the  old  school  would  have  laid  violent  hands  on  even  a  young 


66  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

Wendigo,  he  is  quite  satisfied  that,  had  one  of  those  legendery 
monsters  of  the  American  wilderness  loomed  suddenly  out  of 
the  dark  shadows  of  the  forest  and  approached  the  camp  fire, 
the  poor  half-breed,  who  was  "spinning  the  yarn"  would  have 
immediately  taken  to  his  canoe  and  left  the  Wendigo  in  undis-- 
puted  possession  of  the  island. 

As  it  is  around  this  same  sand  mound,  the  old  Wendigo 
homestead  at  Big  Sand  Point,  that  the  scattered  bones,  already 
alluded  to,  are  found,  it  seems  strange  that  the  story  tellers 
do  not  represent  them  as  the  remains  of  the  cannibal  feasts  of  its 
former  occupants.  These  evidences  of  mortality,  however,  are 
accounted  for  in  another  tradition,  that  tells  of  a  war-party  of 
Iroquois  who,  having  taken  possession  of  and  intrenched  or 
barricaded  the  old  Wendigo  mound,  defended  themselves  to  the 
death  against  a  force  of  French  and  Indians,  who  surprised  them 
in  a  night-attack  and  butchered  them  to  a  man. 

This  story  seems  to  carry  us  back  to  that  period  of  conflict 
which  was  inaugurated  by  the  onslaught  of  the  Iroquois  upon  the 
Huron  towns,  which  was  continued  with  unparalled  ferocity 
and  terminated  only  by  the  merciless  destruction  of  a  once 
powerful  nation  and  the  final  dispersion  of  its  fugitive  remnants, 
together  with  such  bands  of  Algonkins  as  happened  to  come 
within  the  scope  of  that  campaign  of  extermination.  It  is 
supposed  that  our  tradition  has  reference  to  one  of  the  many 
scenes  of  bloodshed  which  reddened  the  frontiers  of  Canada, 
while  the  Confederates  were  thtis  making  elbow-room  for  them- 
selves on  this  continent,  and  were  putting  the  finishing  touches 
on  the  tribes  to  the  north  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  St. Lawrence. 
At  this  time  all  the  carrying-places,  on  our  great  highway,  were 
dangerous,  for  war-parties  of  the  fierce  invaders  held  the  savage 
passes  of  the  Ottawa,  hovering  like  malignant  okies  amidst  the 
spray  of  wild  cataracts  and  foaming  torrents,  where  they  levied 
toll  with  the  tomahawk  and  harvested  with  the  scalping-knife 
the  fatal  souvenirs  of  conquest. 

Sand  Bay,  at  the  outlet  of  Constance  Creek,  in  the  township 
of  Torbolton,  Carleton  Co.,  Ont.,  is  a  deep  indentation  of  the 
southern  shore  line  of  the  Ottawa,  extending  inland  about  a 
mile.  The  entrance,  or  river  front  of  the  bay,  is  terminated  on 
the  west  by  Big  Sand  Point,  and  on  the  east  by  Pointe  h.  la 
Bataille,  the  two  points  being  about  a  mile  apart.  The  latter 
is  now  shown  on  the  maps  as  Lapotties  Point,  a  name  of  recent 
origin  and  doubtless  conferred  upon  it  by  some  ox-witted  yokel, 
who  thought  it  should  bear  the  name  of  its  latest  occupant, 
rather  than  that  which  probably  commemorated  some  tragic 
incident   of   a  bygone   age.     The   French   Canadian   river-men, 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  67 

however,  with  much  better  taste,  still  retain  the  name  by  which 
it  was  known  to  the  old  voyageurs. 

A  great  many  years  ago,  so  the  story  goes,  a  party  of  French 
fur-traders,  together  with  a  number  of  friendly  Indians,  possibly 
Algonkin  and  Huron  allies,  went  into  camp  one  evening  at  Pointe 
a  la  Bataille.  Fires  were  lighted,  kettles  were  slung  and  all 
preparations  made  to  pass  the  night  in  peace  and  quietness. 
Soon,  however,  the  lights  from  other  camp  fires  began  to  glimmer 
through  the  foliage  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  bay,  and  a 
reconnaisance  presently  revealed  a  large  war-party  of  Iroquois 
in  a  barricaded  encampment  on  the  Wendigo  Mound  at  Big 
Sand  Point.  Well  skilled  as  they  were  in  all  the  artifices  of 
forest  warfare,  the  French  and  their  Indian  companions  were 
satisfied  that  something  would  happen  before  morning.  It  was 
inevitable  that  the  coming  night  would  be  crowded  with  such 
stirring  incidents  as  would  leaA^e  nothing  to  be  desired,  in  the 
way  of  excitement.  There  la}^  the  Iroquois  camp,  with  its  fierce 
denizens  crouched  like  wolves  in  their  lair,  though  buried  in  the 
heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  yet  self-reliant  in  the  pride  of 
warlike  achievements,  whose  military  strategy  had  rendered 
them  invulnerable  as  the  gloom  of  the  oncoming  thxmdercloud, 
and  as  inexorable  as  the  fate  of  the  forest  monarch  that  is  blasted 
by  a  stroke  of  its  lightning. 

Now,  the  golden  rule  on  the  Indian  frontier  in  those  strenuous 
times,  was  to  deal  with  your  neighbor  as  you  might  be  pretty 
sure  he  would  deal  wjth  you,  if  he  got  the  chance.  Of  course 
it  was  customary,  among  the  Indians  to  heap  coals  of  fire  on  the 
head  of  an  enemy,  but  as  it  was  the  usual  practice,  before  putting 
on  the  coals,  to  bind  the  enemy  to  some  immovable  object,  such 
as  a  tree  or  a  stout  picket,  so  that  he  was  unable  to  shake  them 
off,  the  custom  was  not  productive  of  much  brotherly  love. 
Moreover,  when  the  success  of  peace  overtures  could  be  assured 
onlv  to  the  party  that  could  bring  the  greater  number  of  muskets 
into  the  negotiations,  it  will  be  readily  understood  why  the 
French,  who  were  in  the  minority,  did  not  enter  into  diplomatic 
relations  with  the  enemy.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  resolved  to 
fight,  as  soon  as  the  opposing  camp  was  in  repose,  and  attempt  a 
decisive  blow  from  a  quarter  whence  it  would  be  least  expected, 
thus  forestalling  an  attack  upon  themselves,  which  might  come 
at  any  time  before  the  dawn.  The  French  and  their  allies  knew 
verv  well  that  if  their  plans  miscarried  and  the  attack  failed, 
the'penaltv  would  be  death  to  most  of  their  party,  and  that, 
in  the  event  of  capture,  they  would  receive  as  fiery  and  painful 
an  introduction  to  the  world  of  shadows  as  the  leisure  or  limited 
means  of  their  captors  might  warrant. 

Towards  midnight,   the   attacking  party   left   Pomte  a   In 


68  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

Bataille  and  proceeded  stealthily  southward,  in  their  canoes, 
along  the  eastern  rim  of  Sand  Bay.  crossed  the  outlet  of  Constance 
Creek  and  landing  on  the  western  shore  of  the  bay  advanced 
towards  Big  Sand  Point  through  the  pine  forest  that  clothed, 
as  it  does  to-day,  the  intervening  sand  hills.  This  long  detour, 
of  about  two  miles,  was  no  doubt  a  necessity,  as,  on  still  nights, 
the  most  trifling  sounds,  especially  such  as  might  have  been 
produced  by  paddles  accidently  touching  the  sides  of  canoes, 
are  echoed  to  considerable  distances  in  this  locality. 

The  advance  of  the  expedition  was  the  development  of 
Indian  strategy,  for,  by  getting  behind  the  enemy,  it  enabled 
the  French  and  their  allies  to  rush  his  barricades  and  strike  him 
in  the  back,  while  his  sentinels  and  outliers  were  guarding 
against  any  danger  that  might  approach  from  the  river  front. 

The  attack  was  entirely  successful,  for  it  descended  upon 
and  enveloped  the  sleeping  camp  like  a  hideous  nightmare. 
Many  of  the  Iroquois  died  in  their  sleep,  while  the  rest  of  the 
party  perished  to  a  man,  in  the  wild  confu,sion  of  a  midnight 
massacre. 

Such  is  the  popular  tradition  of  the  great  fight  at  the 
Wendigo  Mound  at  Big  Sand  Point,  and  the  bones  that  are 
found  in  the  drifting  sands  at  that  place,  are  said  to  be  the  re- 
mains of  friend  and  foe  who  fell  in  that  isolated  and  unrecorded 
struggle. 

Let  us  now  descend  the  river,  as  far  as  the  Chaudiere,  and 
we  find  ourselves  once  again  in  the  moccasin  prints  of  the  Iroquois ; 
for  those  tireless  scalp  himters  were  quite  at  home  on  the  Ottawa, 
as  well  as  on  its  northern  tributaries.  War  expeditions  of  the 
Confederates  frequently  combined  business  with  recrea,tion. 
Thev  would  leave  their  homes  on  the  Mohawk  or  adjacent  lakes 
and  strike  the  trail  to  Canada  by  way  of  the  Rideau  Valley, 
hunt  along  that  route  until  the  spring  thaws  set  in,  and  manage 
to  reach  the  Ottawa  in  time  for  the  opening  of  navigation.  Then 
they  loitered  about  the  passes  of  the  Chaudiere  and  waited,  like 
Wilkins  Macawber,  for  something  to  turn  up. 

While  waiting  thus  for  their  prey  to  break  cover,  from  up 
or  down  the  river,  they  devoted  their  spare  time  to  various 
occupations.  To  the  oki,  whose  thunderous  voice  was  heard  in 
the  roar  of  the  fahs,  they  made  sacrifices  of  tobacco;  while  the 
Mohawks  and  Onondagas  each  gave  a  name  to  that  cauldron 
of  seething  water  which  is  known  to  us  as  The  Big  Kettle.  The 
Mohawks  called  it  Tsitkanajoh,  or  the  Floating  Kettle,  while 
the  Onondagas  named  it  Katsidagweh  niyoh  or  Chief  Council 
Fire.  It  is  possible  that  our  Big  Kettle  may  be  a  modified  or 
corrupted  translation  of  the  Mohawk  term. 

(To  be  continued) . 


I 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  69 

WHAT  IS  A  "SPECIES"? 

By  F.  H.  Wolley-Dod,  Millarville,  Alta. 

There  is  perhaps  no  word  in  the  English  language  of  which 
the  true  meaning,  as  applied  to  living  organisms,  has  been  dis- 
cussed at  greater  length  than  the  word  "species."  Strictly- 
speaking,  of  course,  the  word  is  a  latin  one,  which  has  become 
anglicized  under  what  we  believe  to  be  its  original  form,  or  at 
any  rate  as  the  Romans  used  it  in  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar,  and 
Ave  shall  find  the  same  meaning  given  whether  we  look  it  up  in 
an  English  or  a  Latin  Dictionary,  viz.,  "a  sort",  or  "kind",  "an 
aggregate  of  individuals".  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  wholly  un- 
scientific man,  "the  man  in  the  street"  rarely  uses  the  word  at 
all.  He  doesn't  understand  its  meaning.  "A  kind",  or  "sort" 
is  expressive  enough  for  him,  and  anyone  can  understand  what 
that  means.  But  for  the  naturalist  the  third  meaning  here  given, 
"an  aggregate  of  individuals"  is  the  one  which  better  expresses 
his  meaning  when  he  talks  of  a  "species". 

So  long  as  we  do  not  think  too  much  about  it  that  meaning 
is  "good  enough,  that  is  to  say  we  use  it  to  mean  an  individual 
kind,  an  aggregate  of  individuals, as  entirely  distinct  from  another 
individual  kind  or  aggregate  of  individuals.  He  would  be  an 
argumentative  man  indeed  who  would  dispute  the  fact  that  an 
oak  was  quite  a  distinct  kind  of  tree  from  a  fir,  or  that  a  pheasant 
was  quite  a  distinct  bird  from  a  duck,  or,  amongst  animals, 
a  fox  distinct  from  a  bear.  And  most  people  will  be  quite  willing 
to  admit  that  there  are  different  kinds,  or  more  technically, 
"species",  of  oaks,  firs,  pheasants,  ducks,  foxes,  and  bears.  That  is 
to  say  that  there  are  certain  aggregates  of  individuals  or  "species" 
of  each  of  the  above  named  things  that  are  more  or  less  easily 
to  be  distinguished  from  other  aggregates  of  individuals  of  the 
same  class.  That  these  kinds  are  to  be  distinguished  each  by 
certain  characters  of  colour,  form,  habit,  etc.,  not  possessed  by 
the  other  kinds  is  impHed  by  the  use  of  the  word  "species". 
NaturaHsts  may  tell  us,  for  instance,  that  the  grizzly  bear  is 
quite  distinct  from  the  brown  bear  by  the  colour  of  its  fur,  the 
shape  of  its  head,  the  comparative  size  or  shape  of  certain  bones 
in  the  body  or  limbs,  habits  of  feeding,  etc.  Or  botanists,  that  a 
certain  species  of  oak  is  distinguished  from  another  by  the  shape 
of  its  leaves  or  acorns,  or  the  exact  wav  in  which  they  grow  from 
the  twigs,  by  the  form  of  growth,  or  shape  of  the  tree  itself,  by 
the  colour  or  texture  of  its  wood,  and  in  each  case  that  these 
characters  are  not  possessed  by  any  other  species.  But  why 
these  kinds  should -be  considered  separate  because  they  differ 
in  these  parts,  or  what  degree  of  difference  is  necessary  before 


70  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

two  kinds  or  aggregates  of  individuals  may  be  spoken  of  as 
distinct  species,  is  involved  in  the  title  of  this  paper,  "What  is 
a  species"? 

The  query  is  not  an  easy  one  to  answer  where  very  similar 
forms,  and,  in  many  instances,  even  where  totally  dissimilar 
forms  are  concerned.  For  it  must  be  understood  from  the  first 
that  dissimilarity  of  form  does  not  necessarily  indicate  distinct- 
ness of  species  in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  word.  The  late 
Charles  Darwin  wrote  volumes  dealing  in  one  way  or  another 
with  the  subject.  From  his  point  of  view,  about  the  best  defini- 
tion that  can  be  given  a  species  is  "an  aggregate  of  individuals 
capable  of  producing,  under  natural  conditions,  progeny  of  their 
own  form,  through  successive  generations".  That  is  the  most 
exclusive  sense  in  which  the  term  can  be  used.  But  it  is  obvious 
that  the  difficulty  of  discussing  how  far  that  ability  exists,  or 
whether  it  exists  at  all,  in  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  multitu- 
dinous forms  of  organic  life,  has  given  rise  to  much  of  the  past  or 
existing  controversy  of  the  relationship  of  forms  or  kinds.  The 
power  of  reproduction  exists  in  very  many  instances  between 
allied  kinds  generally  admitted  to  be  distinct  species;  generally 
speaking  the  more  closely  allied  two  species  are,  the  more  fre- 
quently will  crosses  between  them  be  found  in  localities  where 
the  two  live  together.  But  amongst  animals,  with  few  ex- 
ceptions,the  reproductive  power  in  such  cases  is  not  transmitted 
to  the  offspring.  In  other  words,  true  hybrids,  i.e.,  the  progeny 
of  crosses  between  different  but  allied  kinds,  are  themselves 
infertile,  or  sterile,  or.  in  the  case  of  the  few  exceptions,  they 
become  sterile  in  the  subsequent  generation.  This  does  not 
apply  in  the  same  way  to  plants,  in  which  the  means  of  perpetu- 
ation are  very  different,  hybrids  much  more  frequently  fertile, 
and  species  still  harder  to  define. 

It  happens  that  while  some  species  are  confined  to  very 
small  areas,  called  "local  species",  others  exist  all  over  a  con- 
tinent, and  are  called  "generally  distributed"  species. 

Now,  supposing  it  were  possible  to  apply  this  reproductive 
test  to  all  the  various  forms  in  different  groups  throughout,  say, 
North  America,  it  would  be  found  that  in  some  cases  one  species 
existed  in  much  the  same  form  wherever  it  was  found,  that  is, 
that  different  individuals  in  the  same  district  showed  little  or 
no  variation  one  from  the  other,  and  that  an  individual  or 
specimen  from  a  district,  say,  on  the  east  coast,  differed  in  no 
essential  characters  from  one  from  the  west  coast.  Such  is 
called  a  constant  or  non-variable  species.  In  other  species, 
individuals  or  "specimens"  may  be  found  var3nng  much  from 
others  in  the  same  locality,  it  may  be  in  colour,  size,  relative 
dimensions  of  different  parts,  etc.     Specimens  so  differing  are 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  71 

called  varieties  of  the  species,  which  is  then  called  a  variable 
species.  "Specimen"  is  the  word  naturalists  use  to  indicate  a 
single  individual  or  example  of  a  species.  The  reasons  why  one 
species  should  be  variable  and  another  constant,  or  one  very 
local  and  another  widely  distributed,  are  very  obscure  and 
intricate,  and  must  be  sought  for  amongst  hereditary  tendencies 
of  bygone  ages.  They  cannot  be  dealt  with  in  the  present  paper, 
which  treats  of  facts  rather  than  causes. 

It  will  often  be  found,  if  we  trace  a  "generally  distributed" 
species  throughout  the  various  districts  where  it  occurs,  that 
some  of  the  specimens  from  one  locality  differ  slightly  in  certain 
points  or  characters  from  others  from  a  neighboring  district. 
The  lower  down  in  the  scale  of  life  we  look  for  illustrations  of 
this  the  more  easily  we  shall  find  them.  It  is  less  noticable  in  the 
higher  than  in  the  lower  forms  of  animal  life.  It  is  found  to  some 
extent  in  birds,  still  more  in  insects,  and  in  plants  more  than  in 
either.  Some  specimens  will  be  found  exactly  alike  from  the  two 
districts,  others  will  differ  considerably.  They  are  obviously  still 
the  same  species,  but  present  what  is  called  local  variations,  or 
varieties.  Follow  the  species  up  into  a  third  district,  and  perhaps 
a  greater  number  of  specimens  will  be  found  which  diff'er  more  or 
less  from  those  in  the  first.  Follow  it  up  further,  comparing 
numbers  of  specimens  throughout  various  districts  right  across 
the  continent.  The  difference  between  individuals  in  different 
districts  will  probably  be  found  to  vary  not  nearly  so  much 
according  to  the  actual  distance  of  the  localities  apart,  as  to  the 
difference  between  the  geological  and  climatic  conditions.  These 
conditions  diff'er  enormously,  say,  on  the  Altantic  and  Pacific 
coasts.  But  as  it  is  not  possible  to  draw,  so  to  speak,  any  actual 
fine  or  lines  of  distinction  between  those  different  conditions 
anywhere  in  that  area,  nor  even  to  follow  through  any  gradual 
regularity  of  change  from  one  to  the  other,  so,  in  the  case  of  our 
widely  distributed  but  variable  species,  we  shall  find  neither  any 
sudden  change  of  variation  or  form,  nor  any  gradual  regularity 
of  change.  And  though  we  may  be  able  to  find  no  district  in 
which  the  varietal  forms  diff'er  entirely  from  those  on  all  the  rest 
of  the  continent,  those  from  the  most  climatically  or  geologically 
dissimilar  districts  will  probably  be  found  the  least  Hke  each 
other,  and  may  even  be  entirely  different  in  appearance.  In 
other  words,  the  species  exists  in  the  different  localities  as  a 
different  "local  race,"  the  diff'erence  varying  probably  according 
to  the  diff'erence  of  conditions  under  which  it  has  to  exist.  "We 
may  have  every  reason  to  assume  a  distinct  blood  relationship 
between  the  various  forms.  Are  we  then  to  call  the  extremes 
different  "species"?  "Would  they,  if  brought  together  under 
perfectly  natural  conditions,  perpetuate  the  race,  or  mixture  of 


72  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

races,  ad  injinitwml  It  must  not  be  lost  sight  of  that  perfectly 
natural  conditions  are  necessarily  the  only  ones  under  which  the 
test  of  specific  relationship  is  a  fair  one,  as  it  is  well  known 
amongst  naturalists  that  domestication  or  confinement  entirely 
alters  the  reproductive  abilities  even  of  a  large  number  of  the 
higher  animals.  This  is  a  fact  quite  apart  from  the  one  that 
most  of  the  various  forms,  strains,  or  "breeds"  of  our  domestic 
animals,  birds,  or  plants  are  not  "species"  at  all  in  the  scientific 
sense,  but  rather  variations  specialised  b}^  man's  careful  selection. 
Under  complete  domestication  specific  identity  soon  becoines 
entirely  lost.  .      -.  ;  .      .::i-^  -M 

In  the  foregoing  illustration^-,  of^  extreme  ^geographical  or 
climatic  varieties  or  local  races,  it;has  been  assumed  that  it  has 
been  possible  to  trace  relationship  i  clearly,  through  from  one 
extreme  to  the  other.  When  such  relationship  exists  it  seems 
to  suggest  that  the  aggregate  of  all  these  varying  forms  should 
constitute  the  species.  Yet  the  extremes  cannot  possibly  meet 
under  natural  conditions,  so  that  that  test  cannot  be  made.  Are 
the  extremes  to  be  considered  different  species?        ■■;! 

There  can  be  little  doubt,  if  Darwin's  theory ^,be  admitted, 
that  it  is  through  the  formation  and  subsequent  isolation  of  such 
local  races  that  distinct  species  have  been  formed  through 
courses  of  millions  of  years.  Isolation,  whether  of  climatic 
changes  such  as  the  glacial  epoch,  or  by  the  formation  of  con- 
tinents, inundations  by  sea,  upheavals  of  mountains,  etc.,  effect- 
ually prevented  the  mingling  of  many  races  ages  ago.  which  may 
subsequently  have  become  modified  in  different  ways,  and  so 
become  quite  distinct  species  from  our  point  of  viev/,  or  non- 
variable  species  may  have  become  so  divided,  and  the  isolated 
portions  of  them  have  remained  similar  or  nearly  similar  to  our 
eyes.  Through  countless  ages  they  have  lost  their  blood-relation- 
ship, and  yet  they  look  alike.  Are  they  to  be  considered  distinct 
species?  These  things  we  can  only  judge  for  ourselves  from 
close  observation  and  much  study  in  each  particular  instance. 

Not  only  do  multitudinous  forms  occur,  perhaps  side  by  side 
so  enormously  variable  within  certain  limits,  or  so  exactly  like 
forms  of  another  supposed  species  found  in  one-locatily,  and  like 
forms  of  others  elsewhere,  that  without  the  actual  reproductive 
test  we  can  merely  draw  deductions  from  close  observation; 
but  probably  no  two  men  who  have  given  much  thought  to  the 
subject  have  exactly  the  same  idea  as  to  what  degrees  of  difference 
are  necessary,  or  what  exact  distance  of  relationship  must  exist 
before  two  forms  can  have  a  right  to  be  called  different  species. 
It  is  unquestionable  that  many  species  do  exist  which  show  no 
very  close  relationship  to  any  others  wherever  they  occur.  But 
a  very  large  number,  more  particularly  amongst  insects   and 


1909] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


73 


plants,  are  to  be  found  under  such  a  variety  of  forms,  that 
division  into  "species,"  as  naturaHsts'lgenerally/use  the  word, 
is  ahnost  a  matter  of  degree.'*^  ,5f  "^ 

Even  Darwin^  who  paid  at  least j^as]much|attention-^to  the 
subject  as  any  man^has  ever  done,  was  unable  to  lay  downjany 
hard  and  fast  rules  as  to  where  a  line,  so;to  speak,  was_jto  be 
drawn  between  one  species  and  another,  -"lit  will  usually  be 
found  that  the  larger  the  area  from  which  a  student  has  made 
his  studies  of  the  subject,  the  wider  his  views  as  to  what  "aggre- 
gate of  individtials  "  should  be  taken  to  constitute  a  species.  The 
collector  in  a  small  district  has  a  much  better  chance  of  judging 
whether  two  similar  forms  in  that  locality  are  really  one  or  two 
biological  species  than  the  one  who  merely  examines  material 
collected  by  another.  It  is  impossible  to  do  more  than  merely 
introduce  this  very  old  and  extremely  complex  subject  in  the 
space  here  available. 


THE  FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  subscribers  to  the  above  fund, 
with  the  amounts  subscribed  set  opposite  each  name.  The 
Committee  feels  that  there  must  still  be  a  goodly  number  of 
friends  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher  who  desire  to  contribute  some- 
thing towards  the  proposed  memorial,  before  the  list  is  finally 
closed.  Of  the  proposed  forms  of  memorial,  as  stated  in  the 
circular  sent  out  bv  the  Committee,  the  one  referring  to  the 
erection  of  a  Drinking  Fountain  at  the  Central  Experimental 
Farm  has  proved  to  be  the  most  popular.  Before  the  Committee, 
however,  can  definitely  decide,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  further 
appeal  to  those  who  wish  to  subscribe  something,  but  who  have 
not  as  yet  notified  the  Secretar^^-Treasurer  of  the  Committee, 
Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  Experimental  Farm,  Ottawa.  Any  therefore 
who  desire  to  do  so,  will  help  very  much  in  this  work  of  the  Club, 
by  attending  to  this  matter  at  their  early  convenience. 


Hon.  Sydney  Fisher,  Ottawa. $100  .00 
Dr.    &    Mrs.     H.     M.     .Vmi, 

Ottawa 50.00 

Hon.     Sir     F.     W.     Borden. 

Ottawa 25.00 

D.  Rrainerd.  Montreal 25.00 

Dr.  T.    |.  W.  Burgess,  Mon- 
treal   25.00 

Rev.  Prof.  Bethune,  Guelph..  25  .00 

AV.  H.  Harrington,  Ottawa.. .  25  .00 

H.  H.  Lvman,  Montreal 25  .00 


,  Dr.  W.  Saunders,  Ottawa. 


25.00 


().  P.  Schreiber,  Ottawa $25  .00 

R.  B.  Whvte,  Ottawa 25  .00 

T.N.  Will'ing,  Regina.  Sask . .  2  5  .  00 
Dr.  J.   W.    Robertson,  Mac- 

donald  College,  Que 25  .00 

Bi.shop    of    Ottawa    &    Mrs. 

Hamilton,  Ottawa 20.00 

Prof.  F.  D.  Adams,  Montreal.  1 5  . 00 

Prof.  A.  Baker,  Toronto 1  5  .  00 

Dr.  R.  Bell.  Ottawa '  ^  "" 

Lt.-Col.     W.     P.     Anderson, 

Ottawa 10. UU 


74 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[July 


C.  B.  Alladice,  Montreal 10.00 

R.  W.  Brock,  Ottawa 10.00 

Rev.  G.  Bryce,  Winnipeg. ...  10  .  00 
Dr.  W.  Barnes,  Decatur,  111 .  .  10.00 
Miss  M.  E.  Blatchford,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass 10.00 

E.  R.  Cameron,  Ottawa 10.00 

R.  H.  Campbell,  Ottawa '  1 0  .  00 

Norman  Criddle,  Treesbank, 

Man 10.00 

G.  H.  Clark,  Ottawa 10.00 

N.    H.    Cowdry,    Waterford, 

.^Ont 10.00 

Geo.     Y.    Chown,   Kingston, 

«40nt 10.00 

Col.  G.  T.  Denison,  Toronto..  10.00 

W.  T.  Ellis,  Ottawa 10.00 

Sir   Sandford    Fleming,,    Ot- 
tawa   10.00 

Arthur  Gibson,  Ottawa 10.00 

Andrew  Halkett,  Ottawa. ...  10 .  00 

T.  D.  Jarvis,  Guelph,  Ont...  .  10.00 

W.  D.  Kearfott,  New  York.  .  10.00 

Hon .  O .  H .  Lambart ,  Ottawa  1 0  .  00 

L.  M.  Lambe,  Ottawa 10.00 

F.  J.  A.  Morris,  Port  Hope. 

Ont 10.00 

A.  H.  Mackay,  Indian  Head, 

Sask 10.00 

J.  A.  Ruddick,  Ottawa 10.00 

Mr.    &    Mrs.    Gerald   Spring- 
Rice,  Pense,  Sask 10.00 

Frank  T.  Shutt,  Ottawa 10  .00 

Dr.    S.    H.    Scudder,    Cam- 
bridge, Mass 10.00 

W.  J.  Topley,  Ottawa 10.00 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  Ottawa.  10  .  00 
Ottawa  University,  Ottawa. .  10  .  00 
Montreal  Branch  of  the  En- 
tomological Society  of  On- 
tario, Montreal 10.00 

L.     M.     Fortier    &     family, 

Ottawa 8.00 

W.  Simpson,  Ottawa 8.00 

J.     R.     Anderson,    Victoria, 

B.C 5.00 

Mr.    A.    &    Miss    Alexander, 

Hamilton,  Ont 5  .00 

E.  H.  B.,  Ottawa 5.00 

M.  R.  Baker,  Ottawa 5  .00 

Dr.  H.  T.  Barnes,  Montreal.  .  5  .00 
A.  H.  Bush,  Vancouver,  B.C.  5.00 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Burman,  Winni- 
peg    5  .  00 

Walter  Burman,  Winnipeg.  .  5  .00 

L.  J.  Burpee,  Ottawa 5.00 

T.  E.  Clarke,  Ottawa 5  .00 


Prof.  J.  H.  Comstock,  Ithaca, 

N.Y 5.00 

M  .  F.  Connor,  Ottawa 5  .  00 

Prof.  J.  Craig,  Ithaca,  N.Y..  .  5  .00 

Miss  E.  E.  Curry,  Ottawa. ...  5  .  00 

Rev.  Prof.  W.  Clark,  Toronto  5  .  00 

J.  W.  Cockle,  Kaslo,  B.C 5  .00 

Dr.  S.  E.  Dawson,  Ottawa....  5.00 
F.    H.    Wolley-Dod,    Millar- 

ville,  Alta 5.00 

J.  D.  Evans,  Trenton,  Ont..  .  5.00 

J.  H.  Fleming,  Toronto 5  .00 

Hon.    Chas.    Fitzpatrick, 

Ottawa 5  .  00 

J.  H.  Grisdale,  Ottawa 5  .00 

Dr.   G.    P.    Girdwood,    Mon- 
treal   5.00 

Dr.  W.  L.  Goodwin,  Kings- 
ton   5.00 

C.  E.  Grant,  Orillia,  Ont 5  . 00 

L.  Gerin,  Ottawa 5  .  00 

J.    A.    Guignard,    Lausanne, 

Switzerland 5  .00 

Lt.-Col.    Ed.    Harrison,    Ot- 
tawa   5.00 

Dr.G.  U.Hay.St.John.N.B.  5.00 
Rev.  V.  A.   Huard,  Quebec, 

Que 5.00 

Jos.  Keele,  Ottawa 5  .00 

J.C.Kearns,  Ottawa 5.00 

Rev.  J.  H.  Keen,  Metlakatla, 

B.C 5.00 

Hon.  W.  L.  Mackenzie  King, 

Ottawa 5  .  00 

Dr.   Allan   Kinghorn,   Liver- 
pool, Eng 5   00 

E.  E.  Lemieux,  Ottawa 5  .00 

Prof.     W.     Lochhead,     Mac- 

donald  College,  Que 5  .00 

Dr.  W.  D.  LeSueur,  Ottawa..  5  .00 

J.  M.  Macoun,  Ottawa 5  .00 

Prof.  John  Macoun,  Ottawa. .  5  . 00 

W.  T.  Macoun,  Ottawa 5.00 

J.I.  MacCracken ,  Ottawa ...  5.00 

W.  Mclnnis,  Ottawa 5  .  00 

Dr.  A.  H.  Mackay,  Halifax, 

N.S 5.00 

A.  McNeill,  Ottawa 5  .00 

James   Murray,    Brandon, 

Man 5.00 

Geo.  Murray,  Montreal 5  .00 

C.  W.  Nash,  Toronto 5  .00 

L.  H.  Newman,  Ottawa 5  .00 

W.  S.Odell,  Ottawa 5.00 

R.M.  Palmer,  Victoria,  B.C..  5.00 

B.  Spring- Rice,  Pense,  Sask..  5  .00 


1909] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


75 


Dr.  S.  B.  Sinclair,  Macdonald 

College,  Que 5.00 

Dr.  H.  B.  Small,  Ottawa 5.00 

P.  B.  Symes,  Ottawa 5  .00 

Dr.  J.  B.  Smith,  New  Bruns- 
wick, N.J 5.00 

D.  C.  Scott,  Ottawa 5.00 

R.  F.  Stupart,  Toronto 5  .00 

N.  B.  Sanson,  Banff,  Alta..  .  .  5.00 

John  Smith,  Ottawa 5  .  00 

Prof.    F.    Sherman,    Raleigh, 

N.C.,  U.S 5.00 

E.  J.  Zavitz,Guelph,  Ont..  .  .  5.00 
Lt.-Col.  W.  White,  Ottawa  .  .  5  .  00 
J.  B.  Wallis,  Winnipeg,  Man  .  5  . 00 
Dr.  E.  M.  Walker,  Toronto  .  .  5  .  00 
Prof.  H.  F.  Wickham,  Iowa 

City,  Iowa 5.00 

Tom   Wilson,   Vancouver, 

B.C 5.00 

Prof.    F.    L.   Washburn,  St. 

Anthony  Park,  Minn 5   00 

A.  E.  Attwood,  Ottawa 3.00 

E.  Criddle,  Treesbank,  Man..  3  .00 
R.   H.   Carter,   Fort   Qu'Ap- 

pelle,  Sask 3,00 

Rev.  G.  Eifrig,  Ottawa 3  .00 

J.  W.  Gibson,  Ottawa 3  .  00 

A.  G.  Gilbert.  Ottawa 3  .00 

Jas.    MacDunnough.    Berlin, 

Germany 3  .  00 

John  Reade,  Montreal 3  .  00 

Mrs.   M.    P.   Mcllhinney, 

Ottawa 2    50 

H.    A.    &    Master    Allen    D. 

Harvey,  Ottawa 2.10 

Miss  A.  M.  Bishop,  Ottawa..  .  2,00 
Paul     A.     Cobbald,     Hailey- 

bury,  Ont 2   00 

J.  G.  Campbell,  Madoc,  Ont..  2  .  00 
Percy     Criddle,     Treesbank, 

Man 2.00 

Stuart    Criddle,    Treesbank, 

Man 2.00 

H.  W.  Charlton,  Ottawa 2.00 

L.  Caesar,  Guelph,  Ont 2  .00 

G.  Chagnon,  Montreal 2  .00 

A.  T.  Charron,  Ottawa 2  .00 

W.  B.  Dawson,  Ottawa 2.00 

Prof.    J.    Fowler,    Kingston, 

Ont 2.00 

A  Friend,  Ottawa 2  .00 

A.  A.  Girault,  Centralia,  111 .  .  2.00 

Miss  M.  L.  Grist,  Ottawa 2  .00 

Dr.  O.  Klotz,  Ottawa 2  .00 

J.  Labarthe.Trail,  B.C 2.00 


A.  D.  MacGillivray,  Ithaca, 

N.Y 2.00 

W.  H.  T.  Megill,  Ottawa 2  00 

Prof.    S.    B.    McCready, 

Guelph,  Ont 2   00 

D.  H.  Nelles,  Ottawa 2.00 

C.  P.  Newman,  Lachine,  Que.  2  .  00 
Dr.   W.   W.   Newcombe,  De- 
troit, Mich 2.00 

Jos.  Perrin,  Halifax 2  00 

Prof.  C.  V.  Piper,  Washing- 
ton, D.C 2  .00 

M,  L.  Rush,  Ottawa 2  00 

W.  A.  Riley,  Ithaca,  N.Y 2.00 

B.J.  Reynolds,  Indian  Head, 

Sask 2  .  00 

W.     E.     Saunders,    London, 

Ont 2.00 

Miss  McKay  Scott,  Ottawa .  .  2  .  00 
W.J.  Summerby,  Richmond, 

Que ' 2.00 

Mrs.  L.  L.  Sutton,  Ottawa.  .  .  2  .00 

D.  L.  Van  Dine,  Dallas,  Tex..  2.00 
Harry   Vane,    Treesbank, 

'Man 2.00 

J.  B.  Williams,  Toronto 2  .00 

Dr.  J.  F.  White,  Ottawa 2  .  00 

C.  Weld,  Farmers'  Advocate, 

Winnipeg,  Man 2  .00 

W.  Ayers,  Stock-ton,  Man..  .  .  1.00 

W.  Bond,  Ottawa 1  .00 

Prof.    W.    E.    Britton,    New 

Haven,  Conn 1  .00 

Miss  A.  F.  Braun,  Cincinnati, 

Ohio 1.00 

Miss  M.  Brown,  Halifax,  N.S.  1 .00 

A.  M.Campbell,  Ottawa 1.00 

G.   P.  Clinton,   New  Haven, 

Conn 1  .00 

A.  Cooper,  Treesbank,  Man.  .  1  .00 

C.  R.  Crosby,  Ithaca,  N.Y.  .  .  1  . 00 

Miss  F.  Davidson,  Ottawa.  .  1   00 

E.  H.     Dewart,     Stockton, 

Man 1.00 

W.  Dewart,  Stockton,  Man  .  .  1  .  00 

E.  D.  Eddv,  Ottawa 1  .00 

H.Groh,  Ottawa 1.00 

Miss  G.  Harmcr,  Entwhistle, 

Alta 1.00 

F.  C.  Hennessey,  Ottawa.  ..  .  1.00 
Miss  I.  Hargrave,  Toronto.  .  .  1 .00 
Prof.   L.    R.  Jones,  Burling- 
ton, Vt 1.00 

F.     D.     Jacobs.     Winnipeg, 

Man .^  1.00 

Miss  K.  Lee,  Clinton,  N.Y ...  1  .  00 

W.  Milne,  Ottawa 100 


76                              The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

Harold  U.  Morris,  Ottawa.  .  .  1  .00  H.  S.  Saunders,  Toronto,    ...  1    00 

G.  Michaud,  Ottawa 1  .00  A.  G.  Spencer,  Ottawa 1  .  00 

G.    F.    Matthews,    St.    John,  E.  P.  Venables,  Vernon,  B.C  1    00 

N.B 1  .00  C.  Vane,  Treesbank.  Man.    .  1    00 

Miss  I.  Ritchie,  Ottawa 1  .  00  E.  Vane,  Treesbank,  Man     .  1  .  00 

T.  G.  Raynor,  Ottawa 1.00  Also  a  number  of  smaller  sub- 
Miss     Ruby     M.      Rothwell,  scriptions  for  amounts  less 

Ottawa 1  .  00  thnn  onc>  dollar. 


MEETINGS  OF  THE  ENTOMOLOGICAL  BRANCH. 


Held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Baldwin,  March  11,  1909; 
present  Messrs.  Metcalfe,  Binney,  Groh,  Young,  Eifrig,  Gibson 
and  Baldwin. 

Mr.  Metcalfe  exhibited  some  interesting  specimens  of 
Hemiptera.  He  called  attention  especially  to  some  species 
of  Ranatra,  viz.,  R.  quadridentata,  R.  kirkadyi  and  R.  ftisca. 
These  are  narrow,  long-legged  water  bugs  which  he  had  collected 
during  the  past  season  at  Pickerel  Point  on  the  Ottawa  River. 
Cyrtolohus  grisetts  from  oak  and  Cligenes  mmuhis  were  included 
in  the  box,  both  of  which  species  were  new  records  for  the  Ottawa 
district. 

Mr.  Groh  spoke  of  some  galls  which  he  had  found  on  Willow 
on  Parliament  Hill,  and  which  were  the  work  of  Rhabdophaga 
triticoides.  The  gall  is  known  as  the  Willow  Bud  Gall.  The 
bud  scales  become  elongated,  the  larva  living  within  a  cavity 
in  the  interior. 

Mr.  Young  showed  a  box  of  lepidoptera  which  he  had  just 
received  from  Dr.  Barnes,  of  Decatur,  III.  These  were  all 
rarities,  mostly  from  Arizona.  Among  the  specimens  were  some 
of  the  interesting  genus  Schinia. 

Mr.  Gibson  read  an  account  of  an  interesting  occurrence  of 
Telephorid  larvae  at  Charlottetown,  P.E.I.  Specimens  had 
been  received  for  identification  from  Mr.  Lawrence  W.  Watson, 
which  had  been  found  alive  in  considerable  numbers  in  February 
on  ice  and  snow.  These  larvae  are  known  as  "snow  worms". 
The  species  was  probably  Telephorus  bilineatus. 

Mr.  Baldwin  exhibited  some  cases  from  his  collection  of 
lepidoptera,  calling  attention  to  some  of  the  more  interesting 
specimens  which  he  had  collected  during  1908.  He  gave  an 
account  of  some  of  the  catches  which  he  had  made  on  certain 
evenings  when  collecting  at  the  Electric  Railway  power  station 
near  Britannia.  The  brilliant  lights  at  this  station  are  certainly 
very  attractive  to  night  flying  insects.  The  writer  has  visited 
the  station  on  several  occasions  and  each  time  came  away  with 
his  poison  bottles  and  pinning  boxes  well   filled.       During    the 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  77 

past  season  we  found  the  lamellicorn  beetle,  Ligyrus  relictus, 
quite  abundantly  on  several  evenings.  This  beetle  which  is 
a  close  relative  of  the  common  May  Beetle,  or  so-called  June  Bug, 
has  not  in  the  past  been  at  all  common  in  the  Ottawa  district. 

A.  G. 


The  ineeting  of  the  Branch  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Arthur 
Gibson  on  the  25th  March,  was  very  informal  in  nature.  Those 
present  were  Messrs.  Halkett,  Metcalfe,  Groh,  Baldwin  and 
Gibson. 

Owing  to  the  few  exhibits  which  were  made  the  discussions 
were  of  a  very  general  nature.  Mr.  Metcalfe  showed  a  box  of 
Psyllidae,  some  of  which  had  recently  been  named  by  Mr. 
Schwar/,,  of  Washington,  through  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  L.  0. 
Howard.  These  little  insects  have  not  received  very  much  study 
in  North  America  as  yet.  They  are  known  popularly  as  "jump- 
ing plant  lice"  from  their  active  habits,  although  they  resemble 
much  more  closely  a  miniattire  Cicada. 

The  work  of  the  Birch  Skeletonizer,  Bucculatrix  canaden- 
sisella,  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  Groh,  along  with  specimens  of  the 
beautiful  little  moth.  Some  years  this  insect  does  much  harm 
to  the  foliage  of  birch  trees.  It  has  been  found  commonly  in 
the  Ottawa  District. 

Some  parasitized  chrysalids  of  Papilio  turnus  and  Hyperch- 
iria  io,  were  shown  by  Mr.  Baldwin.  The  parasites  were  probably 
Tachina  flies. 

Mr.  Gibson  exhibited  a  large  potato  shaped  gall  on  Rubus 
Hutkanus,  which  had  been  received  from  Mr.  J.  R.  Anderson,  of 
Victoria,  B.C.  Specimens  of  the  hymenopterous  gall  maker, 
doubtless  one  of  the  Cynipidae,  were  also  shown.  These  had 
emerged  indoors  during  March.  A  series  of  the  noctuids, 
Graphiphora  praeses  and  Stretchia  norntalis,  also  from  British 
Columbia,  was  exhibited.  Sir  George  Hampson's  Vol.  VII,  of  the 
catalogue  of  the  Lepidoptera  Phalasnai  in  the  British  Museum 
was  laid  on  the  table  with  the  accompanying  plates,  and  was 
examined  with  much  interest  by  those  present  These  volumes 
are  of  the  greatest  value  to  lepidopterists  the  world  over. 

A.  G. 


Dr.  E.  L.  Greene,  of  the  United  States  National  Museum. 
Washington,  D.C.,  who  has  been  studying  plants  of  the  genus 
Thalictrum  in  western  Ontario,  was  in  Ottawa  for  a  day,  or 
two,  last  month. 


78  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

EXCURSIONS. 


The  excursions  arranged  for  May  1st  and  8th  were  cancelled, 
the  former  because  on  the  day  before  a  great  mass  of  sleet  and 
snow  had  fallen,  which  made  woods  and  roads  impassible,  the 
latter  because  of  much  rainfall  up  to  the  day  before.  However, 
that  Saturday  turned  out  to  be  fine,  thus  again  upsetting  all 
preconceived  plans  and  well  meant  intentions. 

Britannia. 

On  May  ISth  the  excursion  to  Britannia  was  held.  It  was 
a  lovely  day,  perhaps  the  first  all-round  satisfactory  one  up  till 
then  of  the  season. 

About  40  or  50  members  of  the  Club  assembled  at  the  park, 
where  Vice-president  Halkett  gave  out  the  shibboleth  for  the 
day.  The  botanists  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  Blackadar,^ 
turned  to  the  left  to  Graham's  woods,  a  good  spot  for  the  first 
wild  spring  flowers.  The  zoologists  with  Mr.  Halkett  as  leader, 
the  geologists  under  Mr.  Wilson  and  the  ornithologists  with  the 
undersigned,  went  to  the  right  into  the  tamaracs  and  gravel  pit, 
the  ornithologists  going  farthest  afield,  beyond  the  Richmond 
Road. 

After  two  hours  the  party  assembled  again  at  the  starting 
point.  Dr.  Blackadar  showed  specimens  of  many  of  the  plants 
that  had  been  found,  and  spoke  at  length  on  the  flowers  of  the 
trees,  especially  the  poplars,  maples,  elms,  birches  and  alders. 
Mr.  Wilson,  for  the  geologists  exhibited  a  piece  of  conglomerate, 
the  process  of  whose  forming  could  be  seen  bodily  in  the  exposed 
lower  strata  of  the  adjoining  gravel-pit.  The  undersigned  spoke 
on  the  birds  observed  during  the  short  perambulation,  which 
numbered  40  species,  as  follows:  4  Kingbirds,  1  Least  Flycatcher, 

1  Crested  Flycatcher,  1  Phoebe,  3-4  Meadowlarks,  2  Redwinged 
Blackbirds,  4-5  Bronzed  Grackles,  Crows  (one  nest),  2  Baltimore 
Orioles,  many  Robins,  4-5  Veeries,  4  Bluebirds,  many  Song, 
White-Crowned,    Clipping   and   Vesper   Sparrows,    all   in   song, 

2  Juncos,  2  Rose^breasted  Grosbeaks  and  Goldfinches;  Chimney 
Swifts,  and  even  Kingfishers  were  common,  about  8-10  of  the 
latter  being  seen  or  heard,  (in  the  gravel-pit  several  nesting 
tunnels);  Tree,  Barn  and  Bank  Swallows  (already  making  nest- 
ing holes),  5-6  Flickers,  1  Sapsucker,  2  Downy  Woodpeckers, 
2  Yellow  Warblers,  3-4  Black  and  White  Creeping  Warblers,  2 
Black-breasted  Green,  2  Myrtle,  1  Parula,  1  Palm  Warbler,  1 
Yellowthroat  and  1  Water-thrush;  4-5  House  Wrens  and  2 
Brown-breasted  Nuthatches,  2  Spotted  Sand  Pipers,  and  2 
Greater  Yellow  Legs. 

Mr.    Halkett   exhibited   quite   a  collection   of  batrachians, 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  79 

mostly  leopard  frogs,  as  well  as  many  invertebrates,  crustaceans, 
spiders  and  worms.  Altogether  it  was  a  delightful  and  instructive 
outing.  G.  EiFRiG, 

Beaver  Meadow,  Hull. 

The  third  outing  took  place  in  the  afternoon  of  May  22nd 
to  Beaver  Meadow,  Hull,  perhaps  the  most  profitable  field  for 
the  Club's  out-door  work.  Owing  to  fear  of  the  high  water  then 
raging  in  the  Ottawa  River,  which  had  already  flooded  a  short 
stretch  of  the  Aylmer  Road  at  the  end  of  Hull,  or  for  some  other 
reason,  there  was  only  a  small  attendance  in  spite  of  the  fine 
weather.  About  15  persons  took  part,  including  only  two 
ladies.  For  this  reason  the  party  did  not  divide  itself  up,  but 
stayed  together  and  went  out  along  the  west  bank  of  the  meadow 
to  the  quarry  and  then  crossed  on  logs,  etc.,  over  to  the  east  bank, 
returning  on  it.  The  west  bank  is  perhaps  the  most  prolific  place 
near  Ottawa  for  the  botanist,  rare  plants  like  the  showy  orchis 
(Orchis  spectahilis)  being  found  there,  as  well  as  other  kinds  of 
commoner  ones  in  profusion.  The  ferns  fairly  revel  there,  the 
daint}^  maiden  hair,  and  the  two  oak  ferns  occurring  in  great 
clumps.  The  east  bank,  again,  is  a  splendid  locality  for  col- 
umbine {Aquilegia  Canadensis),  Habenaria  hyperborea,  and 
the  only  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Ottawa  where  the  Red  or  Wood 
Lily  (Lilhtm  philadelphicum)  may  be  found.  Many  water  and 
swamp  plants  also  abound.  Mr.  A.  H.  W.  Cleave,  Superintendent 
of  the  Royal  Mint,  who  has  since  been  added  to  the  membership 
roll  of  the  Club,  exhibited  a  great  amount  of  small  and  semi- 
microscopic  life-forms,  which  he  with  an  ingenious  contrivance 
fished  out  of  the  stagnant  waters  along  the  way.  Besides  larvae 
of  mosquitoes,  dragon  flies  and  mayflies  he  showed  specimens  of 
Daphnia  and  Cypris. 

Although  the  day  was  fine  and  the  migration  of  birds  at  its 
height,  they  were  not  as  plentiful  as  was  to  be  expected,  only 
27  species  being  noted.  These  were:  several  Chimney  Swifts, 
1-2  Nighthawks,  1  Phoebe,  1  Crested  Flycatcher,  5-6  Bronzed 
Grackles,  1  Flicker,  10-15  White-throated  Sparrows,  and  many 
Song  and  several  Clipping  Sparrows,  the  Tree.  Bank  and  Barn 
Swallows,  1  Blue-headed  Vireo;  the  following  warblers,  Bay 
breasted,  Nashville,  Myrtle,  Yellow,  Chestnut-sided,  Black  and 
White-  Creeping,  Blackthroated  Green,  the  Ovenbird,  Redstart, 
Yellowthroat,  the  House,  Winter  and  Short-billed  Marsh  Wrens, 
manv  Robins, several  Bluebirds  and  Veeries  or  Wilson's  Thrushes, 
2-3  Catbirds  and  1  Killdeer.  The  habitant  living  at  the  entrance 
to  the  lane  into  the  meadow  had  a  queer  cage-bird,  caught  that 
day,  in  the  shape  of  a  Sora  Rail  {Sora  Carolinana).  A  nest  of  the 
Re'd-shouldered  Hawk,  about  35  feet  up  in  an  elm  tree  was  in- 


80  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

spected  by  Mr.  Groh,  who  proved  the  best  climber,  and  found  it 
to  contain  two  eggs.  The  female  only  left  the  nest,  noiselessly, 
when  the  climber  was  half-way  up.  The  nest  was  about  two 
feet  in  diameter,  the  inner  cup  about  8  inches,  lined  with  pine 
twigs,  stripes  of  birch  and  soft  inner  bark  and  down  of  the  bird 
itself.  They  use  the  same  nest  over  and  over  again,  but  each 
year  decorate  it  with  green  branches  of  pine,  whereby  it  can  be 
seen  at  once  from  below  whether  it  is  a  used  hawk's  nest  or  not. 

Insects  were  beginning  to  appear  in  numbers  but  nothing 
of  special  rarity  was  met  with  during  the  afternoon.  Mr.  Arthur . 
Gibson  noted  a  few  nests  of  the  American  Tent  Caterpillar. 
These  were  just  beginning  to  assume  a  conspicuous  size.  A  few 
speciinens  of  the  small  early  spring  blue  butterfly  were  seen, 
and  one  or  two  of  the  Pure  White.  Some  beetles  and  other 
insects  were  collected  by  the  entomologists  present  from  under 
the  bark,  etc.,  and  a  small  collection  of  spiders  was  made. 

G.   ElFRIG. 

Chelsea,  Que. 

The  general  excursion  to  Chelsea  was  held  on  Saturday, 
June  5th. 

Owing  to  the  uncertain  state  of  the  weather,  the  attendance 
was  not  as  large  as  usual.  However,  despite  the  clouds  and 
humiditv,  among  those  present  were  Mr.  Attwood,  Rev.  Mr. 
Eifrig,  Mr.  W.  J.  Wilson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Putman,  Mr.  Mc- 
Gillivray,  Mr.  R.  H.  Campbell,  Miss  Christie,  Mr.  Shannon,  Miss 
Matthews,  Mr.  H.  S.  Winchester,  together  with  a  number  of 
Normal  lady  students  in  charge  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thos.  Brown. 

On  reaching  ChelSea  the  members  were  divided  into  groups. 
Mr.  Wilson  led  the  geological  branch,  while  Mr.  Attwood  and 
Mr.  Eifrig  jointly  took  charge  of  the  botanists  and  ornithologists. 
After  making  a  tour  through  the  woods,  visiting  Gilmour  Island 
and  rapids,  the  second  party  moved  along  the  west  bank  of  the 
Gatineau  River,  till  the  old  boom  house  was  reached,  ascended 
the  hill,  recrossed  into  the  woods  and  finally  reached  the  railway, 
near  the  Chelsea  summit,  after  gathering  flowers  and  studying 
the  birds,  under  direction  of  the  leaders,  as  thev  passed  along. 

The  geological  party  examined  the  rock  cuttings  along 
the  railroad.  A  good  exposure  of  garnetiferous  gneiss  is  seen 
a  short  distance  north  of  Chelsea  Station.  The  foliation  is 
well  shown,  the  rock  being  smoothed  and  polished  by  ice 
action.  The  striae  run  nearly,  south  at  this  point.  Resting 
on  the  gneiss  there  is  a  good  section  of  the  pleistocene  deposits. 
Boulder  clay  with  striated  boulders  lies  directly  on  the  rock,  next 
there  is  a  mass  of  Leda  clay  and  on  top  of  this  the  Saxicava  sand. 
These  deposits  vary  from  almost  nothing  to  twenty  or  thirty  feet 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  81 

in  thickness.  Specimens  of  Saxicava  rugosa  and  Macoma 
Balihica  were  found  in  the  clay  and  sand  on  Saturday,  and  on 
former  visits  a  few  specimens  of  Leda  (Portlandica)  Arctica  and 
Balanus  crenaius  were  collected.  These  four  species  live  only 
in  salt  water  and  their  presence  proves  that  these  deposits  were 
laid  down  in  the  sea  or  on  its  shore,  and  therefore  the  relative 
height  of  the  land  at  Chelsea  has  changed  at  least  four  hundred 
feet  since  their  deposition. 

On  returning  to  the  station,  Mr.  Attwood  called  on  Mr.  R.  H. 
Campbell,  who  addressed  the  gathering,  giving  much  useful 
information  regarding  tree  plantation  and  the  need  of  better 
preservation  of  certain  coniferous  trees  whose  reproduction  is 
slow  owing  to  the  seeds  requiring  two  or  three  years  to  mature. 
He  also  drew  attention  to  the  wonderful  attraction  exercised  by 
the  sun  upon  the  leaves,  and  to  the  fact,  that  when  the  leaves  of  a 
tree  happen  to  be  small,  there  is  always  a  greater  number  of 
them  to  make  up  the  requisite  leaf  surface. 

Mr.  Eifrig  followed,  speaking  on  the  migration  of  birds  and 
their  habits.  He  stated  that  they  were  moved  by  two  impulses, 
food  supply  and  the  propagation  of  their  species,  that  the  latter 
was  the  stronger,  leading  many  of  them  to  the  far  north,  where 
they  were  reared,  from  regions  as  far  south  as  Bolivia  and  Peru. 
Referring  to  the  comparatively  few  birds  seen  during  the  after- 
noon, he  attributed  it  to  two  reasons,  viz.,  the  nesting  season 
and  the  depressing"  state  of  the  weather,  which  alwavs  exerts  a 
quieting  effect  upon  birds  whose  organisms  are  delicately  balanced. 
However,  the  following  birds  were  seen: — Chimaey  Swift,  King 
Bird,  Alder  Flycatcher,  Meadowlark,  Blackbird,  House  Wren, 
Goldfinches,  Junco,  Bank  and  Barn  Swallows,  Ovenbird,  Black- 
throated  Blue  Warbler,  Hermit  Thrush,  Chickadee,  Black- 
throated  Warbler,  many  Song,  White-throated  and  Clipping 
Sparrows,  Blackpoll  and  Chestnut-sided  Warblers,  and  the 
Vesper  Sparrow,  who  sang  his  loud  and  musical  song  as  the  train 
started  for  Ottawa,  thus  concluding  one  of  the  most  enjoyable 
revels  that  the  writer  has  ever  had  with  Dame  Nature. 

E.  C.  W. 

i  Carp,  Ont. 

The  excursion  to  Carp  on  May  29th  was  not  so  largely 
attended  as  was  expected  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of  the  weather, 
and  vet  there  was  a  goodly  number  on  board  when  the  train  left 
the  Central  Station  at  11 .50  a.m.  On  arriving  at  Carp  the  party 
proceeded  to  the  school  house  and  was  received  there  by  the 
teaching  staff,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  make  the  afternoon 
an  agreeable  and  profitable  one.  The  school  building  is  a  fine 
one,  and  stands  on  an  eminence  which  commands  a  splendid 


32  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  <{July 

view  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  outlook  from  the  windows 
should  often  give  fresh  inspiration  to  both  teachers  and  pupils, 
when  their  tasks  threaten  to  become  wearisome.  The  gardens 
which  are  a  part  of  the  Carp  school,  showed  no  signs  of  life  as 
yet,  but  were  only  waiting  for  the  advancing  season  to  complete 
the  work  of  the  youthful  horticulturists. 

Inside  the  building  were  many  evidences  that  the  study  of 
nature  was  not  neglected.  Among  other  things  were  noticed 
a  display  of  colored  prints  of  birds,  and  an  arrangement  of  glass, 
in  which  the  development  of  butterflies  and  moths,  from  their 
earlier  stages  could  be  conveniently  observed. 

After  those  who  had  not  had  luncheon  had  satisfied  the 
inner  man  from  their  own  baskets  in  the  school  rooms,  or  had 
availed  themselves  of  the  resources  of  the  village,  the  party 
proceeded  to  a  grove  that  was  not  far  distant,  and  there  separated 
under  the  different  leaders.  The  geological  division  climbed  the 
Laurentian  rocks,  a  rather  trying  exertion  in  the  hot  sun,  but 
there  were  clusters  of  fresh  green  ferns  growing  in  the  crevices  of 
the  rocks,  and  other  beauties  to  cheer  them  on  their  way,  and, 
at  the  top,  the  surprise  of  green  pools  of  water  with  the  little 
sweet-scented  white  violets  growing  on  their  margins  well  repaid 
even  those  who  were  quite  ignorant  of  matters  scientific  for 
their  labors.  It  is  true  these  same  charming  pools  produced 
numerous  mosquitoes,  an  evil  which,  there  being  no  remedy  for 
it,  each  of  the  excursionists  endured  with  all  the  patience  he  or 
she  could  command. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  the  uncertain  weather  changed 
to  the  certainty  of  a  brief  thunder  storm,  which  was  not  an 
altogether  uninteresting  episode,  although  it  curtailed  the  ex- 
plorations of  the  more  timorous  spirits.  The  addresses,  when 
the  party  reassembled,  were  given  in  front  of  the  school  house, 
and  afterwards  hot  tea  was  served  in  the  building. 

After  a  few  remarks  by  the  President,  Mr.  Attwood,  Mr. 
T.  E.  Clarke  was  first  called  on  to  speak  of  the  botanical  specimens 
collected.  The  botanical  field  at  Carp,  while  not  extensive  is 
quite  varied.  Close  to  the  village,  as  above  mentioned,  there  is 
a  grove  where  the  typical  plants  of  rich  woodlands  are  to  be 
found.  To  the  left  is  a  low  flat,  through  which  the  Carp  river 
flows,  while  at  some  distance  to  the  right  are  two  rocky  ridges, 
more  or  less  wooded.  Of  the  rarer  plants  collected.  Poly  gal  a 
paucifolia  was  found  in  the  open  woods  on  the  sandy  hill  just 
beyond  the  school  garden,  and  Trillium  erythrocarpum  on  lower 
ground.  The  Blood-root,  Sanguinaria  canadensis  was  observed 
in  flower  in  great  numbers.  Unfortunately  the  rain  prevented 
an  examination  of  the  ridges,  where  some-  interesting 
were  obtained  on  the  occasion  of  a  former  excursion.     ,■-  vv 


LIBIIAR 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  83 

Miss  Norton  of  the  Carp  High  School,  in  a  few  well  chosen 
words  spoke  of  the  pleasure  derived  from  the  visit  of  the  Ottawa 
Field-Naturalists'  Club.  As  a  member  of  the  Committee  chosen 
to  consider  the  formation  of  a  branch  of  the  club  at  Carp,  she 
felt  sure  that  such  an  organization  would  be  a  help  to  those 
engaged  in  teaching,  and  a  pleasure  to  all  who  would  join  with 
the  club  in  such  a  work. 

Mr.  Arthur  Gibson  spoke  briefly  of  some  of  the  insects  which 
had  been  observed  during  the  afternoon.  Mosquitoes  were  out 
in  full  force  and  the  relation  of  these  pests  to  malaria  and  some 
other  diseases  was  mentioned.  A  few  nests  of  the  American 
Tent  Caterpillar  had  been  observed,  as  well  as  a  few  of  the  early 
butterflies,  such  as  the  Spring  Blue,  the  Clouded  Sulphur,  the 
Small  White  Cabbage  and  the  little  black  Skipper.  Specimens 
of  the  White  Grub  were  shown  and  information  asked  as  to  its 
economic  importance.  This  well  known  insect,  the  larva  of  the 
May  beetle,  or  June  Bug,  annually  does  serious  damage  to  the 
roots  of  grasses  and  other  plants. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Wilson  spoke  of  the  geological  formations  in  the 
vicinity  of  Carp  and  exhibited  samples  of  mica,  hornblends, 
feldspar,  magnetite  and  apatite,  and  explained  briefly  some  of 
their  physical  properties.  The  most  interesting  was  a  specimen 
of  apatite  in  which  the  crystals  were  considerably  curved,  owing 
to  long  continued,  steady  pressure.  Similar  crystals  were  noted 
by  Dr.  Ami  at  a  former  visit  of  the  Club  to  this  place.  Evidence 
that  the  land  had  been  under  the  sea  at  a  comparativelv  recent 
date,  geologically  speaking,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  sand  and 
gravel  abound  in  marine  shells,  specimens  of  which  were  shown. 
These  forms  live  in  the  ocean  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt  congratulated  the  people  of  Carp  on  the 
fact  that  they  were  about  to  form  a  branch  of  the  Field-Natura- 
lists' Club  and  said  it  would  be  the  aim  of  the  Club  to  give  all 
possible  assistance. 

Rev.  Mr.  Eifrig  spoke  of  the  birds  the  ornithological  party 
had  seen,  viz..  Flycatchers,  2   Phoebes,  6  Kingbirds,  3  Pewees, 

1  Crested  Flycatcher,  5  Chebecs,  Blackbirds,  etc.,  10  Bronzed 
Grackles,  10  Meadowlarks,  8  Bobolinks,  4  Red-winged  Blackbirds 

2  Baltimore  Orioles,  Crows,  Woodpeckers,  1  Flicker,  Sparrows: 
2  White-throated  Sparrows,  many  Clipping,  4  Vesper,  many  Song, 
5  Savanna,  a  flock  of  about  20  Goldfinches,  English  Sparrows, 
(many  nests  with  4-6  eggs  in  a  barn).  Swallows:  6  Purple 
Martens,  10-20  Barn  Swallows,  (1  nest  with  7  eggs,  2  with  2  eggs), 
many  Bank  Swallows,  Warblers,  6  Yellow,  4  Black  and  White, 
2  Blackpoll,  2  Chestnutsided,  1  Blackthroated  Blue,  4  Yellow- 
throats,  Thrushes,  many  Robins  (nest  with  3  young),  8  Blue- 
birds, Wrens,  etc.,  5  House  Wrens,  1    Winter   Wren,  1    Brown 


84  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [July 

Thrasher,  all  singing  beautifully,  besides  2  Spotted  Sandpipers, 
1  Kingfisher,  many  Chimney  Swifts,  1  Humming  Bird,  4  Redeyed 
Vireos,  I  Killdeer,  1  Red-shouldered  Hawk,  2  Nighthawks. 
Total,  41  species.  In  closing  he  exhibited  a  number  of  birds' 
eggs  which  had  been  collected  by  a  young  lady  of  Carp. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  of  the  Ottawa  Normal  School,  and  Mr. 
G.  A.  Moore,  Principal  of  the  Carp  High  School,  briefly  addressed 
the  gathering. 

Between  some  of  the  addresses,  Mr.  T.  A.  Brown  and  the 
Normal  vStudents  furnished  some  excellent  music. 

The  evening  after  the  rain,  was  indescribably  lovely  and 
must  have  brought  a  ."suspension  of  disgust"  to  use  a  Bryonic 
phrase,  to  any  world-weary  individuals  of  the  party,  if  such  there 
were,  and  none  could  leave  so  restful  a  scene  without  regret. 

E.  McQ. 

CROSSBILLS  NESTING  IN  SOUTHERN  ONTARIO. 

By  W.  E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 

A  nest  of  Crossbills,  species  unknown,  was  found  last  April 
by  Mr.  Harold  J.  Clark  in  a  small  woods  about  two  miles  east  of 
London.  On  April  28th  the  nest  was  taken.  It  contained  three 
eggs,  with  a  bluish-white  ground,  sparingly  streaked  and  spotted 
with  black  and  brown.  The  nest  was  placed  in  a  maple  tree 
against  the  trunk,  45  feet  from  the  ground,  and  was  composed 
mainly  of  bark  strips  with  additions  of  grasses  and  twigs  and 
was  lined  with  fine  bark  strips.  The  nest  contained  also,  the 
egg  of  a  Cow  Bird  which  shows  that  the  latter  species  does  not 
intend  to  lose  any  opportunity  for  reproduction,  this  being  a 
very  early  date  for  Cow  Bird's  eggs  to  be  fovmd. 

This  forms  the  first  stated  record  of  Crossbills  nesting  in 
lower  Ontario  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  nest  was  not 
seen  in  situ  by  someone  who  could  have  identified  the  species 
before  the  eggs  were  taken.  It  is  likely,  however,  that  the  nest 
belonged  to  the  American  Crossbill,  as  no  white  wing-bars  were 
noticed  and  this  species  has  been  moderately  common  during 
parts  of  the  past  winter. 

Some  years  ago,  I  received  a  report  of  the  occurrence  of 
White  Winged  Crossbills  in  spotted  plumage,  young  birds  of 
course,  which  were  taken  near  London,  in  April  or  May,  and 
had  doubtless  been  raised  in  the  vicinity,  but  the  specimens  had 
been  lost  when  I  heard  of  it  and  no  re-occurrence  of  the  event 
had  been  suspected  until  the  present  year.  As  the  Crossbills 
belong  to  the  most  erratic  group  of  sparrows,  as  regards  nesting 
habits,  we  need  not  be  surprised  if  such  occasional  records  are 
made. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIIl.         OTTAWA,  AUGUST,  1909  No.  5 


CERTAIN  BIOLOGICAL  PRINCIPLES  AND  THEIR  PRAC- 
TICAL APPLICATION  IN  THE  IMPROVEMENT 
OF  THE  FIELD  CROPS  OF  CANADA. 


By  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.,  Secretary,  Canadian 
Seed  Growers'  Association,  Ottawa. 

To  learn  what  is  true  in  order  to  do  what  is  right  is  the  summing 
up  of  the  whole  duty  of  man. — T.  H.  Huxley. 

Modern  science  has  done  much  to  awaken  a  greater  interest 
in  the  improvement  of  the  lot  of  man  by  giving  us  a  better 
understanding  of  life  processes.  A  more  comprehensive  know- 
ledge of  the  laws  w^hich  determine  our  well-being  in  the  physical 
world  has  resulted  in  the  control  of  many  dread  diseases.  A 
greater  knowledge  of  the  interaction  of,  and  the  relation  between, 
hereditary  forces  and  environment  places  within  the  reach  of 
man  a  remarkable  power  in  guiding  and  controlling  the  creative 
forces  of  nature.  This  last  makes  possible  the  betterment  of  the 
condition  of  man  through  the  improvement  of  his  food. 

The  world's  supply  of  food  to-day  is  directly  dependent  upon 
one  great  kingdom — ^the  vegetable  kingdom.  At  first  man  de- 
pended for  his  liveHhood  upon  the  chase  and  the  fruits,  seeds  and 
herbs  which  nature  provided.  This  source,  however,  soon  requir- 
ed to  be  supplemented  so  that  we  find  even  our  primitive  races 
resorting  to  the  raising  of  crops  as  a  means  of  sustenance.  The 
native  forms  of  plant-life  which  were  utilized  soon  responded  to 
the  hand  of  man,  and  from  this  early  beginning  dates  the  im- 
provement of  plants. 

The  great  complexity  and  diversity  in  the  forms  of  vegetation 
which  clothe  the  surface  of  the  earth  has  long  been  a  question 
to  haunt  the  mind  of  the  scientist  and  the  philosopher.  That 
new  species  were  constantly  being  produced  in  nature  was  a 
recognized  fact  as  long  ago  as  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  but  the 
exact  manner  in  which  these  were  brought  into  existence  has 
long  remained  obscure  and  puzzling. 


86  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

For  many  years  our  leading  naturalists  and  biologists  have 
been  engaged  in  investigating  these  problems  and  in  classifying 
their  observations  under  natural  and  well  defined  laws.  It  is 
only  within  recent  years,  however,  that  the  student  of  natural 
progression  has  been  able  to  deduce  from  his  observations  and 
study  any  suggestion  as  to  how  plants  under  domestication  might 
be  "bred  up"  by  the  applications  of  principles  common  to  all 
living  phenomena. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  IDEA  OF     SPECIES     FORMATION. 

In  order  that  we  may  clearly  understand  the  possibilities 
of  the  artificial  interference  in  plant  life  as  a  means  of  evolving 
improved  races  and  strains,  and  that  we  may  see  how  far  such 
work  is  based  on  scientific  and,  therefore,  sound  principles,  we 
shall  examine  briefly  some  of  the  various  theories  and  ideas 
which  have  been  advanced  respecting  the  manner  in  which  our 
present  species,  varieties  and  strains  have  come  into  existence. 

We  find  that  the  idea  of  organic  progression  or  evolution 
had  its  birth  among  the  early  Greeks,  its  renaissance  among  the 
early  natural  philosophers  beginning  with  Bacon  and  extending 
to  the  time  of  Herder  (1744-1803)  and  that  these  men  in  turn 
served  to  inspire  further  investigation  and  study  by  Buffon, 
Erasmus  Darwin  and  Goethe,  all  of  whom  are  considered  as 
contemporaries  of  Darwin,  the  first  real  propounder  of  evolution. 

Evolution,  as  a  natural  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the 
higher  forms  of  life,  developed  from  the  mythological  teachings 
of  the  earlv  Greeks  into  the  general  conception  of  Aristotle 
(384-322  B!C.)  who,  over  2,200  years  ago,  believed  that  higher 
forms  of  life  originated  or  were  developed  from  lower  forms  in 
some  mysterious  way.  Development  or  the  gradual  perfection 
in  the  structure  of  an  organism  was  Aristotle's  main  thesis  and 
constituted  the  principle  thotight  in  his  natural  philosophy. 
He  was  also  a  strong  believer  in  the  law  of  adaptation  and  in 
atavism.  The  principle  of  Syngenesis  was  recognized  long  before 
Aristotle's  time  by  Empedocles,  who  may  be  said  to  be  the  father 
of  evolution.  Empedocles  conceived  the  idea  of  "The  survival 
of  the  fittest"  six  centuries  before  Christ. 

Epicurus  (341-270  B.C.)  established  the  distinction  between 
natural  and  supernatural  causation,  and  gathered  arguments 
from  his  predecessors  to  support  the  principle  of  natural  law. 

The  idea  of  the  changing  rather  than  of  the  fixed  order  of 
things  had  its  origin  among  the  Greeks  in  Heraclitus  (505-475 
B.C.) 

For  many  centuries  all  study  was  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  church  so  that  from  the  time  when  Christian  doctrines  shook 
off  Aristotelianism  or  the  scientific  reading  of  the  Bible  until 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  87 

Suarez'  time  in  the  middle  of  the  16th  century  no  progress  was 
made  in  the  evolution  idea. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  centurv  and  in  the 
early  part  of  the  eighteenth  there  were  three  main  classes  of 
writers,  viz.: — The  Naturalists,  the  Speculative  Evolutionists 
and  the  Natural  Philosophers.  To  the  latter  class  belong  such 
eminent  writers  as  Bacon,  Descartes,  Leibnitz  and,  belonging  to 
the  German  School,  Kant,  Herder,  Lessing  and  Schelling. 

Bacon  (1561-1626)  was  the  most  active  of  the  early  writers 
in  pointing  out  the  evidences  of  the  mutability  of  species  and  in 
attempting  to  show  the  bearing  which  variation  has  upon  organic 
progression.  There  was  also  shown  at  this  time  the  analogy 
between  artificial  selection  and  natural  selection.  It  is  interesting 
to  know  that  at  this  early  period  (beginning  of  17th  centurv) 
mutability  of  species  was  recognized  and  looked  upon  as  a  live 
question. 

SCIEXTISTS   OF   THE   EIGHTEENTH   AND  NINETEENTH    CENTURIES. 

In  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth  centuries,  we  find 
many  writers  of  note  propounding  theories  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  species  have  originated.  De  Maillet  (1656-1738)  tried  to 
show  the  influence  exerted  by  habit  and  environment  in  inducing 
changes  in  the  nature  and  form  of  a  plant,  but,  unfortunately 
he  went  to  extremes  by  claiming  that  modifications  acquired 
during  a  single  life  were  transmitted  in  toto. 

Maupertuis  (1698-1759)  advanced  a  theroy  of  generation 
resembling  closeh'that  of  Darwin,  and  which  anticipated  to  some 
extent  the  modern  idea  as  to  the  causes  of  fortuitous  variations. 

Linnaeus,  a  Swede,  (1707-1778)  the  great  father  of  botany, 
marked  the  beginning  of  zoology  and  botany  as  now  understood. 
The  binary  system  of  nomenclature  proposed  in  his  great  work 
Systema  Naturae  enabled  him  to  show  the  relation  of  animals  and 
plants  to  each  other.  At  first,  Linnaeus  looked  upon  species  as 
having  been  created  directly  by  the  Creator  and  he  believed  in 
the  absolute  fixity  of  species.  Later,  however,  he  was  compelled 
to  alter  his  views  somewhat  owing  to  the  multiplication  of  species 
which  he  observed  everywhere  in  nature.  We  therefore  see  in 
the  revision  of  Systema  Naturae,  which  he  made  in  1760,  a 
pronounced  change,  the  mutability  of  species  being  more  clearly 
recognized. 

Buffon  (1707-1788)  took  more  radical  views  re  the  mut- 
ability of  species  than  did  Linnaeus,  and  laid  the  foundation  of 
modern  evolution  in  zoology  and  botany.  He  w^as  the  first  to 
point  out  clearly  the  relationship  between  mutability  of  species 
and  environment.  He  is  thus  the  first  to  indicate  some  of  the 
causes  of  mutabilitv. 


88  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

Erasmus  Darwin  (1731-1802),  grandfather  of  Chas.  Darwin, 
was  one  of  the  poets  of  the  evolution  idea.  Like  some  of  the 
early  Greek  writers  he  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  spontaneous 
generation,  but  in  the  lower  forms  of  life  only.  In  the  chapter  on 
Generation  in  his  "Zoonomia"  (1794)  he  takes  little  account  of 
the  laws  of  heredity,  but  believes  that  b}'  the  addition  of  parts 
resulting  from  changes  of  environment  exciting  the  "living 
filament"  into  action,  new  characters  are  acquired  and  these  are 
capable  of  being  transmitted.  This  theory  it  will  be  seen  an- 
ticipated that  of  Lamarck. 

THE    LAMARCKIAN    THEORY. 

Lamarck  -(1744-1829)  was  the  real  founder  of  the  modern 
theory  of  descent  and  is  the  most  noted  scientist  and  writer 
between  the  time  of  Aristotle  and  that  of  Chas.  Darwin.  Labor- 
ing under  discouraging  conditions  and  receiving  nothing  but 
disdain  by  the  majority  of  his  contemporaries  he  succeeded 
nevertheless  in  contributing  much  to  natural  science.  In  his 
"Philosophic  Zoologique"  '  (1809)  he  expresses  certain  views 
which  correspond  closely  with  those  held  by  E.  Darwin  and 
expressed  by  him  in  his  Zoonomia.  The  main  theory  which 
Lamarck  advanced  and  which  is  now  known  as  the  Lamarckian 
theory  in  contradistinction  to  the  Darwinian  theory,  claims  that 
evolution  takes  place  through  the  inheritance  of  characters 
acquired  during  the  lives  of  individuals  so  that  in  time  new 
species  may  be  created.  The  endeavour  to  satisfy  certain  wants 
brings  about  certain  modifications  which  are  inherited  in  part  at 
least.  This  theory  made  no  great  impression  at  the  time  although 
it  has  been  revived  within  recent  times  by  a  school  known  as  the 
Neo-Lamarckians  to  which  school  Herbert  Spencer  and  other 
prominent  scientists  belong.  While  the  theory  seems  to  explain 
many  of  the  facts  of  inheritance  yet  it  fails  to  show  a  case  wherein 
a  single  acquired  character  has  been  permanently  transmitted. 
As  an  instance  we  have  the  continued  docking  of  horses  and  lambs, 
yet  there  is  no  case  on  record  of  one  of  these  animals  being  born 
without  a  tail. 

Goethe  (1749-1832),  the  great  poet  of  evolution,  developed 
the  "unity  of  type"  idea  in  1796.  This  led  him  to  explain  the 
existence  of  vestigial  structures  which  constitutes  one  of  the 
strongest  evidences  of  evolution. 

Bory  de  St.  Vincent  (1780-1846)  beheved  that  species  are 
formed  spontaneously  and  that  this  process  goes  on  more  rapidly 
in  countries  of  comparatively  modern  formation.  His  idea  was 
that  the  existence  of  a  long  series  of  ancestors  tends  to  fix  the 
type. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  89 

Isidore  St.  Hilaire,  (1805-1861)  son  of  Geoflfroy  St.  Hilaire, 
advanced  the  theory  that  species  were  limited  in  their  mutabiHty. 
He  claimed  that  new  characters  may  be  produced  as  a  result  of 
two  forces: 

(1)  The  modifying  influence  of  new  surroundings, 

(2)  The  conserving  influences  of  heredity. 

Dr.  W.  C.  Wells  in  1813  was  the  first  to  apply  the  principle 
of  "The  survival  of  the  fittest."  He  based  his  theory  on  the 
observation  that  no  two  individvials  are  alike  and  that  those 
which  are  best  fitted  to  withstand  the  exigencies  of  a  particular 
country  or  locality  are  most  likely  to  survive.  In  1831  Patrick 
Matthews  applied  a  similar  view  in  a  book  on  naval  timber. 

THE    darwinian    THEORY. 

It  remained  with  Chas.  Darwin  (1809-1882),  to  bring 
out  a  well  rounded  theory  attempting  to  explain  the  origin 
of  species  and  varieties.  His  great  work  under  this  name  was 
inspired  by  an  essay  by  Malthus  on  "Population"  written  in 
1798.  After  many  years  of  most  thorough  work  in  which  he 
collected  an  immense  amount  of  evidence  he  crystallized  his 
views  on  the  subject  into  a  theory  known  as  the  "Theory  of 
Natural  Selection."  In  a  word  this  theory  implies  that  favorable 
variations  are  preserved  while  the  injurious  or  inferior  variations 
are  rejected.  That  is  to  say  that  in  the  struggle  for  existence 
onlv  the  strongest  individuals  survive  while  the  weaker  succumb 
to  the  various  active  forces  of  nature.  This  principle  assumes  that 
constant  variation  is  going  on  within  the  race  and  that  by  the 
gradual  accumulation  of  slight  favorable  variations  new  species 
are  formed.  Darwin  based  his  theory  of  natural  selection  largely 
upon  the  results  realized  by  man  in  artificially  selecting  from  his 
flocks  and  herds.  He  recognized  that  variation  might  be  induced 
as  follows:  (1)  By  environment.  (2)  By  the  use  or  disuse  of 
parts.  (3)  By  certain  inherent  forces  causing  definite  variation. 
(4)  By  the  tendency  of  variations  to  become  co-related.  (5)  By  re- 
version. (6)  By  telegony.  Two  main  classes  of  variation  were 
recognized,  viz. :  fluctuating  variation  and  discontinuous  varia- 
tion. Darwin  believed  that  fluctuating  variations  had  been 
utilized  most  bv  the  breeder  although  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
between  the  two.  According  to  Quetelet,  Galton  and  others, 
these  fluctuating  variations  are  grouped  around  a  "mean"  in 
such  a  way  that  approximately  half  are  below  the  mean  and  half 
above. 

Wagner  claims  that  variation,  isolation  or  selection,  and 
heredity  constitute  the  tripod  of  organic  evolution.  In  other 
words,  plants  are  constantly  changing  in  character,  and,  since 
like  tends  to  beget  like"  in  plants  just  as  in  animals,  the  isolation 


90  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

or  selection  from  year  to  year  of  the  most  desirable  individuals 
results  in  a  gradual  improvement  in  the  race  until  certain  liinits 
have  been  reached. 

While  natural  selection  is,  without  doubt,  a. potent  factor  in 
the  developing  or  creating  of  new  species  in  nature,  and  while  its 
action  there  may  suggest  the  value  of  artificial  selettion  as  a 
means  of  improving  domestic  types,  yet,  it  fails  to  account  fully 
for  the  existence  of  our  present  species.  This  assertion  is  based 
on  the  following  facts:  (1)  Natural  selection  is  based  upon 
variations  which  it  cannot  explain.  (2)  Certain  of  these  varia- 
tions cannot  have  been  of  any  possible  use  to  the  individual  and, 
hence,  cannot  have  operated  in  its  evolution.  (3)  Life,  according 
to  certain  authorities  has  not  been  possible  on  the  earth  for  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  to  allow  the  development  of  all  of  our 
present  species,  had  these  been  developed  as  slowly  as  w^ould 
be  required  by  the  action  of  natural  selection.  (4)  The  numerous 
transitional  links  between  species,  which  would  of  necessity 
exist  had  evolution  come  about  as  gradually  as  would  be  required 
by  the  natural  selection  of  the  "fittest,"  are  not  found. 

We  must,  therefore,  look  to  some  internal  factor  upon  which 
to  base  the  laws  governing  the  origin  of  species.  Darwin  himself 
recognized  the  insufficiencv  of  his  theory  at  a  later  date,  and 
attempted  to  supplement  it  with  his  theory  of  "Pangenesis," 
but  failed  to  contribute  much  toward  the  elucidation  of  the 
problem. 

ATTEMPTS    TO    FIND    INTERNAL    CAUSES    OF   VARIATION. 

Passing  on  from  the  time  of  Darwin  we  find  the  leading 
investigators  searching  for  an  internal  force  to  explain  the  origin 
of  variation.  The  German  botanist  Nageli  was  the  first  to  at- 
tempt to  find  within  the  organism  itself  a  force  which  might 
account  for  the  appearance  of  strange  characters  in  the  ofl^spring. 
He  assumed  the  existence  within  the  organism  of  a  tendencv 
toward  progression  or  perfect  development  and  believed  that  in 
accordance  with  this  tendencv  organisms  are  continually  varying 
so  as  to  rise  in  the  scale  of  nature.  He  failed,  however,  in  explain- 
ing the  origin  of  this  internal  force,  so  contributed  little  toward 
our  better  understanding  of  the  question  involved. 

Another  theory  is  advanced  by  Mivart  to  the  effect  that 
species  have  arisen  suddenly  and  not  by  slow  modifications  hence 
the  theory  of  ' '  extraordinary  births. ' '  An  instance  of  the  applica- 
tion of  this  theory  is  found  in  connection  with  an  experiment 
conducted  by  Dr.  Godron,  of  Nancy,  with  Datura  Tatula, (Purple 
Thorn  Apple) ,  the  seed  capsules  of  which  plant  are  normally 
covered  with  spines.  Seeds  of  this  plant  were  sown  and  produced 
plants  among  which  was  found  a  plant  whose  seed  capsules  were 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  91 

smooth.  The  seeds  of  this  were  preserved  and  again  sown  with 
the  result  that  ah  the  plants  coming  from  them  showed  the  same 
pecuharity.  Each  successive  progeny  from  this  seed  showed  the 
same  characteristics  as  long  as  the  experiment  was  conducted. 
When  the  smooth  variation  was  crossed  with  the  original  forms 
true  hybrids  were  produced  which,  in  the  second  generation, 
reverted  to  the  original  type. 

We  probably  have  many  so-called  rare  species  at  the  present 
time  which  have  been  created  in  a  like  manner.  Mivart  believes 
that  all  species  arise  in  this  way.  He  claimed  to  be  able  to 
recognize  an  internal  law  presiding  over  the  action  of  every  part 
of  every  indi\-idual  and  of  every  organism  as  a  unit.  His  theory 
is  a  sort  of  a  compromise  between  evolution  and  special  creation. 
While  it  has  many  things  in  its  favor  and  while  many  of  the 
objections  which  apply  to  the  theory  of  natural  selection  do  not 
apply  in  this  case,  yet  it  will  not  account  for  all  of  the  facts  of 
nattire,  and  can  only  be  considered  to  constitute  one  of  the  pos- 
sible factors  in  organic  evolution. 

weismannian  theory,  or  neo-darwinism. 

In  1883,  Weismann,  a  German  Naturalist,  undertook  to 
show  how'  acquired  characters  cannot  be  transmitted  and  how 
permanent  variations  can  originate.  He  outlined  the  develop- 
ment of  the  individual  from  the  single  cell,  the  fertilized  egg, 
showing  how  the  cell  divides  and  how,  while  those  cells  which  go 
to  build  up  the  different  parts  of  the  body  become  differentiated, 
other  cells,  the  reproductive  or  germ  cells,  remain  constant. 
Continuing  he  attempted  to  show  that  the  property  of  being  able 
to  transmit  definite  characters  to  the  oft'spring  is  peculiar  only 
to  the  germ  cell,  hence  permanent  variations  must  emanate 
from  this  cell.  Since  environment  can  effect  the  body  or  soma 
cells  and  not  the  germ  cell,  it  is  clear,  according  to  Weismann, 
that  acquired  characters  cannot  be  permanently  transmitted. 
At  the  same  time  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  the  temporary 
"fattening"  or  "starving"  of  the  germ  cell  due  to  the  favorable 
or  unfavorable  environment  of  the  individual  which  bears  it 
would  be  noticeable  for  one  or  tv/o  generations  as  indeed  seems 
to  be  the  case. 

Galton  in  his  book  on  "  Nattiral  Inheritance"  disparages  the 
idea  that  progression  can  take  place  only  by  the  accumulation  of 
minute  variations,  and  characterizes  such  an  inference  as  falla- 
cious. 

Bateson,  in  his  "Material  for  the  Study  of  Variation"  refers 
to  the  two  possible  wavs  in  wdiich  variations  may  arise  and  points 
out  the  principle  objections  to  the  claims  made  for  fluctuating 
variations  while  at  the  same  time  he  collates  many  facts  respect- 
ing the  importance  of  discontinuous  variations. 

{To  be  continued) 


92  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

ALGONKIN  AND  HURON   OCCUPATION   OF 
THE  OTTAWA  VALLEY. 


By  T.  W.  E.  vSowter,  Ottawa. 


(Continued  from  page  68) 

Iroquois  tradition  assigns  to  Squaw  Bay,  called  also  Cache 
Bay,  at  Tetreauville,  the  reputation  of  having  been  one  of  the 
favorite  lurking  places  of  these  war-parties.  It  must  have  been 
in  those  days,  an  ideal  spot  for  an  ambush  or  concealed  camp,  as 
it  occupied,  for  the  purposes  of  river  piracy,  as  unique  a  position 
on  the  old  trade  route,  as  does  one  of  our  present  day  toll-gates, 
for  controlling  the  traffic  on  a  turnpike  road.  There  is  no  doubt 
of  the  place  having  been  used  as  an  Indian  camping  ground,  at 
least  in  prehistoric  times,  as  the  shores  of  the  bay  are  littered 
in  all  directions  with  fragments  and  flakes  of  worked  flint.  This 
is  an  instance  in  which  tradition  is  corroborated,  to  some  extent, 
by  archaeology. 

It  is  also  said  that  Brigham's  Creek,  called  also  Brewery 
Creek,  a  narrow  channel  of  the  Ottawa,  was  the  old  Indian 
portage  route  for  overcoming  the  rapids  of  the  Chaudiere.  It 
may  be  seen  by  glancing  at  a  map  of  the  city  of  Hull,  that  parties 
of  Algonkins  or  Hurons,  as  the  case  may  have  been,  upon  emerg- 
ing on  the  main  river  at  the  head  of  this  portage,  were  liable  at 
any  time  to  receive  a  warm  welcome  from  some  surprise-party  of 
Iroquois  visitors  at  the  Squaw  Bay  camping  ground.  If  descend- 
ing the  rapids  of  the  Little  Chaudiere,  they  faced  a  far  worse 
predicament,  as,  unable  to  escape  or  defend  themselves  in  the 
swift  current,  they  would  have  been  caught,  like  passing  flies 
that  are  blown  into  a  spider's  web. 

It  is  said  that  Indian  cunning  was  at  length  successful  in 
evolving  a  plan  to  outwit  the  military  strategy  of  the  Iroquois. 
As  the  old  portage  route  had  become  dangerous  it  was  resolved 
to  have  an  alternative  one.  In  ascending  the  Ottawa,  this  new 
portage  started  from  the  western  shore  of  Brigham's  Creek  at  a 
point  now  oc'cupied  bv  the  International  Cement  Works.  It 
continued  thence  in  a  westerly  direction,  skirting  the  foot  of  the 
moun+ain  and  passed  down  Breckenridge's  Creek  to  the  outlet  of 
that  stream  into  Lake  Deschenes.  It  was  rather  a  long  portage 
of  about  a  dozen  miles,  but  the  Algonkin  and  Huron  had  learned 
in  the  school  of  bitter  experience,  that,  in  their  case,  the  longest 
way  round  was  the  shortest  way  home.  An  aged  squaw,  who 
lived  in  Aylmer  many  years  ago,  spoke  of  a  similar  forest  trail 
that  extended,  in  the  early  da3^s,  from  a  point  on  the  Gatineau 


I 


THE  OTTAWA    NATURALIST 


VOL.   XXIII. 


This  figure  represents  a  clay  vessel,  which  was  found  by  Mr.  James 
Lusk,  on  his  farm,  Lot  20,  Range  XI.,  Township  of  Eardley,  Wright 
Co.,  Que.  It  was  purchased  from  Mr.  Lusk  in  the  year  1903,  and  is 
now  in  the  Archaeological  Section  of  the  Geological  Museum  at  Ottawa, 
where  it  is  indexed  as  No.  3282A.  The  vessel  is  11  inches  in  height  and 
33  inches  in  circumference. 

(The  photograph,  from  which  this  reproduction  was  made,  was 
kindly  furnished  by  the  Geological  Survey  Department.) 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  93 

near  the  site  of  Chelsea,  thence  by  way  of  Kingsmere  to  a  point 
on  Lake  Deschenes,  now  occupied  by  the  town  of  Aylmer. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  Indian  camping 
grounds,  which  dot  the  shores  of  the  Ottawa  at  frequent  intervals. 
Let  us  see  what  can  be  made  out  of  them,  by  a  close  examination 
of  the  relics  they  have  yielded.  The  writer  is  convinced  that 
these  camp  sites  are  of  Algonkin  origin,  and  that  they  bear 
evidences  of  casual  contact,  if  not  of  more  prolonged  social 
intercourse  with  the  Hurons.  That  is  to  say,  that  it  looks  as  if 
the  Hurons  had  been  friendly  visitors,  who  had  spent  much  of 
their  time  in  these  Algonkin  camps.  These  camp  sites  seem  to 
have  been  selected  with  a  view  to  observation,  defence  or  escape 
in  cases  of  sudden  attack.  The  Hurons  built  their  villages  at 
some  distance  from  the  water  highways,  so  as  to  escape  obser- 
vation by  inquisitive  tourists,  who  might  wish  to  attack  them. 
They  also  selected  their  village  sites  where  the  land,  within  a 
convenient  distance,  was  suitable  for  agriculture.  The  high- 
ways of  communication  used  by  these  village  communities,  were 
the  innumerable  forest  trails,  which  traversed  the  Huron  country 
in  all  directions.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Algonkins  of  the 
Ottawa  have  left  traces  of  their  camps  along  the  edges  of  the 
river,  on  points  of  land  which  afford  a  good  view  up  or  down 
stream.  They  have  been  called  canoe  Indians  and  were  at 
home  on  the  water.  As  they  were  much  more  expert  in  the 
management  of  their  birchen  vessels  than  the  Iroquoian  races, 
they  were  in  a  position,  on  the  shores  of  the  river,  to  escape  by 
water  from  a  too  powerful  enemy  approaching  by  land,  or  they 
could  retire  to  the  forest  if  an  overwhelming  fleet  appeared  in 
the  offing. 

These  camp  sites  are  strewn  with  fragments  of  blackish  flint, 
evidently  procured  from  the  Trenton  limestone  at  the  Chaudifere, 
where  it  is  found  in  great  abundan:e,  especially  along  Brigham's 
Creek,  the  old  Indian  portage  route.  Arrow-heads,  fabricated 
from  these  fragments,  are  also  found  on  these  Algonkin  camp 
sites.  Rut  there  is  also  found  an  arrow-head  of  a  different 
pattern,  that  is  made  from  flint  that  has  a  lighter  color  and  a 
broader  and  cleaner  conchoidal  fracture  than  the  Algonkm 
forms.  These  arrow-heads  bear  a  striking  resemblance,  in  every 
respect,  to  those  from  the  Huron  country  in  western  Ontario,  and 
there  are  no  flakings  of  this  latter  flint  to  show  that  they  were 
fabricated  in  these  Algonkin  workshops.  This  seems  to  be 
negative  evidence  that  they  were  not  made  on  the  Ottawa,  but 
may  have  been  brought  there  by  Huron  visitors.  It  is  not.  of 
course,  conclusive  evidence  of  Huron  occupation,  but  rather  of 
Huron  contact,  more  or  less  prolonged.     A  long  knife  of  Huronian 


94  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

slate,  discovered  on  the  Ottawa,  by  George  Burland,  with  a 
broken  gorget  and  a  crescent  shaped  woman's  knife,  each  of 
Huronian  slate,  found  on  the  Bonnechere  by  Edward  Moore,  of 
Douglas,  Ont.,  seem  to  be  additional  evidence  of  the  presence  of 
Hurons  in  the  Ottawa  Valley. 

There  are  two  other  camp  sites,  however,  that  differ  essenti- 
ally from  the  foregoing  and  are  without  doubt  distinctly  Huron. 
The  former  of  these  was  discovered  by  R.  H.  Haycock,  of 
Ottawa,  and  the  latter  by  Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  of  the  Geological 
Survey. 

In  the  fall  of  1859  and  the  spring  of  1860,  the  late  Edward 
Haycock  built  a  residence  in  the  city  of  Hull,  on  the  point  now 
occupied  by  Gilmour's  Mill.  While  making  excavations  for  the 
foundation  of  a  summer  house,  the  workmen  laid  bare  several 
ash-beds,  at  a  depth  of  from  two  to  three  feet  below  the  surface. 
Among  other  things,  these  beds  contained  fragments  of  Indian 
pottery  in  great  abundance.^  Mr.  R.  H.  Haycock  examined 
them  closely  and  reports  them  as  having  been  of  a  dark  brown 
color,  decorated  with  incised  lines,  notches  and  indentations. 
According  to  Mr.  Haycock's  description,  this  pottery,  both 
in  composition  and  decoration,  was  similar  to  that  unearthed 
from   old   ash-beds  in  the   Huron   country,  in   Ontario. 

One  may  observe,  on  approaching  Hull  by  the  Alexandra 
bridge,  an  extensive  cut  bank  of  sand  and  gravel,  between  the 
E.  B.  Eddy  Co.'s  sulphide  mill  and  the  end  of  the  bridge,  and 
between  Laurier  Ave.,  and  the  river.  This  is  the  place  from 
which  the  late  Edward  Haycock  procured  sand  for  building 
purposes  on  the  Eastern  and  Western  Blocks  of  the  Depart- 
mental buildings,  at  Ottawa.  During  the  excavation  of  this 
bank,  a  great  many  Indian  reHcs  were  discovered,  such  as 
womens'  knives,  arrow-heads,  tomahawks  and  pottery,  but  no 
description  of  this  pottery  is  obtainable.  Here,  according  to 
white  and  red  tradition,  many  bloody  encounters  took  place 
between  parties  ascending  or  descending  the  river. 

In  the  archaeological  department  of  the  Geological  Museum 
at  Ottawa,  there  is  a  large  array  of  pottery  fragments  collected 
by  Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  some  years  ago,  from  an  old  ash-bed  at 
Casselman,  Ont.  In  the  same  cases,  are  specimens  of  Huron 
pottery  from  village  sites  in  western  Ontario,  and,  in  comparing 
the  two  collections  one  is  quite  satisfied  that  both  are  products 


*"In  some  places  rude  pottery  is  found  at  a  considerable  depth,  from 
different  causes.  Tn  fire-places  this  may  come  from  the  practice  of 
placing  the  fire  in  excavations  in  the  ground"  Earthenware  of  the  New 
York  Aborigines.  William  M.  Beauchamp,  Bulletin,  New  York  State 
Museum,  Vol.  5.  No.  22,  p.  80. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  95 

of  the  same  school  of  ceramic  art.  The  ash-bed  was  large  and 
deep  and  Dr.  Ami  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  had  been  used  as  a 
fire-place  for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  Dr.  Ami's  discovery  is  of  the  highest  importance  in  establish- 
ing proofs  of  Huron  occupation  of  the  Ottawa  valley. 

There  are,  also,  in  the  Museum,  two  perfect  specimens  of 
Indian  pottery  from  lot  20,  range  11,  Eardley  township,  Wright 
Co. ,  Que.  They  were  procured  from  James  Lusk,  who  discovered 
them  on  his  farm,  where  they  had  been  washed  out  of  the  banks 
of  a  small  creek  during  a  freshet.  They  are  suberb  examples 
of  aboriginal  art,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  they 
could  have  been  brought  to  such  symmetrical  proportions  without 
the  use  of  a  lathe.  Compared  with  similar  vessels  figured  in  the 
Ontario  Archaeological  Reports,  it  seems  impossible  to  doubt 
that  the}^  are  of  Huron  origin.  These  vessels  are  similar  in 
pattern  and  have  been  fabricated  from  the  same  clayey  com- 
position, with  the  same  band,  decorated  with  characteristic 
incised  lines,  about  the  top,  and  a  wave-like  edge  on  the  summit 
of  the  rim,  as  are  found  in  some  of  the  Huron  forms.  As  to 
whether  the  spot  where  this  pottery  was  found  is  an  ancient 
village  site,  will  be  an  interesting  subject  for  future  investigation. 

Let  us  now  consider  another  phase  of  the  question  of  Huron 
occupation,  that  seems  to  be  more  conclusive  even  than  the 
discovery  of  ash-beds  or  pottery,  the  evidences  of  ossuarial 
burial.  The  graves  of  a  nation  are  indexes  of  its  intellectual 
development,  from  the  rude  cairn  of  the  wandering  savage  to 
the  Taj  Mahal  of  the  imperial  ruler.  Could  we  have  mingled  in 
the  activities  of  palaeocosmic  man,  and  witnessed  the  rite  of 
sepulture  by  which  the  Old  Man  of  Cro-Magnon  was  laid  to  rest 
in  his  cave-sepulchre  on  the  Vez^re,  in  the  Dordogne  Valley,  then, 
the  last  rites  about  the  grave  of  that  post-glacial  patriarch  might 
have  yielded  us  a  store  of  knowledge  that  would  have  been  in- 
valuable to  us  in  studying  the  savage  culture  of  ancient  Europe, 
such  as  the  rude  efforts  of  primitive  man  to  interpret  natural 
phenomena  or  to  recognize  in  the  variant  manifestations  of 
natural  forces  the  evidences  of  divine  anger  or  approbation.  So, 
also,  if  we  could  have  witnessed  the  burial  rites  of  the  Huron 
nation,  in  what  was  called  the  Feast  of  the  Dead,  they  would 
have  proved  most  instructive.  They  might  have  cleared  up 
much  that  is  obscure  in  regard  to  the  ultimate  destiny  and  re- 
lationship of  the  two  souls,  the  one  that  took  flight  to  the  land  of 
spirits,  at  the  hour  of  death,  and  the  other  that  awaited  the 
final  interment,  before  taking  its  departure.  They  might  ha\-e 
given  us  an  insight  into  the  philosophy  of  Indian  burials,  which 
would  have  explained  the  presence  or  absence  of  warlike  or 
domestic  implements  in  Huron  ossuaries.     But,  fortunately  for 


96  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

archaeology,  the  Jesuits  and  other  contemporary  writers  have 
told  us  much  that  is  invaluable  concerning  this  important 
festival. 

Reverence  for  their  dead  was  a  marked  characteristic  of  the 
Huron  people,  a  sentiment  that  was  common  among  all  the  red 
races.  It  is  doubtful  if  those  refinements  of  Christian  feeling 
that  find  expression  in  the  mortuary  rites  of  our  civilized  white 
races,  are  one  whit  more  profound  than  those  outpourings  of 
sorrow,  which  were  lavished  by  the  Hurons  upon  the  remains 
of  their  departed  relatives,  at  their  periodical  Feasts  of  the  Dead. 

When  the  early  settlers,  in  western  Ontario,  were  clearing 
up  their  lands,  they  were  frequently  puzzled  at  the  discovery 
of  large  pits  filled  with  human  bones,  together  with  warlike  and 
domestic  implements  and  articles  of  personal  adornment,  all 
crowded  together  in  these  communal  sepulchres.  These  bone- 
pits  or  ossuaries  were  at  first  attributed  to  burials  for  the  disposal 
of  the  slain  after  great  battles,  or  of  those  who  had  perished 
during  epidemics  of  disease.  Their  true  origin,  however,  was 
established  beyond  conjecture  by  the  Jesuit  Relations. 

Par  km  an,  in  the  Jesuits  in  North  America,  has  given  us 
graphic  details  of  what  the  Hurons  considered  their  most  solemn 
and  important  ceremonial.  It  was  witnessed  by  Brebeuf  at 
Ossossan^,  in  the  summer  of  1636,  and  a  report  of  it  embodied 
in  his  Relation  of  the  same  year.  The  following  brief  description 
of  the  solemnity,  compiled  from  the  works  of  these  writers,  may 
answer  our  purpose,  without  going  into  details. 

Every  ten  years,  or  so,  each  of  the  four  nations  of  the  Huron 
confederacy  held  a  Feast  of  the  Dead.  The  time  and  place,  at 
which  the  feast  should  be  held,  was  decided  by  the  chiefs  of  the 
nation,  in  solemn  council.  All  preliminary  arrangements  having 
been  made,  the  dead  of  the  past  decade  were  collected  from  far 
and  near  and  conveyed  to  the  common  rendezvous.  Previously 
however,  the  corpses  which  had,  as  usual,  been  placed  on  scaffolds 
or,  more  rarely,  in  the  earth,  for  the  time  being,  were  removed 
from  their  temporary  resting  places  and  prepared  V>y  loving 
relatives  for  the  final  rite  of  sepulture.  The  bones  of  such  as 
were  reduced  to  skeletons  were  tied  up  in  bundles  like  faggots, 
wrapped  in  skins  and  clothed  with  pendant  robes  of  costly  furs. 
The  bodies  of  the  more  recent  dead  were  allowed  to  remain  entire 
and  were  clothed  also  in  furs.  Then  these  ghastly  bundles  of 
mortality  were  hung  on  the  cross-poles,  which  later  on  sustained 
the  corn  harvest,  of  the  principal  long-house  in  the  village,  and, 
while  the  mourners  partook  of  a  funeral  feast,  the  chiefs  dis- 
coursed upon  the  public  or  domestic  virtues  of  the  deceased.  Then 
commenced  the  wierd  funeral  march  along  the  woodland  paths 


I 


190Q]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  97 

throvigh  the  gloomy  pine  forests  of  old  Huronia,  the  mourners 
tittering,  at  intervals,  dismal  wailing  cries,  supposed  to  resemble 
those  of  disembodied  spirits  wending  their  way  to  the  land  of 
souls,  and  thought  to  have  a  soothing  effect  on  the  consciousness 
still  residing  in  the  bundles  of  bones,  which  each  man  carried. 

The  Jesuits  had  been  invited,  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Nation  of 
the  Bear,  to  come  to  Ossossane  and  witness  the  rite.  This  great 
town  of  the  Hurons  lay  some  distance  back  from  the  eastern 
margin  of  Nottawassaga  Bay,  in  the  midst  of  a  pine  forest.  What 
a  sight  it  must  have  been  to  those  Europeans,  as,  one  after 
another,  the  weird  funeral  corteges,  converging  from  the  various 
towns  of  the  Bear,  issued  from  the  surrounding  forest. 

During  the  delay,  in  awaiting  the  complete  assemblage  of  the 
nation's  dead,  the  squaws  ladled  out  food  for  the  inevitable 
feast,  while  the  younger  members  of  both  sexes  contended  for 
prizes,  donated  bv  mourners  in  honor  of  departed  relatives. 
So  great  was  the  assemblage  that  the  houses  were  crowded  to 
suft'ocation  and  large  numbers  had  to  camp  out,  in  the  adjacent 
forest.  The  bundles  of  dead  were  hung  from  the  cross-poles  in 
the  houses,  and  in  the  one  where  the  Jesuits  were  housed  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  packages  of  mortalit}'  decorated  the 
interior  of  the  building.  The  Jesuits  passed  the  night  in  one 
of  these  places,  and  endured  the  ordeal  with  Christian  fortitude. 

Finally,  the  signal  was  given,  by  the  chiefs,  for  the  con- 
summation of  the  concluding  rite.  The  packages ~'of  dead  were 
opened  and  tears  and  lamentations  lavished  upon  their  contents. 
Brebeuf  refers  to  one  woman  in  particular,  whose  ecstasies  of 
grief,  over  the  bones  of  her  father  and  children,  were  pathetic 
in  the  extreme.  She  combed  her  father's  hair,  and  fondled  his 
bones  as  if  thev  had  been  alive.  She  made  bracelets  of  beads 
for  the  arms  of  her  children,  and  bathed  their  bones  with  her 
tears.  It  was  the  same  divine  Hght  of  motherhood,  which  thus 
irradiated  the  savage  dens  of  the  Hurons,  as  that  which  shines 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Christian  mother,  as  she  weeps  over  the  cold 
form  of  one  whose  brows  have  been  sealed  with  the  sign  of  the 
Cross. 

The  various  processions  now  re-formed  and  proceeded  to  a 
spot  in  the  forest,  where  a  clearing  of  several  acres  had  been 
made.  In  the  centre  of  this  open  space  a  huge  pit  had  been 
dug,  ten  feet  in  depth  and  thirtv  feet  in  diameter.  Around  this 
pit  a  rude  scaffold  had  been  'erected,  very  high  and  strong. 
Above  this  scaffold  rose  a  number  of  upright  poles  with  others 
crossed  between,  upon  which  to  hang  the  funeral  g^*"*^  'nd 
remains  of  the  dead. 

The  different  groups  of  mourners  were  assigned  places 
around  the  edge  of  the  clearing.     The  funeral  gifts  were  now 


98  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [August 

displayed,  among  them  being  many  robes  of  the  richest  fur  that 
had  been  prepared,  years  before,  in  anticipation  of  this  ceremony. 
The  kettles  were  then  slung  and  feasting  went  on  until  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  the  bundles  of  bones  were  again 
taken  up.  Then,  at  a  signal  from  the  chiefs,  the  crowd  rushed 
forward  from  all  sides,  like  warriors  at  the  storming  of  a  palisaded 
town,  climbed,  by  means  of  rude  ladders,  to  the  scaffolding  and 
hung  their  dead,  together  with  the  funeral  gifts,  to  the  cross- 
poles.  Then  they  retired  and  the  chiefs,  from  the  scaffolding, 
made  speeches  to  the  people,  praising  the  dead  and  extolling  the 
gifts  given  in  their  honor. 

During  this  speech  making,  the  vast  grave  was  being  lined 
throughout  with  robes  of  beaver  skin,  with  three  copper  kettles 
in  the  centre.  The  Ijodies,  which  had  been  left  whole,  were  then 
cast  into  the  pit  amidst  great  confusion  and  excitement,  and, 
as  darkness  was  now  coming  on,  the  ceremony  was  adjourned 
until  the  next  day,  the  assemblage  remaining  about  the  great 
watch-fires,  which  blazed  about  the  edge  of  the  clearing. 

Just  before  daylight,  the  Jesuits,  who  had  retired  to  the 
village,  were  aroused  by  an  uproar  fit  to  wake  the  dead.  Guided 
by  the  noise,  they  hastened  back  to  the  clearing  where  they 
beheld  a  spectacle  that  surpassed  anything  they  had  ever  wit- 
nessed. Brebeuf  says  that  nothing  had  ever  figured  to  him 
better  the  confusion  among  the  damned.  One  of  the  bundles 
of  bones  had  fallen  from  the  poles  into  the  pit  and  precipitated  the 
conclusion  of  the  rite.  Huge  fires  which  blazed  about  the  clearing 
lit  up  a  fearful  scene.  On  and  about  the  scaffold,  wild  forms,  howling 
like  demons,  hurled  the  packages  of  bones  into  the  pit,  where  a 
number  of  others  moved  about  amidst  the  ghastly  shower  and 
with  long  poles  arranged  the  bones  in  their  places.  Then  the 
pit  was  covered  with  logs  and  earth  and  the  ceremony  concluded 
with  a  funeral  chant  that  resembled  the  wail  of  a  legion  of  lost 
spirits.  It  was  the  death  song  of  a  lost  people,  the  knell  of  a 
passing  race. 

One  can  imagine,  as  a  spectator  of  this  weird  scene,  the 
stalwart  form  of  Brebeuf,  towering  in  the  majesty  of  his  fore- 
doomed martyrdom,  and  glorious  in  the  might  of  that  indom- 
itable courage  that  triumphed,  in  the  hour  of  his  death,  oyer 
the  ingenuity  of  his  tormentors,  evolving  in  his  mind  such  subtle 
arguments  as  might  subordinate  to  higher  ideals  the  rude  Nature- 
worship  of  Huronian  clanship,  and  win  to  the  service  of  his 
Master  these  hordes  of  heathendom. 

Residents  of  the  Capital  will  be  surprised  to  learn  that  a 
Htiron  Feast  of  the  Dead,  similar  to  the  one  already  described, 
was  once  held  in  Ottawa,  on  the  spot  that  now  occupies  the 
north-west  angle  formed    by  the  intersection  of  Wellington  and 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  99 

Bay  Streets.  This  is  no  fiction,  but  a  fact,  supported  by  the 
most  trustworthy  evidence.  The  proof  is  contained  in  an  article 
in  the  Canadian  Journal,  Vol.  1,  1852-1853,  bv  the  late  Dr. 
Edward  Van  Courtland,  which  describes  an  Indian  burying 
ground  and  its  contents  discovered  at  Bytown  (Ottawa)  in  1843. 

Dr.  Van  Courtland  states  that  in  1843  some  workmen,  who 
were  digging  sand  for  mortar  for  the  old  suspension  bridge, 
unearthed  a  large  quantity  of  human  bones.  He  immediately 
hurried  to  the  spot  and  found  that  the  contents  of  an  Indian 
burying  ground  were  being  uncovered.  The  doctor  continues: — 
"N- thing  p.^ssibly  cotdd  have  been  more  happily  chosen  for 
sepulture  than  the  spot  in  question,  situated  on  a  projecting 
point  of  land  directly  in  rear  of  the  encampment,  at  a  carrying- 
place  and  about  half  a  mile  below  the  mighty  cataract  of  the 
Chaudiere,  it  at  once  demonstrated  a  fact  handed  down  to  us  by 
tradition,  that  the  aborigines  were  in  the  habit  v;hen  they 
could,  of  burving  their  dead  near  running  waters.  The  verv 
oldest  settlers,  including  the  Patriarch  of  the  Ottawa,  the  late 
Philemon  Wright,  and  who  had  located  nearbv  some  thirty  years 
before^  had  never  heard  of  this  being  a  bur3dng  place,  although 
Indians  existedin  considerable  numbers  about  the  locality  when  he 
dwelt  in  the  forest;  added  to  the  fact  that  a  htige  pine  tree  grow- 
ing directlv  over  one  of  the  graves,  was  conclusive  evidence  of 
its  being  used  as  a  place  of  sepulture  long  ere  the  white  man  m 
his  progressive  march  had  desolated  the  hearths  of  the  untutored 
savage."     After  two  days  digging  the  results  were  as  follows: 

"One  very  large,  apparently  common  grave,  containing  the 
vestiges  of  about  twenty  bodies,  of  various  ages,  a  goodly  share 
of  them  being  children,  together  with  portions  of  the  remains  of 
two  dogs'  heads  ;the  confused  state  in  which  the  bones  were  found 
showed  that  no  care  whatever  had  been  taken  in  burying  the 
original  owners,  and  a  question  presented  itself  as  to  whether 
they  might  not  have  all  been  thrown  indiscriminately  into  one 
pit  at  the  same  time,  having  fallen  victims  to  some  epidemic,  or 
beneath  the  hands  of  some  other  hostile  tribe;  nothing  however, 
could  be  detected  on  the  skulls,  to  indicate  that  they  fell  by  the 
tomahawk,  but  save  sundry  long  bones,  a  few  pelvi,  and  six 
perfect  skulls  the  remainder  crumbled  into  dust  on  exposure  to 
the  air,  in  every  instance  the  bones  were  deeply  colored  from 
Red  Hematite  which  the  aborigines  used  in  painting,  or  rather  in 
bedaubing  their  bodies,  falling  in  the  form  of  a  deposit  on  them 
when  the  flesh  had  become  corrupted.  The  material  appears 
to  have  been  very  lavishly  applied  from  the  fact  of  the  sand 


-Philemon  Wright,  with  25  followers,  arrive  1  at  the  site  nl"  the  pre- 
sent City  of  Hull  on  the  7th  of  March,    180Tr. 


100  The  Ottawa  Naturali-st.  [August 

which  filled  the  crania  being  entirely  colored  by  it.  A  few  im- 
plements and  weapons  of  the  very  rudest  description  were  dis- 
covered, to  wit; —  1st,  a  piece  of  gneiss  about  two  feet  long, 
tapering,  and  evidently  intended  as  a  sort  of  war-club;  it  is  in 
size  and  shape  not  unlike  a  policeman's  staff.  2nd,  a  stone 
gouge,  very  rudely  constructed  of  fossiliferous  limestone;  it  is 
about  ten  inches  long,  and  contains  a  fossil  leptina  on  one  of  its 
edges ;  it  is  used,  I  lately  learned  from  an  Indian  chief,  for  skinning 
the  beaver.  3rd.  a  stone  hatchet  of  the  same  material.  4th, 
a  sandstone  boulder  weighing  about  four  pounds;  it  was  found 
lying  on  the  sternum  of  a  chief  of  gigantic  stature,  who  was 
buried  apart  from  the  others,  and  who  had  been  walled  round 
with  great  care.  The  boulder  in  question  is  completely  circular 
and  much  in  the  shape  of  a  large-ship  biscuit  before  it  is  stamped 
or  placed  in  the  oven,  its  use  was,  after  being  sewed  in  a  skin 
bag,  to  serve  as  a  corselet  and  protect  the  wearer  against  the 
arrows  of  an  adversar}' .  In  every  instance  the  teeth  were  perfect 
and  not  one  unsound  one  was  to  be  detected,  at  the  same  time 
they  were  all  well  worn  down  by  trituration,  it  being  a  well 
known  fact  that  in  Council  the  Indians  are  in  the  habit  of  using 
their  lower  jaw  like  a  ruminating  animal,  which  fully  accounts 
for  the  pecularity.  There  were  no  arrowheads  or  other  weapons 
discovered." 

It  will  be  seen,  from  the  foregoing,  that  the  worthy  doctor 
had  unearthed  a  small  Huron  ossuary,  similar  in  its  general 
features  to  the  much  larger  one  at  Ossossan^,  and  if  the  doctor's 
description  is  compared  with  reports  on  communal  graves,  in 
western  Ontario,  bv  such  eminent  archaeologists  as  Dr.  David 
Boyle,  curator  of  the  Provincial  Musetim  at  Toronto,  A. F. Hunter, 
George  E.  Laidlaw  and  others,  one  must  be  convinced  that  the 
Wellington  Street  ossuary  was  of  Huron  origin.  When  the 
doctor  raises  the  question  as  to  whether  the  bodies  had  not  all 
been  "thrown  indiscriminatel}'  into  one  pit  at  the  same  time" 
he  suggests  a  mode  of  sepulture  that  was  actually  observed  by 
Brebeuf  at  the  Huron  Feast  of  the  Dead  at  Ossossane. 

Another  small  ossuary  was  uncovered  some  years  ago,  on 
Aylmer  Island,  when  the  foundation  for  the  new  lighthouse  was 
being  excavated.  The  writer  was  not  present  at  the  exhumation 
of  its  contents,  but  the  light-keeper,  Mr.  Frank  Boucher,  informed 
him  that  the  skeletons  were  all  piled  together,  indiscriminately.  • 
It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  number  of  bodies  interred  in  this 
grave,  but  it  yielded  about  a  wagon  load  of  bones.  A  number 
of  single  graves  have  also  been  found  at  this  spot,  and  these, 
together  with  the  ossuary  would  seem  to  prove  that  Algonkin 
and  Huron  occupied  this  part  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.,|drrf|i^'|£K^ 
this  island  in  common  as  a  place  of  sepulture.  ,^rSj^^  _  -C*^  vNi 

^^ 

RViS 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  101 

Embowered  in  the  solemn  grandeur  of  a  mighty  forest  of 
gloom}-  pine,  old  Lac  Chaudiere — our  Lake  Deschenes— was  a 
fitting  theatre  for  that  weird  ceremonial,  the  Huron  Feast  of  the 
Dead.  Resting  on  the  old  Algonkin  camping  ground  at  Pointe 
aux  Pins — now  the  Queen's  Park — some  roving  coureur  de  bois 
might  have  seen  this  great  sheet  of  water  fading  away  into  the 
vast  green  ocean  of  foliage  to  the  south,  and  witnessed  from  his 
point  of  vantage  the  uncanny  incidents  of  the  savage  drama. 
From  various  points  on  the  lake  he  might  have  seen,  converging 
on  the  island,  great  war  canoes,  freighted  with  the  living  and 
the  dead,  the  sad  remnants  of  a  passing  race.  He  might  have 
heard  the  long  drawn  out  waiHng  cries  of  the  living,  as  they 
floated  in  unison  across  the  water,  outrivalling  the  call  of  the 
loon  or  the  dismal  and  prolonged  howl  of  the  wolf,  as  they  echoed 
through  the  arches  of  the  forest,  and  as  the  island  rose  before 
his  vision,  tenanted  with  its  grotesque  assemblage  of  dusky  forms, 
engaged  in  the  final  rite  of  sepulture-,  he  might  have  mvised  upon 
the  mutability  of  human  life,  in  its  application  to  the  red  denizens 
of  the  wilderness,  whether  in  the  dissolution  of  a  clan,  a  tribe 
or  a  nation. 

We  have  now  reviewed  three  distinct  sets  of  evidence, 
which  \'erify  one  another  and  sustain,  collectively,  the  hypothesis 
of  Huron  occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.  We  have  Huron 
arrowheads  and  slate  implements  on  Algonkin  cainping  grounds, 
we  have  Huron  pottery  from  ash-beds  that  smouldered,  possibly, 
in  Huron  long-houses,  for  considerable  periods  of  time,  and  lastly, 
we  have  ossuaries  or  com.munal  graves,  a  mode  of  sepulture 
characteristic  of  the  Huron  people,  and  one  which  would  indicate 
a  permanent  and  somewhat  lengthened  period  of  occupation. 

Of  course,  it  will  be  urged  that  no  l)and  of  Hurons  would 
have  built  a  village  so  near  the  river  as  the  site  of  the  old  ash-beds 
at  Gilmour's  Mill,  in  Hull,  but,  as  the  Algonkins  lived,  sometimes, 
in  the  Huron  country  and  adopted,  to  some  extent,  the  customs 
of  their  confederates,  might  not  the  Hurons,  if  they  came  to 
live  with  the  Algonkins  on  the  Ottawa,  have  followed  the  usage 
of  the  latter  in  the  selection  of  their  dwelling  places. 

The  evidence,  so  far  obtained,  seems  to  have  given  us  fairly 
conclusive  proofs  of  Huron  occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley, 
and  the  beginning  of  a  new  chapter  in  the  history  of  one  of  the 
great  native  races  of  Canada,  but,  as  yet,  we  have  no  data  that 
gives  us  a  clue  to  the  time  of  this  period  of  occupation.  Our  two 
ossuaries,  already  referred  to, yielded  nothing  that  could  be  traced 
to  the  white  trader;  yet  this  is  not  negative  evidence  that  the 
interments  were  made  before  European  contact.  The  Wellington 
Street  ossuary  held  quite  a  number  of  implements,  while  that  on 
Avlmer  Island  had  none.     As  Dr.  David  Boyle  remarks:  "The 


102  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  [August 

truth  is  we  are  yet  in  the  dark  regarding  the  philosoph}^  of 
aboriginal  burials,  and,  perhaps  will  ever  remain  so."  So  that 
in  the  absence  of  evidence  we  can  indulge  only  in  conjecture. 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  after  the  four  nations  of  the 
Huron  Confederacy  went  down  in  red  ruin  beneath  the  merciless 
tomahawks  of  the  Iroquois,  theconquerors  turned  their  victorious 
arms  against  the  Neutrals  or  Attiwanderons ;  stormed  and  took 
their  palisaded  towns,  together  with  hundreds  of  prisoners, 
whom  they  burnt  or  adopted,  and  left  a  trail  of  fire  and  blood 
along  the  northern  shores  of  Lake  Erie  .  Then  they  wheeled  in 
their  tracks  and  rushed,  like  a  pack  of  famished  wolves,  upon 
the  Eries  or.  Cats,  a  kindred  tribe  to  the  south  of  Lake  Erie, 
whom  they  destroyed  utterly  in  one  of  the  fiercest  Indian  battles 
recorded  in  history.  Meanwhile,  on  the  eastern  frontiers  of  the 
Iroquois  Confederacy,  the  Mohawks  were  at  war  with  their 
Algonkin  neighbors,  the  Mohicans,  and  with  their  own  Iroquoian 
kinsmen,  the  Andastes  or  Conestogas.  During  a  decade  of  conflict 
with  these  opposing  forces,  a  series  of  bloody  reverses  had  hum- 
bled the  Mohawk  arrogance,  when  the  other  four  nations  of  the 
Iroquois  league  took  up  the  strife,  in  the  Andaste  war.  For 
fifteen  years  the  Iroquois'  war-parties  traversed  the  forests 
towards  the  Susquehanna  before  the  heroic  Andastes  were 
wasted  away  by  the  attrition  of  superior  numbers  and  finally 
overcome  by  the  Senecas,  about  the  year  1675.  Thus,  in  a 
period  of  twenty-five  years,  from  the  downfall  of  the  Hurons  to 
the  conquest  of  the  Andastes,  the  Iroquois  had  triumphed  over 
all  the  neighboring  nations  and  peace  reigned,  for  a  time,  over 
the  blood  stained  wilderness.  But,  during  all  these  wars,  the 
Confederates  were  able  to  send  war-parties  on  the  trail  to  Canada, 
that  kept  New  France  in  a  turmoil,  by  cutting  off  her  outposts 
and  wasting  her  outlying  settlements.  It  is  not  likely,  however, 
that  any  of  these  expeditions  went  out  of  their  way  to  attack 
Algonkin  or  Huron  stragglers  on  the  Ottawa,  and  these  fugitive 
bands  may  have  remained  unmolested  for  a  few  years,  until 
their  final  destruction  or  dispersion  could  be  made  an  incident 
in  some  more  important  enterprise  of  the  Iroquois. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  Hurons.  In  the  year  1650,  after  a 
terrible  winter  made  horrible  by  famine,  death  and  the  Iroquois, 
the  Jesuits  abandoned  their  last  mission  fort  of  Ste.  Marie  on 
Ahoendoe — St.  Joseph's  or  Christian  Island — and  led  some  three 
hundred  of  these  unfortunate  people  to  Quebec,  by  way  of  the 
Ottawa.  A  much  larger  number,  however,  who  were  left  behind, 
were  forced  by  the  Iroquois  to  abandon  their  fort  and  retire  to 
Manitoulin  Island  and  the  northern  forests.  But  the  Iroquois 
were  on  their  trail;  so,  finally,  loading  their  canoes,  about  four 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist 


103 


I 


I 


hundred  of  them  took  the  route  of  the  Ottawa  to  join  their 
kindred  who  had  preceded  them.  Other  scattered  bands  follow- 
ed, from  time  to  time,  of  which  we  appear  to  have  no  definite 
record.  By  this  time  the  wdiole  Ottawa  River  had  been  swept  bv 
the  tornado  of  Iroquois  ferocity  and  its  shores  had  become  a 
solitude. 

Now  for  our  conjecture.  Cases  are  not  infrequent  in  which 
Indian  communities  have  been  forced  to  abandon  their  homes, 
through  stress  of  war,  but  have  again  returned  to  them  after 
some  years,  when  the  war  cloud  had  given  place  to  the  sunlight 
of  peace.  Doubtless,  in  their  wanderings  on  the  northern 
tributaries  of  the  Ottawa,  Algonkin  and  Huron  had  alike  eaten 
the  bread  of  adversity  and  drunk  the  water  of  affliction  and  were 
ready  for  any  asylum  that  would  afford  them  a  brief  period  of 
rest.  Now,  while  the  time  of  the  Iroquois  was  fully  occupied 
in  the  terrible  wars  already  enumerated,  may  it  not  have  been 
possible  that  some  of  the  fugitive  remnants  of  the  Hurons,  on 
their  way  to  Quebec,  stopped  and  settled  on  the  Ottawa,  to- 
gether with  similar  bands  of  Algonkins,  who  had  returned  to 
their  old  camping  grounds? 

A  serious  objection,  of  course,  to  the  theory  of  Huron  occup- 
ation of  the  Ottawa  Valley,  in  the  latter  half  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  is  the  presence  of  Huron  pottery  in  the  ash-beds  at  Hull 
and  Casselman,  as  the  Indians  are  supposed  to  have  discarded 
their  native  earthenware  for  the  brass  or  copper  kettles  of  the 
v/hite  trader,  soon  after  the  advent  of  Europeans,  still,  how- 
ever, it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  craggan,  (see 
Annual  Archaeological  Report  1906  ("Toronto  1907)  pp.  16-18), 
an  earthen  vessel  of  domestic  manufacture,  made  from  unrefined 
clay  and  similar  in  design  and  finish  to  the  very  crudest  forms 
of  our  Indian  pottery,  was  made  and  used  imtil  quite  recently — 
if  it  is  not  used,  even,  to-day — in  the  kitchens  of  several  of  the 
Scottish  Islands,  and  that  these  vessels  were  preferred,  for  many 
purposes,  to  the  more  costlv  and  highlv  finished  j)roducts  of 
modern  ceramic  art.  These  craggans  were  made  by  housewives 
to  serve,  among  others,  the  purposes  of  drinking  vessels  and  pots 
for  boiling;  so  that  if  such  prehistoric  pottery  could  have  survived 
among  the  Scottish  Islanders,  to  a  time  within  the  memory 
of  the  living  in  competition  with  domestic  innovations 
of  centuries  of  civilization,  whv  should  not  the  Hurons 
of  the  Ottawa  have  retained,  for  a  few  years  at  least, 
the  earthenware  of  their  ancestors,  under  somewhat  similar 
conditions?      Finallv,    William    M.     Beauchamp''   refers    to    a 


"Earthenware  of  the  New    York    Aborigines.      Bulletin  of    the  New 
York  State  Museum,  Vol.  S,  No.  22,  October,  1898,  p    80. 


104  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  [August 

similar  survival  of  the  use  of  pottery,  among  the  Iroquois,  as 
follows:  "Refuse  heaps,  by  village  sites,  usually  contain  a  great 
deal  of  earthenware,  out  of  which  fine  or  curious  fragments  are 
often  taken,  and  these  occur  also  in  the  ash  beds  of  the  old  fire- 
places. This  is  so  on  some  quite  recent  sites,  for  while  the  richer 
Iroquois  obtained  brass  kettles  quickly  from  the  whites,  their 
poorer  friends  continued  the  primitive  art  till  the  beginning  of 
the  18th  century  at  least."  Another  statement  by  the 
same  writer,  is  important,  as  it  would  exclude  the  probability 
of  our  pottery  being  referable  to  the  Algonkins.  He  writes, 
in  the  Bulletin  referred  to,  at  page  76,  as  follows:  "In  fact, 
the  Canadian  Indians  do  not  appear  to  have  used  earthenware 
in  early  days,  with  the  exception  of  the  allied  Hurons  and  Petuns, 
the  Neutrals  and  the  Iroquois  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  all  of  these 

being  of  one  family The  nomadic  tribes,  however, 

preferred  vessels  of  bark,  easily  carried  but  not  easily  broken. 
In  these  they  heated  water  with  hot  stones,  as  the  Iroquois  mav 
sometimes  have  done." 

The  above  theory,  as  to  the  time  of  Huron  occupation,  is 
only  a  suggestion,  unsupported  at  present  by  sufficient  evidence 
to  prove  it.  It  may  turn  out,  eventually,  that  the  fireplaces  of 
this  vanished  race  grew  cold,  on  the  Ottawa,  in  the  dim  twilight 
of  a  more  remote  antiquity.  Is  it  possible  that,  before  the 
coming  of  the  white  man,  the  old  Wyandots  or  Tionnontates,  in 
the  course  of  their  traditionary  wanderings,  so  admirably  describ- 
ed by  William  E.  Connelley,  may  have  remained  for  a  time  on 
the  Ottawa,  and  left  us  only  their  ashbedsand  ossuaries  to  puzzle 
over?      f\' 

Another  question  also  suggests  itself.  Where  did  the  Hurons 
go  to  after  leaving  the  Ottawa?  They  appear  and  disappear  on 
the  stage  of  tribal  activities,  either  standing  boldly  forth  in  some 
historic  incident,  or  dimly  silhouetted  by  the  light  of  tradition, 
on  the  dark  back-ground  of  prehistoric  time.  Did  they  migrate, 
finally,  to  join  their  kindred  in  their  distant  resting  places? 
Did  they  fade  away,  by  adoption,  into  other  tribes?  Or,  were 
they  absorbed  by  the  red  cloud  of  massacre,  to  disappear  forever 
in  the  darksome  shadow  of  the  illimitable  wilderness? 


'  Note  on  Megorismus  fletcheri. — In  August,  1908,  the 
Destructive  Pea  Aphis  was  present  in  large  numbers  in  the 
Ottawa  district,  field  and  sweet  peas  in'gardens  being  severely 
injured.  From  collected  material  a  number  of  parasites  were 
reared  by  me,  one  kind  of  which  proved  to  be  a  new  species  of 
hymenoptera  This  was  recently  described  by  Mr.  J.  C. 
Crawford*  as  MegorismMs  fletcheri.  The  parasitized  plant  lice 
were  conspicuous  on  sweet  peas  in  my  garden. — Arthur  Gibson. 

♦Canadian  Entomologist,  March,  1909.  £\£m^ 


;1 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIIl.  OTTAWA,  SEPTEMBER,  1909  No.  6 


CERTAIN  BIOLOGICAL  PRINCIPLES  AND  THEIR  PRAC- 
.  TICAL  APPLICATION  IN  THE  IMPROVEMENT 
OF  THE  FIELD  CROPS  OF  CANADA. 


By  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.,  Secretary,  Canadian 
Seed  Growers'  Association,  Ottawa. 


(Continued   from  page  91) 


THE    MUTATION    THEORY. 

From  the  evidence  brought  forth  in  connection  with  the 
theories  held  by  biologists  since  Darwin's  time,  it  is  apparent  that 
the  efficacy  of  natural  selection  and  of  the  use  of  fluctuating 
variations  in  explaining  the  facts  of  evolution,  have  been  steadily 
losing  ground.  On  the  other  hand  there  has  been  a  gradual 
tendency  to  regard  the  part  played  by  "discontinuous"  varia- 
tions or  "mutations"  as  being  of  more  importance  in  this  con- 
nection. The  supporters  of  the  latter  idea  have  received  much 
encouragement  from  the  work  of  DeVries  of  Amsterdam,  which 
work  with  that  of  Mendel  has  served  to  place  the  problems  of 
heredity  in  an  entirely  new  light.  The  law  of  Mendel  respecting 
the  transmission  of  characters  when  two  plants  are  crossed  is 
a  large  subject  in  itself  and  shall  not  be  discussed  now.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  hybridization  of  varieties  as  effected  in  the 
light  of  this  law  is  probably  the  most  potent  means  of  producing 
new  varieties  that  is  now  within  the  reach  of  the  expert  breeder. 
The  work  of  DeVries  is  worthy  of  special  consideration  since  his 
discoveries  may  be  said  to  have  marked  a  new  epoch  in  the  long 
line  of  investigations  of  the  factors  in  evolution. 

DeVries'  idea  is  that  plants  and  animals  are  made  up  of 
"distinct  units"  which  correspond  to  atoms  in  chemistry.  By 
crossing  one  individual  with  another  the  units  involved  may  be 
combined  but  never  split,  just  as  combinations  may  be  made  in 
chemistry.  Transitional  forms  do  not  exist  between  the  elements 
themselves,   which   assumption  goes  to  support  the  theory  of 


106  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

descent  rather  than  that  of  transmution  as  appHed  by  Darwin 
and  his  followers.  According  to  this  theory  it  is  possible  for  new 
forms  to  arise  suddenly  without  passing  through  a  transitional 
stage.  The  theory  of  DeVries  has  the  support  of  certain  evidence 
deduced  from  results  gained  from  experiments  with  (Enothera 
Lamarckiana.  At  least  50,000  plants  were  cultivated  by 
DeVries  in  his  garden  for  a  number  of  generations,  and  out  of  this 
number  about  800  were  found  to  possess  characters  distinct  from 
those  peculiar  to  the  parent  forms.  These  new  fonns,  moreover, 
proved  to  be  constant  b}^  breeding  true  in  succeeding  generations. 
The  occurrence  of  these  forms  under  domestication  may  account 
for  the  numerous  "elementary  species"  that  are  found  in  nature. 

The  theory  of  DeVries  is  not  new.  We  have  noticed  how 
the  idea  of  the  creating  of  new  species  by  the  sudden  variation 
of  organisms  prevailed  among  some  writers  of  a  comparatively 
early  period.  In  1864  Von  Kolliker,  convinced  of  the  weakness 
of  the  natural  selection  theory,  promulgated  the  theory  that  new 
and  distinct  species  are  born  suddenly  by  leaps.  In  1899, 
Korschinsky,  a  Russian  botanist,  as  the  result  of  certain  observa- 
tions and  study,  formulated  the  mutation  theorv.  The  publica- 
tion in  1901  by  DeVries  of  his  first  book  on  "Die  Mutations- 
theorie"  was  the  first  public  recognition  of  importance  which 
this  theory  received.  DeVries'  theory  is  alternative  with 
that  of  Darwin's  as  regards  the  formation  of  new  species,  but 
as  regards  the  general  course  of  evolution  and  the  great  principles 
which  govern  it  the  mutation  theory  is  not  in  contradiction  to  the 
descent  theory  through  natural  selection,  but  is  rather  supple- 
mentary to  it. 

After  considering  the  main  principles  which  are  associated 
with  the  various  theories  we  have  outlined  we  are  forced  to  make 
the  following  conclusions,  viz. : — 

(1)  That  no  two  plants  are  exactly  alike. 

(2)  That  while  "like  begets  like"  in  the  main  yet  there  is 
a  constant  and  continual  variation  going  on  within  the  species. 

(3)  That  some  of  these  variations  are  fluctuating  and  un- 
stable while  others  are  discontinuous  and  determinate. 

(4)  That  artificial  selection  of  desirable  fluctuating  varia- 
tions ma}'^  raise  the  standard  above  the  average  of  the  race  at 
least,  although  the  limitations  of  this  method  of  selection  are 
recognized. 

(5)  That  the  artificial  selection  of  discontinuous  variations 
may  result  in  the  developement  of  superior  new  strains. 

(6)  That  a  combination  of  desirable  characters  through 
hybridization  may  result  in  the  creation  of  hybrids  possessed  of 
special  merit. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Natukalist.  107 

With  these  conclusions  in  mind  it  is  a  comparatively  simple 
matter  to  draw  up  a  plan  whereby  man  may  systematically  and 
scientifically  utilize  the  forces  of  nature  to  his  own  advantage. 
The  systematic  selection  of  what  we  are  now  pleased  to  call 
fluctuating  variations  in  field  crops  with  a  view  to  preventing 
deterioration  is  a  very  ancient  practise.  The  idea  of  actually 
improving  our  crops  is,  how^ever,  of  comparatively  recent  origin. 
Once  improvement  was  considered  possible  several  systems  were 
devised.  The  Germans  followed  Darwin's  enunciation  that  im- 
provement w^as  a  gradual  process  resulting  in  the  accumulation 
of  slight  favorable  variations,  hence,  we  have  "The  German 
system  of  plant  improvement."  We  have  a  concrete  example 
of  the  improvement  that  may  be  effected  by  this  system  in  the 
famous  Schlanstedt  rye  originated  or  developed  by  Rimpau. 
This  system  is  practised  largely  in  Canada  at  the  present  time  by 
members  of  the  Canadian  Seed  Growers'  Association. 

'  Le  Couteur,  an  Englishman  who  worked  during  the  begin- 
ning of  the  19th  century  is  said  to  be  the  first  to  apply  the  principle 
of  selection  to  the  improvement  of  cereals  by  selecting  elementary 
types  from  the  growing  crop.  One  of  his  most  noted  selections 
is  the  Bellevue  de  Talavera  wheat  which  originated  from  a  single 
plant  selected  from  the  regular  field.  This  was  apparently  a 
mutation  as  it  continues  to  breed  true  and  to  show  very  slight 
deviation. 

Patrick  Sherrift",  another  Englishman,  working  about  the 
middle  of  the  19th  century  produced  the  Mungoswell's  wheat 
after  making  many  attempts  to  isolate  superior  plants.  This 
wheat  is  still  said  to  be  popular  in  certain  parts  of  Great  Britain. 

In  1857,  F.  T.  Hallett,  of  Brighton,  England,  began  a  line 
of  work  from  another  point  of  view.  He  believed  that  each  plant 
had  one  best  head  and  that  each  head  had  one  best  kernel.  By 
making  repeated  selections  through  several  generations  the  yield 
was  materially  increased  when  suddenly  the  maximum  seemed  to 
be  reached  and  further  improvement  ceased. 

During  the  last  20  years  Dr.  Nilsson,  of  Svalof,  Sweden,  has 
been  engaged  in  the  breeding  and  improving  of  cereals  and  has 
secured  some  remarkable  results.  At  first  Nilsson  practised  the 
selection  of  such  apparent  fluctuating  variations  as  appeared  in 
the  field  sown  in  the  ordinary  way.  He  found,  however,  that 
his  results  by  this  method  were  not  very  satisfactory,  so  he 
changed  his  system  and  adopted  the  plan  of  selecting  and 
propagating  individual  plants  and,  by  a  process  of  elimination, 
finally  isolating  those  which  were  most  desirable.  This  system 
enabled  him  to  discover  and  take  advantage  of  some  of  the 
,  mutations  which  might  appear  from  time  to  time,  and  at  the 


108  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

same  time  to  choose  a  pure,  superior  elementary  type  as  the 
foundation  for  a  better  strain,  beUeving  as  he  does  with  DeVries 
that  our  ordinary  strains  are  composed  ol  what  the  latter  calls 
"a  motley  mixture  of  types." 

This  idea  seems  to  have  taken  root  in  the  minds  of  the  major- 
ity of  our  scientific  breeders  of  to-day  who  recognize,  in  the 
various  methods  they  have  adopted,  the  underlying  principles 
which  have  been  so  ably  demonstrated  by  these  men.  At  the 
same  time  there  is  undoubtedly  a  very  practical  advantage  in 
following  the  simpler  practice  of  selecting  fluctuating  variations, 
a  practice  which  the  ordinary  farmer  can  easily  follow  on  his  own 
farm. 

THE    CANADIAN    SEED    GROWERS'    ASSOCIATION    AND     ITS  WORK. 

Realizing  the  great  national  importance  of  the  use  of 
"better-bred"  seed  on  the  farms  of  Canada  as  a  whole,  and 
recognizing  the  fact  that  much  might  and  should  be  done  by  way 
of  producing  such  seed  on  the  individual  farms  throughout  the 
country,  the  promoters  of  this  work,  notably  Dr.  Jas.  W.  Robert- 
son, took  certain  steps  which  led  up  to  the  organization  of  the 
Canadian  Seed  Growers'  Association  as  a  means  of  encouraging 
its  advancement. 

The  basic  principle  upon  which  the  work  of  the  Association 
is  founded  is  that  the  artificial  selection  of  the  best  seed  from  the 
best  plants  year  after  year  without  interruption  is  likely  to 
result  in  a  definite  improvement  within  the  ordinary  strain, 
although  the  limitations  of  this  method  of  selection  as  a  means 
of  improvement  are  recognized. 

As  to  the  exact  course  which  is  followed  by  each  member  of 
the  Association  who  desires  to  improve  any  one  or  more  of  his 
crops  through  giving  special  attention  to  the  matter  of  "breeding" 
in  his  seed  this  in  brief  is  as  follows:  The  grower  first  decides 
upon  the  variety  which  is  likely  to  do  best  on  his  farm.  This  is 
done  by  testing  two  or  three  leading  varieties  in  plots  under 
similar  conditions  for  the  first  year.  The  next  step  is  to  prepare 
a  special  area  of  land  of  about  one-quarter  acre  in  size  and  to  sow 
thereon  a  good  clean  sample  of  seed  of  the  chosen  variety.  When 
the  crop  on  this  plot  becomes  thoroughly  ripe  the  grower  goes 
through  the  plot  with  a  basket  or  sack,  picking  here  a  head  and 
there  a  head,  his  choice  being  based  upon  the  vigor  and  general 
type,  first  of  the  mother  plant  and  secondly  of  the  head  which  it 
bears.  Enough  seed  is  secured  by  the  selection  of  these  specially 
desirable  heads  each  year  to  give  a  sufficient  quantity  of  seed 
to  sow  another  plot  the  following  year  while  the  remainder  of  the 
plot  is  harvested  in  the  usual  way  and  the  seed  used  for  the  main 
crop. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  109 

The  above  practise  is,  in  essence,  the  selecting  of  fluctuating 
variations  which,  if  continued,  results  in  raising  the  "mean"  of 
the  ordinary  strain  to  a  higher  plain.  Some  authorities  such  as 
Johannsen,  Pearson  and  DeVries  contend  that  the  selecting  of 
fluctuating  characters  can  do  little  by  way  of  improving  the  race. 
They  admit,  in  part  at  least,  that  the  average  or  "mean"  of  the 
race  or  strain  may  be  raised  by  this  means,  but  claim  that  once 
selection  ceases  the  erst-while  improved  strain  will  return  to  its 
original  condition.  Of  this  contention  Plate  says:  "This  theory 
is  based  on  forms  which  have  been  highly  modified  within  a  few 
years,  so  that  there  has  not  been  a  sufficient  time  to  modify  the 
original  hereditary  tendency  established  by  centuries.  Many 
facts  indicate  that  the  intensity  of  heredit}^  depends  upon  the 
number  of  generations  during  which  selection  has  been  practised. 
Long  inherited  characters  are  difficult  to  eradicate;  recent  ones 
easy.  Many  gradually  selected  races  of  doves  are  now  almost 
entirely  constant.  A  race  developed  artificially  by  slow,  per- 
sistent selection  for  a  great  number  of  years  would  show  the  same 
relative  fixity  of  types  as  do  our  natural  species."  The  results 
realized  thus  far  by  the  Association  through  this  method  of 
selection  strongly  show  that  a  definite  improvement  has  been 
made  in  the  original  strain.  This  improvement  has  taken  the 
form  of  increased  yields,  better  quality,  greater  uniformity  and 
purity,  greater  vigor  and  greater  ability  to  resist  disease.  Though 
it  may  be  necessary  to  continue  the  selection  from  year  to  year 
in  order  to  maintain  the  standard  yet  such  seems  to  be  justified 
by  the  results  accruing  therefrom. 

In  the  past  certain  specially  progressive  and  observant 
growers  have  found  heads  of  grain  in  their  fields  which  were  so 
distinctly  different  from  any  others  that  they  kept  them  separate 
and  sowed  the  seed  secured  therefrom  in  their  garden  with  the 
result  that  in  many  cases  new  varieties  have  been  developed. 
These  strange  plants  were  undoubtedly  mutations.  As  examples 
of  these  we  have  the  Dawson's  Golden  Chaft"  wheat,  Goldthorpe 
barley  and  many  other  well  known  varieties.  This  is  a  line  of 
work  which  should  be  encouraged  as  much  as  possible. 

Other  members  of  the  Association  have  found  time  to  follow 
the  more  complicated  system  of  selecting  and  propagating 
individual  plants  separately,  and  by  a  process  of  elimination 
finally  isolating  pure  so-called  "elementary"  types.  This  latter 
method  which  is  based  on  the  DeVriesian  theory,  is  probably 
the  quickest  and  safest  to  follow,  but  on  account  of  the  amount 
of  careful  work  and  detail  which  is  involved  it  is  not  a  system 
which  the  Association  is  strongly  recommending  at  present  for 
the  average  farmer  in  the  improvement  of  his  smaller  grain  crops. 


110  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

In  the  case  of  corn  and  potatoes,  however,  this  method  is  being 
followed  with  most  gratifying  success. 

This  article  is  designed  to  correlate  the  practical  and  the 
scientific  side  of  plant  improvement.  Once  the  creation  and 
development  of  forms  of  plant  life  become  associated  with  recog- 
nized laws  and  principles,  the  prosaic  element  quickly  disappears 
and  we  regard  these  things  in  an  entirely  new  light.  Then  it  is 
that  real  progress  is  possible.  The  associating  of  natural  law 
with  the  every-day  industry  of  crop  raising  is  the  primary  aim 
of  the  Canadian  Seed  Growers'  Association. 


FIELD  NOTES  OF  CANADIAN  BOTANY.     I. 
By  Edward  L.  Greene. 


Twenty  years  ago  I  had  botanized  a  little  in  the  beautiful 
woodland  wilderness  that  then  lay  within  an  hour's  walk  of 
Victoria,  Vancouver  Island;  also  at  several  points  on  the 
British  Columbian  mainland,  and  even  on  the  prairies  of 
Manitoba.  Never,  however,  until  this  season  of  1909,  had  I 
done  any  field  work  in  any  part  of  the  Dominion  lying  eastward 
of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Such  readers  of  the  Ottawa  Naturalist  as  may  have 
noted  my  rather  numerous  botanical  papers  published  herein 
during  at  least  a  dozen  years  past,  and  may  have  observed  that 
these  contributions  were  all  made  upon  specimens  communicated 
to  me  by  mail,  supplemented  by  the  field  notes  of  those  who 
had  sent  them — such  readers  will  easily  imagine  that  I  would  be 
likely  to  enter  upon  field  studies  of  Ontario  vegetation  myself 
with  keenest  interest,  not  to  say  with  some  enthusiasm. 

It  was  a  little  before  the  middle  of  June  that  from  Port 
Huron,  Michigan,  I  crossed  into  Ontario.  Certain  critical  obser- 
vations on  the  surpassingly  rich  flora  of  the  Port  Huron  district — 
where  my  herborizings  were  greatly  helped  and  furthered  by 
Mr.  Charles  K.  Dodge,  the  resident  botanist — had  induced  me 
to  make  my  first  halt  within  Ontario  at  a  distance  of  only  some 
fifty  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Port  Huron  and  Sarnia.  At  Sarnia, 
just  on  the  Canadian  border,  Mr.  Dodge  had  done  much  field 
work,  and,  as  he  informed  me,  he  had  once  had  the  happiness 
of  conducting  to  its  richest  botanical  garden  spots,  the  veteran 
Professor  John  Macoun.  I  sought,  as  I  always  prefer  to  do, 
newer  ground,  and  had  fixed  upon  Strathroy  in  Middlesex  as  a 
first  stopping  place;  this  without  having  taken  counsel  of  any 
one  except  the  maker  of  my  pocket  map  of  Ontario,  and  partly 
because  I  had  never  heard  that  any  one  had  botanized  there. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  Ill 

However,  Strathroy  was  indicated  as  one  of  the  small  towns, 
and  from  such,  good  botanizing  is  apt  to  be  found  at  the  end  of 
very  short  walks.  Also,  according  to  the  map  a  river — the 
Sydenham— seemed  to  course  near  this  town;  an  augury  of 
more  diversity  in  the  flora  and  silva  than  strictly  prairie  or 
mere  upland  districts  are  favored  with. 

Landing  at  the  railway  station  of  this  pleasant  village  a 
half-hour  before  noon  of  June  12th,  less  than  two  hours  later, 
portfolio  in  hand,  I  walked  forth  on  my  first  herborizing  stroll 
in  Ontario.  Having  reached  within  a  few  minutes  the  further- 
most and  half  meadowy  outskirts  of  the  town,  I  beheld  close  at 
hand  a  depression  in  the  open  landscape,  out  of  the  midst  of 
which  arose  the  familiar  narrowly  cone-shaped  heads  of  larches 
and  arbor  vitae.  No  prospect  could  have  pleased  me  more;  and 
within  a  very  few  minutes  I  was  in  the  midst  of  this  tamarack 
marsh.  The  arboreal  vegetation  of  this  I  found  to  be  quite 
different  from  that  of  such  tamarack  swamps  of  southern 
Wisconsin  as  I  had  been  familiar  with  long  years  ago.  There  the 
larches  had  been  the  only  trees,  and  these  so  closely  set  as  to 
form  a  thicket  hard  to  penetrate.  Here  there  was  no  density 
of  arboreal  growth.  The  larches  stood  somewhat  apart  from  one 
another,  and  there  was  arbor  vitae  freely  interspersed;  and  there 
was  no  dearth  of  deciduous  trees,  red  maple,  ash,  basswood  and 
some  others;  but  these  small  for  their  kind  and  slender;  and 
the  habitat  of  them  all  was  subaquatic;  for  everywhere  one 
had  to  pick  his  way  along  tufts  of  sedge,  and  the  superficial  roots 
of  trees,  to  avoid  sinking  over  shoe  in  water. 

Between  the  dry  bank  that  encircles  the  swamp  and  its 
wooded  portion  one  crosses  in  most  places  a  narrow  belt  or  rim 
of  Carices  without  shrubs  or  even  much  other  herbaceous  vege- 
tation; usually  more  or  less  of  marsh  marigold  and  skunk 
cabbage.    Here  the  ground  is  firmer  and  less  aqueous. 

Another  treeless  and  shrubless  portion  of  the  tract  is 
central,  and  consists  of  a  somewhat  sinuously  outlined  shallow 
pond,  occupied  mostly  by  yellow  pond  lilies,  the  muddy  shore  of 
it  beset  with  Calla  palustris,  this  not  yet  in  flower  in  the  middle 
of  June. 

Bounded  on  the  outside  by  the  narrow  rim  of  the  caricetum, 
and  within  by  the  considerable  expanse  of  the  calla-nymphaea 
pond,  the  main  body  of  the  marsh,  where  grow  the  hydrophile 
trees  already  listed,  is  the  really  paradisiacal  part  of  it,  as  viewed 
by  the  botanical  eye;  for  here,  the  woods  being  quite  open,  the 
open  spaces  are  filled  with  a  rich  diversity  of  herbaceous  plants, 


112  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.     .  [Sept. 

Geum  rivale,  Spathyema  jfetidum  and  Caltha  parnassifolia*  in 
a  particularly  tall  and  robust  form  being  among  the  largest. 
In  one  place  only  I  saw  a  colony  of  Smilacina  trifolia,  this  just 
past  flowering;  and  there  were  observed  several  groups  of 
Clintonia  borealis,  some  of  the  plants  still  in  flower  ;  but  Uni- 
folium  canadense  was  almost  everywhere,  as  also  Trientalis 
americana.  Naumburgia  thyrsi fora  was  frequent,  also  larger 
than  I  am  used  to  seeing  it,  but  Comarum  palustre  was  not  seen, 
neither  Menyanihes.  No  cranberry  was  seen,  or  any  orchids 
whatsoever.  In  these  particulars  this  Ontario  larch  swamp  was 
in  marked  contrast  with  those  I  had  become  acquainted  with  in 
regions  lying  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Michigan. 

On  my  first  entrance  to  the  swamp  I  was  delighted  by  the 
sight  of  a  large  decaying  stump  beautifully  mantled  with 
Limicea  borealis  in  full  bloom.  I  did  not  again  meet  with  the 
plant  in  this  bog,  or  even  in  the  Strathroy  district  anywhere. 

On  account  of  my  deep  interest  in  northern  violets  I  re- 
gretted the  lateness  of  my  arrival  in  western  Ontario,  for  I 
knew  that  by  the  middle  of  June  all  the  earher  species  would  have 
passed  their  season  of  petaliferous  flowering.  In  the  caricetum 
border  of  this  marsh  I  observed  what  seemed  to  be  V.  cucullata, 
growing  as  usual  among  the  tufts  of  hydrophile  sedges,  but  no 
flowers  were  seen.  It  was  quite  too  late  for  them.  At  this 
moment,  however,  and  scarcely  two  rods  away,  though  now 
hidden  from  view  by  the  trees  and  shrubbery  intervening,  there 
was  blooming  beautifully  and  almost  copiously  my  V.  priono- 
sepala,  as  I  shortly  discovered.  Within  this  sparsely  wooded 
and  bushy  portion  of  the  marsh  all  sorts  of  very  wet  spaces  not 
occupied  bv  larger  herbaceous  plants  were  quite  filled  with  the 
combination  of  a  small  galium,  a  slender  stellaria,  and  this 
particular  violet,  and  there  was  no  other  violet  associated  with 
it.  This  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  the  species  growing;  at 
least  the  first  time  since  my  publication  of  it.  I  had  described 
it  from  very  excellent  herbarium  specimens,  supplemented  by 
full,  intelligible  and  most  satisfactory  notes,  all  supplied  by 
valued  correspondents.!  As  I  now  revert  to  my  original 
account  of  this  fine  species,  it  is  something  of  a  gratification  to 
read  how  perfectly,  even  if  mainly  by  the  light  of  the  mere  dried 
specimens,  I  had  divined  the  nature  of  this  plant's  habita.t  as 
compared  with  that  of  V.  cucullata.      The  plants  of  V.  priono- 

*During  some  years  past  I  have  been  convinced  that  we  have  no  Caltha  palustris  in 
North  America;  and  that  our  plant  is  specifically  distinct  from  the  European  type  of  the 
genus  was  seen  by  Rafinesque  more  than  a  hundred  years  since.  It  was  in  1807  that  he 
published  our  plant  as  C.  parnassifolia,  indicating,  among  other  characters  the  important 
one  of  its  elliptic  sepals.     Those  of  the  Old  World  plant  are  broadly  round-obvate. 

tViOLA  PRIONOSEPALA,  Greene,  Pittonia,  V.  99  (1902). 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  113 

sepala  grow  singly  as  I  had  said,  never  like  the  other  in  tufts; 
and  it  would  be  difficult  to  name  another  acaulescent  purple 
violet  the  leaves  of-  which  are  so  far  from  being  describable  as 
cucullate.  Their  almost  absolute  flatness  contrasts  strongly 
with  the  constantly  involute  foliage  of  the  other.  Not  one  of  the 
marks  at  first  attributed  to  V.  prionosepala  seems  thus  far  to 
fail ;  but  not  until  I  had  seen  the  two  flourishing  in  their  native 
haunts,  and  on  the  same  acre  of  wild  land,  did  I  apprehend  the 
matter  of  the  difference  in  their  respective  times  of  flowering. 

At  one  or  two  points  in  this  Strathroy  swamp  I  observed 
colonies  of  V .  hlanda.  Over  and  above  these  two  I  saw  here 
no  other  stemless  violets. 


THE  PRAIRIE  WARBLER  (DENDROICA  DISCOLOR)  IN 
NORTHERN  ONTARIO  AND  OTHER  NOTES. 

By  G.  Eifrig,  Ottawa. 


On  May  11th  of  this  year  the  writer  found  a  specimen  of 
the  Prairie  Warbler  on  the  edge  of  Lake  Dore,  near  Eganville, 
Renfrew  County.  This  is  a  distinctly  southern  form,  whose 
metropoHs  is,  say  in  the  latitude  of  the  State  of  Maryland.  The 
northernmost  points  at  which  it  has  been  taken  so  far  are  at 
Mt.  Forest,  WelHngton  County — and  that  once  only,  if  I  mistake 
not — and  at  Toronto,  twice.  '  So  its  finding  in  Renfrew  County 
means  quite  an  extension  northward  of  its  hitherto  known 
range.  Its  occurrence  there  proved  all  the  more  remarkable, 
since  it  was  a  single  female  seen  and  taken,  whereas  in  nearly  all 
species  of  birds,  if  the  two  sexes  do  not  migrate  together,  it  is 
alwavs  the  males  that  arrive  first.  Besides,  the  weather  before 
the  nth  had  been  so  uninviting,  cold  and  rainy — the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  35°-45°  for  more  than  a  week  previously,  with 
the  exception  of  two  warmer  days— that  there  were  very  few 
of  even  the  hardy  northern  warblers  to  be  seen,  only  one  Myrtle 
Warbler  and  one  Black  and  White  Creeping  Warbler  being  seen 
in  a  stay  of  hours  at  the  edge  of  the  lake  and  in  the  vicmity. 
Furthermore,  whereas  in  its  true  home  it  is  a  bird  that  confines 
itself  strictlv  to  warm,  dry  hillsides  and  similar  dry  localities, 
this  one  was  laboriously  clambering  about  in  the  alder  bushes  at 
the  water's  edge,  sometimes  over  the  water.  The  bird  was  taken 
and  is  now  in  the  writer's  collection. 

The  occurrence  of  this  southern  species  so  far  north  seems 
to  lend  weight  to  a  theory  the  writer  has  held  for  several  years 
past,  viz.,  that  there  is  a  distinct  movement  northward  dis- 
cernible on  the  part  of  the  birds.     Thus,  the  Chewmk  (/  iptlo 


114  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

erythrophthalmus) ,  otherwise  almost  unknown  at  Ottawa,  has 
been  seen  and  taken  here  for  two  or  three  years  past,  even  at 
Buckingham,  Quebec.  This  spring,  already,  it  has  been  noted 
twice  on  Parliament  Hill  and  at  Marshall's  Bay  near  Arnprior. 
Likewise  the  Mourning  Dove  (Zenaidura  macroura)  seemingly  is 
forging  northward,  as  it  has  been  seen  the  past  three  summers 
at  Shirley's  Bay,  near  Ottawa.  And  it  is  interesting  to  note 
how  the  Carolina  Wren  (ThryothorMS  ludovicianus)  is  becoming 
commoner  all  the  time  in  southern  Ontario  and  advancing  a 
little  further  northward  each  year.  If  this  apparent  tendency 
in  birds  is  a  fact  and  will  remain  and  increase  in  strength,  it  is 
certainly  a  state  of  things  much  to  be  wished  for  by  all  nature- 
lovers  in  this  vicinity. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  ornithologists  generally,  that  the 
flock  of  Evening  Grosbeaks  (Hesperiphona  vespertina),  which 
took  up  their  abode  in  Ottawa,  February  7th  (see  Ottawa 
Naturalist,  Vol.  xxii,  p.  263),  and  were  not  seen  after  the 
end  of  March,  were  rediscovered  by  Mr.  H.  Groh  in  swampy 
woods  at  the  end  of  the  dump,  Patterson's  Creek,  on  April  29th, 
and  the  next  day  made  their  appearance  again  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Odell,  corner  Cartier  and  Somerset  Streets,  who  had  re- 
ported them  first  and  on  whose  trees  they  stayed  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  during  their  first  stay  in  the  city.  And  then 
they  remained  in  the  Patterson  Creek  woods  in  ever  diminish- 
ing number  until  May  ISth,  when  the  last  two  were  seen  by  Mr. 
Groh.  That  is  a  remarkably  long  stay  for  this  bird,  which, 
when  it  comes  southward  into  civilization  at  all,  usually  departs 
again  to  its  northern  haunts  in  March.  It  may  also  be  added 
here,  what  had  been  forgotten  in  the  article  in  the  March  number, 
that  already  in  November  an  Evening  Grosbeak  had  been  seen 
and  taken  by  Mr.  Wm.  McComber,  of  Bouchette,  in  the  Gatineau 
Valley,  Quebec,  who  upon  being  asked  for  more  information, 
wrote  that  the  specimen  had  been  alone,  seemed  dazed  and  lost 
and  did  not  feed  while  under  observation,  a  fact  borne  out  by 
the  stomach  examination  made  by  the  writer. 

Last  spring  was  an  unusually  backward  one  hereabouts. 
March,  April  and  the  first  part  of  May  were  unusually  cold  and 
wet.  There  were  few  nights  in  April  without  frost.  As  might 
be  expected  the  birds  were  also  late  in  their  coming.  The  first 
migrants  that  come  in  a  wave  about  March  21st  to  27th,  like 
the  Song  Sparrow,  Junco,  Redwings,  Bronzed  Grackles,  Robins 
and  Bluebirds,  were,  as  a  wave,  more  than  a  week  late.  And 
this  lateness  kept  on  during  April.  Some  species,  however,  do 
not  let  any  cold,  etc.,  bring  them  out  of  their  usual  time,  like 
the  Crow  and  Killdeer,  the  former  of  which   were    even    earlier 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  115 

this  year  than  in  others.  Of  course,  when  anything  like  the 
usual  amount  of  warmth  comes,  the  lateness  of  arrival  stops 
with  most  species,  some  even  coming  earlier  than  their  usual 
average  time,  and  several  interesting  anomalies  are  thus  pro- 
duced. This  year,  the  Blackpoll  Warbler  {D.  striata)  and  the 
Baybreasted  Warbler,  {D.  castanea)  as  a  wave,  apparently  keep 
up  the  late  setting  in  of  the  first  migrants,  for  the  former  have 
so  far  not  been  observed  by  the  writer  and  the  latter  only  in  a 
few  stray  individuals. 

There  was  also  an  unusual  abundance  of  Redpolls  (Acanthis 
linaria)  here  last  spring,  a  condition  reported  also  from  many 
places  in  the  New  England  and  Middle  Atlantic  States.  They 
were  more  common  here  than  other  seasons  throughout  the 
winter,  but  in  April  they  appeared  in  veritable  clouds.  On 
April  15th,  the  writer  saw  two  to  three  large  flocks  near  the 
Rifle  Range,  and  on  the  same  day  an  immense  flock  covered  as 
it  were  a  large  part  of  Rideauville,  individuals  being  seen  on 
every  branch  and  twig  of  every  tree  for  quite  a  distance.  And 
strange  to  say,  these  flocks  at  this  time  were  flying  south.  On 
April  27th,  Mr.  Bedard,  the  Rifle  Range  Keeper,  saw  a  flock  he 
estimated  at  2,000.  And  these  large  flocks  were  coming  and 
going  up  to  May  6th. 

Ottawa,  26th  Mav,  1909. 


A  REMARKABLE  MIGRATION  OF  YELLOW-BELLIED 

SAPSUCKERS. 
By  a.  B.  Klugh,  Kingston,  Ont. 


On  the  morning  of  April  17th,  1909,  the  city  of  Kingston, 
Ontario,  was  alive  with  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers. 

From  my  study  window  I  saw  some  twenty  of  them  on  the 
trees  at  the  lodge  of  the  park  and  on  going  out  to  investigate 
I  found  from  one  to  four  on  nearly  every  tree.  As  a  conserva- 
tive estimate  I  placed  the  number  of  birds  in  the  park  at  three 
hundred. 

In  the  grounds  of  Queen's  University  I  found  the  same 
conditions  prevailing. 

Mr.  Edwin  Beaupre  informed  me  that  the  birds  were 
abundant  in  Princess  Street  (the  main  thoroughfare  of  Kingston) 
on  the  telegraph  poles  and  woodwork  of  the  doors  and  windows 
of  the  stores. 

Mr.  C.  L.  Hays  of  the  Queen's  University  NaturaHst's  Club 
told  me  that  every  tree  along  University  Avenue  had  at  least 
one  bird  on  it  and  that  on  one  tree  he  counted  seven. 


116  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

Mr.  R.  F.  Kelso,  another  member  of  the  Club,  said  that 
every  tree  along  Johnston  Street  had  its  Sapsucker,  and  from 
various  sources  I  learned  that  the  birds  were  equally  abundant 
all  over  the  city.  The  great  majority  of  the  birds  were  males, 
though  here  and  there  a  female  was  to  be  seen. 

A  very  conservative  estimate  of  the  number  of  Yellow- 
belHed  Sapsuckers  in  the  city  would  be  five  thousand;  in  fact 
Mr.  Beaupre  believes  that  there  were  far  more  than  this  present 
on  the  morning  of  April  17th. 

For  the  next  few  days  the  Sapsuckers  were  stih  very  common 
in  the  city,  and  were  still  so  when  I  left  on  April  22nd.  After 
this  they  decreased  rapidly  in  numbers  as  my  father  wrote  me 
a  few  days  later  and  said  that  only  a  few  were  then  to  be  seen. 

The  Sapsuckers  were  very  busy  on  the  maple  trees  (mostly 
Acer  saccharinum) ,  and  in  many  cases  trees  which  I  examined 
had  rings  of  holes  completely  round  them,  but  the  holes  were 
not  close  enough  together  to  "girdle"  the  trees. 

The  probable  cause  of  this  immense  wave  of  Yellow-bellied 
Sapsuckers  striking  Kingston  Hes  in  the  strong  gale  from  the 
north  which  was  blowing  on  the  night  of  April  16th,  the  birds 
apparently  dropping  as  soon  as  they  had  crossed  the  lake. 


THE  RAPID  EXTERMINATION  OF   THE  BALD  EAGLE. 
By  W.  E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 


There  has  been  a  good  deal  of  discussion  during  the  past 
decade  or  two  concerning  the  usefulness  or  otherwise  of  the 
various  species  of  birds  of  prey.  As  regards  the  diurnal  birds 
of  prey,  debate  has  usually  ended  in  a  favorable  verdict  towards 
all  those  that  spend  the  summer  in  Ontario,  with  the  exception 
of  two  species.  With  reference  to  this  small  number  which  has 
fallen  under  the  ban,  I  must  say  that  my  faith  in  the  wisdom 
of  the  Creator  in  placing  such  birds  on  the  earth  is  too  strong 
to  be  shaken  by  any  evidence  that  may  be  produced  to  show 
that  somebody  has  lost  a  few  dollars  by  these  birds  in  any 
particular  year.  However  that  may  be,  the  subject  of  this 
article  has  never,  I  think,  been  condemned  as  injurious.  His 
daily  fare  is  gleaned  mostly  from  the  edges  of  the  large  waters, 
and  while  his  scavenging  habits  cannot  be  held  up  for  admira- 
tion, yet  a  substantial  plea  may  be  made  for  the  protection  of 
the  Bald  Eagle  on  the  ground  of  the  added  picturesqueness 
which  he  gives  to  the  landscape.  It  is  to  be  deplored  that 
every  large  bird  is  a  mark  for  the  wanton  gunner,  and  under 
this  head  I  am  sorry  to  say  most  of  our  sportsmen  fall,  when 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  117 

judged  on  the  basis  of  the  needless  slaughter  of  large  birds  for 
which  they  have  no  use. 

Of  course,  the  Eagle  is  wary.  Were  it  not  so  he  would 
long  since  have  become  extinct  as  far  as  Ontario  is  concerned, 
but  even  with  all  his  craft,  the  bird  is  far  less  numerous  to-day 
than  twenty  years  ago  and  is  yearly  suffering  a  steady  diminu- 
tion in  numbers.  He  is  usually  to  be  seen  along  the  larger 
bodies  of  water,  and  there  is  no  wild  thing  in  which  as  much 
interest  is  taken  by  the  tourist  on  the  steamers,  or  persons 
along  the  lake  shore,  than  the  presence  of  this  great  bird. 
"There  is  an  Eagle"  is  an  exclamation  that  instantly  draws 
the  attention  of  every  person  within  hearing,  during  travel  by 
boat  in  the  summer,  and  everyone  enjoys  seeing  these  great 
birds  wing  their  easy  way.  How  splendid  it  would  be  if  legis- 
lation could  be  enacted  giving  protection  which  would  eventu- 
ally restore  this  species  to  something  hke  its  former  numbers. 
In  years  gone  by  every  lake  of  more  than  a  few  acres  had  its 
pair  of  nesting  Eagles  and  along  the  big  lakes  every  few  miles 
would  disclose  a  nest.  Within  the  writer's  recollection,  in  fact 
within  fifteen  years,  there  was  along  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Erie  a  nest  more  frequently  than  every  ten  miles. 

Most  hunters  and  farmers  regard  big  things  solely  as  some- 
thing to  be  shot  and  consequently  the  Eagle  is  growing  scarcer 
and  scarcer  with  each  succeeding  year. 

It  seems  necessary  for  every  nature  lover  to  take  this  mat- 
ter to  heart  and  to  make  it  his  personal  business  to  propagate 
the  idea  of  protection  for  large  birds. 


BOOK  REVIEW. 


Our  Insect  Friends  .and  Enemies— The  Relation  of  Insects 
to  man,  to  other  animals,  to  one  another,  and  to  plants,  witla 
a  chapter  on  the  War  Against  Insects.  By  John  B.  Smith. Sc.D. 
Philadelphia  and  London,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company.  1909. 
This  splendid  work  of  314  pp.,  bv  the  above  recognized  authority, 
is  a  very  welcome  addition  to  the  literature  of  Entomology. 
Dr.  Smith  has  divided  the  book  into  12  chapters,  viz. :  (I)  Insects 
in  their  Relation  to  the  Animal  Kingdom ;  (II)  Insects  m  their 
Relation  to  Plants  as  Benefactors;  (III)  Insects  m  their  Relation 
to  Plants  as  Destroyers;  (IV)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  each 
other;  (V)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  the  Animals  that  feed  on 
them ;  (VI)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  Weather  and  Diseases 
that  affect  them;  (VII)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  other 
Animals;  (VIII)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  Man  as  Benefactors; 


118  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

(IX)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  Man,  as  Carriers  of  Diseases; 

(X)  Insects  in  their  Relation  to  the  Household;  (XI)  Insects  in 
their  Relation  to  the  Farmer  and  Fruit  Grower;  (XII)  The  War 
on  Insects. 

From  the  above  titles  it  will  be  seen  that  the  work  is  of  a 
very  wide  nature.  It  is  impossible  in  the  space  here  available  to 
refer  at  any  length  to  any  portions  of  the  book.  It  is  one  which 
will  be  found  of  much  value,  not  only  to  the  student  of  insects, 
but  to  anyone  who  is  at  all  interested  in  the  lower  forms  of 
animals.  Chapter  IX  on  Insects  as  Carriers  of  Diseases,  will 
be  found  of  special  interest  just  now,  in  view  of  the  wide-spread 
investigations  which  are  being  held  in  this  direction.  The  whole 
work  is  full  of  information  and  will  doubtless  have  a  very  wide 
sale.  It  is  illustrated  by  many  figures  in  the  text,  and  at  the 
beginning  there  is  a  full-paged  coloured  plate  of  some  of  the 
commoner  insects  which  are  troublesome  in  houses.  The  work 
is  well  printed,  and  we  congratulate  the  author  on  this  latest 
of  his  many  publications.  A.   G. 


OBITUARY    NOTICE.  / 

J.  F.  Whiteaves,  LL.D.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.S.C. 

■3 

It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  the  distinguished  Palaeontologist 
of  the  Geological  Survey,  Joseph  Frederick  Whiteaves,  has 
passed  from  amongst  us  !  By  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
Sunday,  the  8th  of  August,  after  an  illness  of  some  months' 
duration,  the  Geological  Survey  has  lost  one  of  the  ablest  of 
its  members,  and  Canada  one  of  her  best  known  workers  in 
geological  science. 

Dr.  Whiteaves  was  born  in  Oxford,  England,  in  1835,  and 
first  came  to  this  country  in  1861  on  a  short  visit.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  again  crossed  the  Atlantic,  this  time  to  remain  in 
Canada,  taking  up  his  residence  in  Montreal.  Here  he  was  for 
twelve  years  officially  connected  with  the  Montreal  Natural 
History  Society  as  its  recording  secretary  and  scientific  curator 
of  its  museum. 

In  1876  he  was  appointed  to  the  staff  of  the  Geological 
Survey  as  Palaeontologist  in  succession  to  the  late  Mr.  E.  Bill- 
ings, the  first  palaeontologist  to  the  Survey.  How  wise  a  selec- 
tion this  was,  after  years  amply  proved.  He  was  made  one  of 
the  Assistant  Directors  in  1877,  and  Zoologist  in  1883. 

As  a  boy  he  attended  private  schools  in  Oxford  and  London, 
and  early  developed  a  liking  for  natural  science.  Following  the 
bent  of  his  inclinations  he  studied  the  fauna  and  flora  of  Ox- 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  119 

fordshire  and  became  deeply  interested  in  the  geology  of  the 
neighbourhood  of  Oxford.  At  this  time  he  took  advantage  of 
lectures  to  advanced  students  delivered  by  eminent  professors 
of  the  day  in  the  university  of  his  native  town. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  his  first  paper  "On  the  Land  and 
Fresh  Water  Mollusca  inhabiting  the  neighbourhood  of  Ox- 
ford," was  published  by  the  Ashmolean  Society,  of  which 
society  he  was  shortly  after  made  an  honorary  member.  In 
1859  he  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Geological  Societv  of 
London.  Two  years  later,  as  the  result  of  his  study  of  fossils 
of  his  own  collecting,  during  a  period  of  several  years,  near 
Oxford,  he  published  two  palaeontological  papers,  one  "On  the 
Invertebrate  Fauna  of  the  Lower  Oolites,"  the  other  on  the 
fossils  of  the  Coralline  Oolites.  These  contributions  established 
his  reputation  as  a  palaeontologist,  and  served  as  an  index  to 
what  might  be  expected  of  him  in  the  future. 

Coming  to  Canada  and  residing  in  Montreal  he  continued 
zoological  and  palaeontological  studies  in  a  vastly  enlarged  field. 
Between  the  years  1863  and  1875  whilst  connected  with  the 
Natural  History  Society  of  Montreal,  besides  publishing  papers 
on  the  fossils  of  the  formations  of  the  island  of  Montreal  and 
vicinity,  he  was  the  author  of  a  number  of  valuable  reports  on 
the  results  of  deep-sea  dredging  operations  conducted  by  him, 
in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  the  cost  of  which  were  defrayed 
by  the  Dominion  Government. 

It  was,  however,  when  he  was  appointed  Palaeontologist 
to  the  Geological  Survey,  in  1876,  that  his  mental  energy  and 
natural  aptitude  for  palaeontological  research  found  full  scope. 
He  then  had  ample  opportunity  to  prove  himself  a  most  worthy 
successor  to  the  distinguished  scientist  who  preceded  him  in 
office.  That  this  opportunity  was  fully  utilized  is  proved  by 
the  long  list  of  his  official  reports,  and  papers,  contributed  to 
scientific  journals,  during  the  last  thirty-three  years  of  his 
career.  His  volume  of  "Contributions  to  Canadian  Palaeon- 
tology," his  monumental  works  on  the  Palaeozoic  and  Mesozoic 
Fossils  of  Canada,  and  his  splendid  descriptions  of  the  fossil 
fishes  of  Quebec  and  New  Brunswick  would  alone  have  earned 
for  him  a  world-wide  reputation  as  a  careful  observer,  a  close 
reasoner,  and  a  lucid  writer.  Space  admits  only  of  a  brief 
reference  to  the  pubHshed  results  of  his  studies  of  the  recent 
marine  invertebrata  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the 
Dominion.  The  wide  scope  of  his  palaeontological  and  zoological 
writings  can  be  fuUv  realized  only  after  reading  through  a  list 
of  his  many  publications.     These  number  nearly  one  hundred 


120  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Sept. 

and  fifty,  in  which  over  four  hundred  and  fifty  genera,  species, 
and  varieties  are  described  as  new  to  science. 

The  benefit  resulting  from  the  appHcation  of  his  palaeonto- 
logical  knowledge  to  the  solving  of  geological  problems  in  this 
country  cannot  be  overestimated.  His  untiring  industry,  backed 
by  a  clear  perception  and  thorough  grasp  of  the  essentials  of 
palaeontology  in  its  relation  to  geology,  has  given  us  enduring 
results  which  will  carry  his  name  down  to  posterity  inseparably 
linked  with  those  of  Logan,  Selwyn,  Dawson,  George  Dawson 
and  Billings.     His  scientific  reputation  was  world-wide. 

Dr.  Whiteaves  was  one  of  the  original  Fellows  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  Canada.  He  was  also  a  Fellow  of  the  Geological 
Society  of  London,  an  honorary  member  of  the  Yorkshire 
Philosophical  Society,  England,  a  member  of  the  Manitoba 
Historical  and  Scientific  Society,  of  the  Montreal  Natural 
History  Society,  and  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science.  In  1900,  the  honorary  degree  of  LL.D. 
was  conferred  on  him  by  McGill  University,  and  in  1907  he  was 
awarded  the  "Lyell  Medal"  by  the  Geological  Society  of  London 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England  and  was  twice 
married.  He  leaves  a  widow,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  resident 
in  Ottawa. 

Of  a  generous  and  kindly  disposition  and  always  ready  to 
impart  information  when  his  aid  was  invoked.  Dr.  Whiteaves 
was  an  ideal  type  of  a  man  imbued  with  the  professional  spirit, 
striving  for  the  best  results,  not  satisfied  with  half  measure,  and 
ever  urged  on  by  the  love  of  his  work.  With  a  keen  sense  of 
humour,  well  versed  in  literature,  and  an  ardent  admirer  of  all 
that  is  best  in  art,  his  companionship  was  sought  after  and 
much  appreciated  by  all  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  be 
brought  into  contact  with  him.  His  life  was  indeed  an  example 
of  intellectual  culture  founded  on  a  sound  moral  basis. 

His  death  is  a  national  loss;  the  Geological  Survey  of 
Canada  in  particular  will  feel  the  adverse  effect  of  his  removal; 
his  name  will  ever  remain  emblematic  of  all  that  is  honourable, 
true  and  upright  in  a  man. 

L.  M.  L.      • 


Annual  Subscriptions.     Members  of  the  Club  who  have 
not  paid  their  fee  for  the  year  1909-1910   are  particularly  re^A^jlC 
quested  to  send  the  same  to  the  Treasurer  at  an  early  date.  /^S)^    — 


r««^ 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST"^* 


VOL.  XXIIl.  OTTAWA,  OCTOBER,  1909  No.  7 


NOTES  FROM  THE  HERBARIUM  OF  THE  GEOLOGICAL 

SURVEY  OF  CANADA. 


By  James  M.  Macoun. 


Arabis  Whitedii,  Piper,  Bull.  Torr.  Bot.  Club,  xxviii:  39. 

Near  Sidle3^  west  of  Midway,  B.C.,  1905.  Herb.  No.  70,820. 
(W.  Spreadhorough).  New  to  Canada.  Only  flowering  specimens 
were  collected  and  these  in  general  appearance  resemble 
Lesquerella  rather  than  Arahis.     Determined  by  Dr.  Greene. 

Lepidium  campestre,  (L.)  R.  Br. 

Becoming  common  in  Eastern  Canada,  especially  in  Ontario. 
Collected  at  Lower  Montague,  Prince  Edward  Island,  by  Mr. 
Geo.  A.  Amear. 

Spir^a  pyramidata,  Greene,  Pittonia  II:  221. 

S.  DoMglasii,  var.  Nobleana,  Can.  Rec.  Sci.,  1895,  p.  3. 

The  plant  which  was  referred  above  by  the  writer  to 
S.  ponglasii,  var.  Nobleana,  proves  to  be  S.  pyramidyfa.  It  was 
collected  at  Sicamous,  B.C.,  by  Prof.  Macoun.  A  single  bush 
over  five  feet  high  of  what  is  doubtfully  referred  here  was  found 
growing  along  the  trail  near  Lake  House,  Skagit  River,  B.C.,  by 
J.  M.  Macoun,  June  27,  1905,  No.  69,957.  The  flowers  were  too 
immature  for  definite  determination,  but  unless  a  hybrid  between 
5.  lucida  and  5.  Menziesii,  both  of  which  grew  near,  it  is  probably 
this  species.  Spreadhorough  in  1906  found  a  bush  in  flower  at 
4,500  ft.  ah.  near  Chilliwack  Lake,  B.C.,  No.  72,872,  and  again 
with  5.  lucida  and  5.  Menziesii  which  makes  it  more  probable 
that  this  white-flowered  bush  is  a  hybrid. 

Spir^a  densiflora,  Nutt.;  Torr.  &  Gray.  Fl.  I:  414. 

S.  betul-i'folia  var.  rosea,  Gray. 

5.  arbuscula,  Greene. 

Recorded  from  the  Selkirk  Mts.,  B.C.,  by  manv  collectors. 
Not  rare  in  the  Chilliwack  Valley,  B.C.,  between  4,000  and  6,000 


122       •  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

feet  altitude,  Nos.  34,822,  34,823;  abundant  at  5,000  feet 
altitude  on  one  mountain  near  the  second  summit  west  of  Skagit 
River,  B.C.,  No.  69,949.  Not  seen  elsewhere  in  the  Skagit 
Valley.     (/.  M.  Macoun.) 

Spir^a  Douglasii,  Hook. 

Abundant  at  Chilliwack,  B.C.,  No.  34,819,  and  Sumas  Lake, 
B.C.,  No.  34,820.  (/.  M.  Macoun.)  Not  before  recorded  from 
the  B.  C.  mainland. 

Petasites  dentata,  Blankinship,  Mon.  Agr.  Coll.  Sci.  Stu.  I:  64. 
■  P.  sagittata,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  I:  260  in  part. 
Long  separated  from  P.  sagittata  in  our  herbarium  but  with- 
out a  name.  The  shape  of  the  leaf  is  intermediate  between  those 
of  P.  palmata  and  P.  sagittata.  Pursh  described  the  radical 
leaves  of  P.  sagittata  as  being  "oblongis  acutis  sagittatis  in- 
tegerimus,  lobis  obtusis."  The  specimens  he  saw  were  from 
Hudson  Bay.  Gray  in  order  to  include  western  specimens 
changed  the  description  of  the  leaves  to  "deltoid-oblong  to 
reniform-hastate,  from  acute  to  rounded-obtuse,  repand- 
dentate."  A  common  species  throughout  the  prairie  region 
extending  west  at  least  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  British 
Columbia  it  is  replaced  by  P.  speciosa.  Dr.  Greene,  {Leaflets 
p.  180),  described  a  plant  collected  by  Prof.  Macoun  at  Emerson, 
Man.,  in  1880,  (Herb.  No.  72375),  calling  it  P.  vitijolia.  The 
configuration  of  the  leaf  is  quite  unlike  that  of  any  of  the  speci- 
mens referred  to  P.  dentata. 

Vernonia  corymbosa,  Schweinitz. 

Damp  prairies,  near  Morris,  Man.,  Aug.  8th,  1906,  No. 
23,104.  {John  Macoun.)  Not  before  recorded  from  Canada. 
Vernonias  are  abundant  in  southwestern  Ontario  and  from  that 
region  we  have  specimens  which  have  been  referred  to  V.  gigantea, 
V.  fasictdata  and  V.  Drumniondii  and  what  appear  to  be  typical 
plants  of  all  three  are  in  our  herbarium,  but  other  specimens 
cannot  certainly  be  determined  so  that  they  cannot  yet  be 
recorded. 


DISCOURSES  UPON  THE  LEPIDOPTERA. 
I.  VARIATION. 

By.  F  H.  Wolley-Dod,  Millarville,  Alta. 


In  Europe,  more  particularly  in  the  British  Isles,  species  of 
lepidoptera  are  less  frequently  confused,  and  variation  far  better 
understood,  than  on  the  North  American   continent.     Many  of 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  123 

the  reasons  for  this  are  obvious.  Collecting  dates  back  to  much 
earlier  times,  and  a  very  large  proportion  of  existing  species  have 
been  repeatedly  bred.  Not  only  is  the  population  far  greater 
than  in  this  country,  but  the  proportion  of  collectors  amongst 
them  is  greater  also.  The  latter  fact  is  perhaps  due  to  hobbies 
being  more  encouraged,  and  more  people  having  leisure  and 
opportunities  for  their  pursuit.  Access  to  the  best  named 
collections  is  easier,  and  there  are  far  more  well  illustrated  books 
on  the  subject.  From  all  this  it  follows  that  there  is  a  wider 
interest  taken  in  the  study  of  lepidoptera  by  those  who  have  a 
taste  for  the  science,  and  there  is  less  diversity  of  opinion  as  to 
correct  names.  On  this  continent  the  scarcity  of  illustrated 
literature,  and  difficulty  of  getting  any  expert  opinion  at  all, 
owing  to  the  distances  which  specimens  have  to  be  sent,  at  con- 
siderable risk  and  trouble,  is  in  itself  some  deterrent  to  the  few 
interested,  not  to  mention  the  time  which  must  elapse  before 
receiving  any  opinions  at  all,  the  difference  of  opinion  received 
from  different  quarters,  or  at  different  times  frbta  the  same 
quarter — it  may  be  even  on  the  same  specimen— besides  the  toll 
sometimes  levied  for  opinion  given,  all  tend  in  some  degree  to 
discourage  the  hobby. 

The  variation  in  some  well  known  European  species  of 
lepidoptera  has,  by  careful  breeding  from  known  parents,  been 
proved  to  be  enormous.  Some  closely  allied  species  which  may 
perhaps  be  almost  exactly  alike,  show  certain  slight  points  of 
difference  which  neither  ever  exceed.  In  other  instances,  the 
prevailing  forms  of  two  species  may  be  entirely  dissimilar,  yet 
one  or  both  may  ordinarily  develop  varieties  looking,  to  the 
untrained  e}^,  not  only  exactly  like  the  other,  but  like  several 
other  usuall}'  quite  dissimilar  species.  In  a  country  like  England 
it  is  rarely  that  a  specimen  is  found  which  cannot  be  recognized 
by  an  expert  as  a  known  form  of  some  species,  notwithstanding 
its  greater  resemblance  in  very  many  points  to  other  species. 
It  sometimes  happens  that  a  species  does  not  possess  any 
characters,  whether  of  color,  individual  markings,  or  even  shape 
of  wing,  which  do  not  vary  to  apparently  well  within  the  limits 
to  which  other  species  extend.  Particularly  is  this  the  case  in 
the  genus  Euxoa,  or  Paragrotis,  as  some  authors  call  it.  In 
general,  however,  such  species  have,  to  those  familiar  with  them, 
something  by  which  the  relationship,  may  be  correctly  discerned, 
it  may  be  either  by  a  character,  or  combination  of  characters, 
or  by  the  general  appearance  so  confusingly  like,  yet,  in  some 
indefinable  way,  as  a  whole,  disassociable  with,  another  species. 
Yet  occasionally  specimens  occur  which  puzzle  even  those  who 
know  the  species  best. 

A  special  study  is  made  by  many  European  collectors  of 
local  variation.  Some  species  seem  to  appear  in  the  same  form 
wherever  they   exist,   scarcely  varying  at   all  in  any  essential 


124  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

characters,  either  in  any  one  locaHty,  or  differing  in  one  locaHty 
from  another.     Such  are  called  constant  species.     Others  may 
be  very  constant  in  any  one  locality,  yet  appear  in  more  or  less 
modified  forms  in  different  localities,  according  to  geographical, 
geological,  or  climatic  conditions.     Others  may  be  constant  in 
one  locality,  but  show  considerable  range  of  variation  in  another; 
or  may  vary  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  towards  a  certain  form  in 
one  place,  and  towards  quite  a  different  form  in  another.   But 
few  that  vary  at  all  in  any  locality,  vary  to  the  same  degree, 
or  within  the  same  limits  wherever  they  occur.     In  short,  whilst 
some  species  do  not  vary  to  any  extent  anywhere,  others  seem, 
as  it  were,  to  lend  themselves  enormously  to  local  variation. 
In  some  instances  dift'erence  of  food-plant  is  accountable  in  a 
great  measure  for  variation  in  size  and  color,  and  it  has  been 
observed  that  the  fact  of  a  larva  confining  itself  to  different  food- 
plants  in   different   parts  of  the  country   does  not   necessarily 
indicate  different  species.     Breeding,  and  careful  records  of  early 
stages,   have  often  resulted  in   a  distinct   specific   relationship 
having  been  traced  through  between  forms  presenting  somewhat 
striking  differences  in  dift'erent  habitats,  which  might  otherwise 
easily  have  passed  as  distinct  species.     The  expression  "specific 
relationship"   must   not   be   taken  to  mean   positive   "specific 
identity,"  as  the  legitimate  use  of  that  expression  will  depend  on 
the  concise  meaning  attached  to  the  word   "species,"   briefly 
discussed  in  a  previous  paper. 

Some  species  have  seasonal  varieties,  that  is,  they  pass 
through  their  entire  metamorphoses  more  than  once  a  year,  and 
the  different  breeds  assume  different  characters,  according  to  the 
season  or  length  of  time  spent  in  larval  and  pupal  stages.  Others 
show  dimorphic  variation,  sometimes  in  one  sex,  sometimes  in 
both.  That  is  to  say,  two  different  forms,  suggesting  two  species, 
can  be  bred  from  the  same  batch  of  eggs,  even  without  any 
actually  intermediate  form  appearing  at  all.  And  this  may 
occur  regularly  in  some  localities,  never  in  others.  In  both  the 
foregoing  instances,  as  in  many  others,  unfamiHarit}^  with  the 
species  concerned  has  resulted  in  the  separation  of  what  are 
merely  varieties  into  species.  In  some  years  too,  a  species  shows 
a  stronger  tendency  to  a  certain  form  of  variation  than  in  others. 

A  species  varying  differently,  or  appearing  under  a  modified 
form,  in  different  localities,  is  said  to  exist  in  those  localities  in 
the  form  of  a  "local  race,"  which  is  sometimes  referred  to,  with 
doubtful  justice,  as  an  "incipient  species."  It  is  questionable 
whether  a  truly  distinct  species  can  ever  be  evolved  whilst 
direct  specific  relationship  can  be  maintained  by  interbreeding, 
on  what  may  be  called,  for  convenience,  the  confines  of  their 
range,  or  where  the  races  meet.  Complete  isolation  from  blood 
relationship  for  a  lengthy  period  under  special  conditions,  is 
probably  necessary  before  a  race  can  be  said  to  begin  to  exist 


1909] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


125 


under  a  truly  specialized  form,  i.e.,  pass  from  an  incipient  species 
to  a  ''subspecies"  and  finally  to  a  true  "species"  in  its  most 
exclusive  sense. 


BIRDS  OF  STONY  PLAIN,  ALBERTA. 
By  Sidney  S.  S.  Stansell. 


Name  of  Bird 


Blue  Jay 

Canada  Jay 

Hudsonian  Chickadee 

Chickadee 

Western  Great  Horned  Owl.  .  . 
Arctic  Three-toed  Woodpecker 

Gray-crowned  Leucosticte 

Snow  Bunting 

Pine  Grosbeak 

Redpoll 

White-winged  Crossbill 

Northern  Hairy  Woodpecker.  . 
Northern  Downy  Woodpecker, 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker 

Rough-legged  Hawk 

Canada  Ruffed  Grouse 

Saw-whet  Owl 

Cedar  Waxwing 

Mountain  Bluebird 

Raven 

Goshawk 

Canada  Goose 

Mallard 

Tree  Sparjow 

Golden  Eagle 

Robin 

Junco  (J.  hyemalis') 

Redwinged  Blackbird 

Rusty  Blackbird 

Bohemian  Waxwing 

Pintail 

Song  Sparrow 

Lesser  Scaup  Duck 

Ring-necked  Duck 

Killdeer.^ 

Green- winged  Teal 

Wilson's  Snipe 

Yellowlegs 

Sparrow  Hawk 

Spotted  Sandpiper 

American  Goldeneye 

Tree  Swallow 

Bufflehead 

Wilson's  Thrush 

I  oon 

Western  Red-tailed  Hawk.. .  . 

Northern  Flicker 

Phoebe 

Northern  Shrike 

Marsh  Hawk 

Richardson's  Merlin 

Holboell's  Grebe 

Western  Vesper  Sparrow 

White-throated  Sparrow 

Bronzed  Grackle 

English  Sparrow 

House  Wren 

Brewers  Blackbird 

Clay-colored  Sparrow 

White-crowned  Sparrow 

Catbird 

American  Merganser 


When  First  Seen 

Does  it 

Breed 

1908 

1907 

Jan.      1 

Apr. 

12 
1 

yes 

? 

Apr. 

1 

yes 

..        .. 

June 

19 

no 

Apr. 

1 

.. 

July 

30 

yes 

>. 

May 

26 

" 

**                 ** 

" 

26 

*' 

Apr.      6 

Apr. 

1 

;: 

June 

11 

" 

6 

May 

26 

*' 

6 

Mar. 

31 

"       13 

Apr. 

18 

yes 

"       13 

no 

"       13 

May 

10 

yes 

"       14 

Apr. 

28 

no 

"       14 

1 

yes 

"       15 

Mav 

10 

"       16 

'* 

10 

** 

"       16 

*' 

10 

" 

■'       16 

*' 

10 

*' 

"       18 

June 

1 

" 

"       19 

Apt. 

28 

'* 

■'       19 

May 

20 

*' 

"       19 

lune 

4 

? 

"       19 

May 

26 

? 

"       19 

* ' 

26 

yes 

"       19 

June 

14 

"      22 

May 

10 

** 

"      22 

" 

10 

'* 

"      22 

" 

26 

'* 

"      22 

'* 

26 

'* 

"      24 

(4 

"      24 

May 

26 

" 

"      25 
"      28 

•* 

May 

26 

'* 

Mav      1 

" 

26 

** 

] 

June 

14 

" 

1 

Mav 

26 

** 

1 

" 

26 

*' 

1 

1 

yes 

1  June 

8 

IjMav 

10 

yes 

41 

6 

Mav 

26 

*' 

"       11 

*' 

26 

'• 

11 

*' 

"       11 

Mav 

26 

i( 

"       11 

June 

14 

'* 

"       11 

1 

"       11 

no 

11 

yes 

11 

Remarks 


Quite  common. 

Our  most  abundant  Jay. 

Probably  breeds. 

Very  common. 

A  great  many. 

Common  in  early  winter. 

Abundant    winter  resident. 

Abundant  winter  resident. 

Common  in  early  winter. 

Common  during  early  winter. 

Common. 

Quite  Common. 

These  first   16  species  are  our 
common  winter  residents. 


One  specimen  taken. 

Quite  common. 

Common  in  settled  parts. 

But  one  seen. 

Not  as  common  as  formerly. 

Quite  a  common  migrant. 

Nest  in  upland,  away  from  water. 

Common  in  spring  and  fall. 

Several. 

Very  abundant. 

Very  abundant. 

Quite  common. 

Most  common  blackbird. 

Qiiite  common. 

Quite  common. 

Very  numerous. 

Not  common. 

Seen  but  once. 

Quite  common. 

Quite  common. 

Nest  with  4  eggs,  May  24.  1908. 

Quite  common. 

Quite  common. 

Quite  common. 

Very  rare. 

Quite  common. 

Quite  common. 

Probably  the  western  form. 

Quite  common. 

But  few  seen. 

Very  common. 

Very  few. 

Seen  but  once. 

Seen  but  once. 

Very  common. 

Very  common. 

Very  common. 

Quite  common. 

Common  in  towns  only. 

Very  numerous. 

Common  at  Edmonton ;  rare  here. 

Quite  c  mmon. 

Several  in  spring  and  fall. 

V^ery  rare. 

Seen  but  once. 


126 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[Oct. 


Name  of  Bird 


Purple  Finch 

Philadelphia  Vireo. 
Fox  Sparrow 


Greater  Yellowlegs. .  . 
Western  Meadowlark. 

Eared  Grebe 

Pipit 

Yellow  Warbler 

Chipping  Sparrow..  .  . 

Sora  Rail 

Solitary  Sandpiper.  .  . 


Ovenbird . 


Least  Flycatcher 

Bittern 

Gray  Ruffed  Grouse 

Redstart 

Cowbird 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 
Olive-backed  Thrush.  .  .  . 
Grinnell's  Waterthrush.  . 

Redeyed  Vireo 

Savanna  Sparrow 

Louisiana  Tanager 

Cliff  Swallow 

Nelson's  Sparrow 

Canvas  back 

Pied-billed  Grebe 

Coot .• 

Wilson's  Phalarope 

Barn  Swallow 

Little  Brown  Crane 


When  First  Seen 
1908         1907 


May 


Western  Grebe 

Kingbird 

Virginia  Rail 

Broad -winged  Hawk 

Evening  Grosbeak 

Nighthawk 

Western  Warbling  Vireo. 

Black  Tern 

Northern  Yellow-throat.. 

Baltimore  Oriole 

Macgillivray's  Warbler.. . 

Bonaparte's  Gull 

Redbreasted  Nuthatch... 
Pine  Siskin  .  .  .' 


Bartramian  Sandpiper. .  . 

Kingfisher 

Humming  Bird,  sp.  ? 

Crow 

Gray  Gyrfalcon 

American  Hawk  Owl.  .  ,  . 

Cooper's  Hawk 

Wood  Pewee 

Myrtle  'Warbler 

Gray-cheeked  Thrush...  . 

Goldfinch 

Black-poll  Warbler 

Magnolia  Warbler. 

Horned  Grebe 

Arctic  Tern 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet . 


June 

July 

Aug. 


11 
11 
11 

12 
12 

12 
12 
12 
12 
12 
12 

14 

14 
14 
15 
IS 
IS 
17 
18 
18 
18 
18 
18 
18 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 
20 

24 
24 
24 
27 
27 
27 
27 
30 
30 
31 
4 
IS 
17 
17 

10 
10 

S 


May  20 

■'  26 

'  10 

'  26 


June  1 1 
Mav    26 


May  30 
'  26 
"  26 
'      30 


Mav   30 
"■     26 


June     3 
June  14 


June   19 


Mav    26 


May 

June 
May 
June 
May 


June  19 
■'       14 


May 

July 
Apr. 


Mav 


June 


Does  it 
Breed 


Yes 


no 
ves 


? 
ves 


no 
yes 


yes 


ves 
? 


yes 
ves 


Remarks 


sparrow 


Quite  common. 

Very  rare. 

Our      most      beautiful 

songster. 
Quite  common. 
Very  common. 
Very  scarce. 
A  migrant  only. 
Quite  common. 
Very  rare  here. 
Quite  common. 
Nest  with  3  young  in  old  Robin's 

nest. 
About  40  to  the  square  mile  in 

the  woods. 
Our  most  common  Flycatclier. 
Quite  common. 
But  one  seen. 
Quite  common. 
Very  numerous. 
Very  nvimerous. 
Our  most  common  Tlirush. 
Common  in  spring. 
Our  most  common  Vireo. 
Quite  common. 
Found  nest  in  1907. 
Very  numerous. 
Seen  but  once. 
Seen  but  once. 
Seen  but  once. 

Breeds  within  a  few  miles  (>f  here. 
Seen  but  once. 
Quite  common. 
Seen    quite    often,    but    breeding 

doubtful. 
Seen  but  once. 
Very  common. 
Not  very  common. 
Quite  common. 
Found  nest:  quite  common. 
Very  common. 
Set  of  eggs  taken. 
Very  abundant. 
Quite  common. 

Common  in  more  settled  parts. 
Not  very  common. 
Seen  but  once. 
Saw  but  3  during  summer. 
Probably  nests  here:  are  here  all 

summer. 
Saw  but  one  pair. 
Seen  but  once. 
Seen  but  once. 
Rare. 
Rare. 
Common. 
Rare. 
Common. 
Common. 
Seen  but  once. 
Common. 
Common. 
Common . 
Common. 
Common. 
One  pair  nesting. 


This  i,s  a  valuable  avifaunal  list,  from  a  region  from  which  lists  are 
lew    and    far   between.      That    some    species,    given   as   common    winter 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  127 

residents  are  given  so  late  for  1907  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Stansell 
only  arrived  at  Stony  Plain  about  April  1st  of  that  year.  And  if  some 
birds  marked  as  common  have  onty  been  seen  late  in  the  year  for  the 
first  time,  that  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  little  leisure  time  that  Mr.  Stansell 
has  from  his  work.  That  section  is  no  doubt  an  interesting  one  from  an 
ornithological  point  of  view,  as  witness  the  breeding  there  of  the 
Bohemian  Waxwing,  Evening  Grosbeak,  etc.,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
Mr.  Stansell  will  hereafter  regularly  send  in  bird  news  to  the  Naturalist 
and  thus  further  elucidate  the  conditions  of  bird-life  there.  A  number 
of  the  species  enumerated  in  this  list  will  eventuall}'^,  no  doubt,  prove  to 
be  the  western  subspecies  of  the  ones  named,  and  perhaps  Bonaparte's 
Gull  will  turn  out  to  be  Franklin's  Gull. 

G.  E. 


THE  SO-CALLED  WHITE  WILD  OATS  AND  WHAT 

THEY  ARE. 
By  Norman  Criddle,  Treesbank,  Man. 


There  has  been  considerable  apprehension  among  farmers 
within  recent  years,  through  the  discovery  of  white  oats  which 
resemble  in  their  nature,  or  seed  form,  the  wild  species  Avena 
jatiia.  These  oats  were  first  brought  into  prominence  some  two 
or  three  years  ago  by  the  different  agricultural  institutions  of 
the  country  whose  experts  found  it  advisable,  pending  investi- 
gation, to  class  them  as  "wild  oats"  when  judging  grain  for 
seed  purposes,  and  to  condemn  the  sample  in  which  they  were 
found.  As  this  type  of  oats  has  become  better  known,  and 
carefully  looked  for,  examples  have  been  found  in  nearly  every 
variety  "of  cultivated  oats,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are 
-  probably  very  few  that  are  entirely  free  from  them,  either  black 
or  white. 

As  the  problem  of  what  these  oats  were  and  how  they  were 
going  to  affect  the  interests  of  grain  growers  became  a  prominent 
one  economically,  and  as  it  also  became  an  interesting  subject 
botanicallv,  I  devoted  some  time  to  it  during  the  last  three 
years  with  the  result  that  I  am  now  in  a  position  to  throw  some 
light  upon  the  question. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  attracts  attention  to  these 
so-called  "white  wild  oats"  is  their  close  resemblance,  in  the 
seed  form,  to  the  variety  from  which  they  were  selected.  There 
is,  however,  one  striking  difference,  namely,  in  every  case  the 
supposed  wild  oat,  or  as  I  shall  term  it  in  future,  the  sport,  is 
always  awned  with  a  strong  twisted  black  and  white  awn,  and 


*This  does  not  refer  to  albino  wild  oats  which  can  a' ways  be   recog- 
nized by  their  close  resemblance  to  the  black  ones. 


128  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

it  has  also  the  horse-shoe  shaped  base  so  characteristic  of 
A.  fatua.  Thus  it  resembles  in  colour,  shape  and  size  the  variety 
from  which  it  originated  and  in  other  respects  the  wild  species, 
excepting  that  the  basal  hairs  are  absent  or  nearly  so. 

The  growing  plant  is  also  an  exact  counterpart  of  its 
parent.  Those  selected  from  "Banner"  oats  have  the  spreading 
head,  while  the  "Storm  King"  sports  are  side  oats  and  show 
the  strong  stems  and  massive  grains  of  that  variety  so  that 
they  could  not  be  separated  by  the  plants  if  it  were  not  for  the 
long  awns  sticking  out  of  the  head.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
examine  manv  different  kinds  of  oats  but  what  I  have  gone 
over  carefully — "Banner,"  "New  Market,"  "Abundance," 
"Storm  King"  and  "Bumper  King" — have  all  contained  some 
proportion  of  sports,  "New  Market"  and  "Storm  King"  showing 
the  most. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  these  sports  breed  true  to 
type  apparently  without  exception,  and  further  that  absolutely 
pure  seed  is  always  Hable  to  produce  them,  the  parent  from 
which  they  spring  being  eavsily  recognizable  in  the  offspring. 
There  is  one  other  feature  of  importance  from  an  agricultural 
point  of  view,  namely  the  retarded  germination  so  characteristic 
of  .4.  fatua  is  not  a  character  of  these  sports,  the  germination 
being  so  far  as  experiments  have  shown  in  exactly  the  same 
proportion  as  the  parent  variety,  so  that  the  apprehension  that 
they  might  become  a  bad  weed  seems  to  be  groundless.  Whether 
they  will  prove  troublesome  on  account  of  their  awns  remains  to 
be  seen,  but  the  chances  are  against  this  being  the  case,  as  sports 
have  probably  occurred  for  ages  past  in  oats  but  have  been  over- 
looked. 

It  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  theory  as  to  the 
cause  of  these  sports;  but,  granting  that  the  original  type,  from 
which  cultivated  oats  were  first  selected,  was  heavily  awned 
and  had  the  basal  characters  of  Avena  fatua,  we  might  surmise 
that  thev  are  retrogressions  in  the  features  noted  to  the  original 
progenitors  of  present  day  oats. 

It  seems  strange,  however,  that  this  probable  form  of 
atavism  should  be  active  in  all,  or  nearly  all,  breeds  of  oats  and 
that  both  types — A  saliva  and  .4.  orieninlis — should  be  equally 
active  in  producing  sports. 

I  have  not  attempted  to  go  into  the  matter  of  the  true 
nature  or  cause  of  what  I  have  termed  sports  in  this  paper,  as 
to  whether  they  have  relation  to  the  De  Vries  mutations,  or 
whether  any  other  facts  or  hypotheses  are  able  to  explain  them. 
This  is  outside  my  province  and  may  be  safely  left  to  men  more 
capable  of  looking  into  such  matters. 


I 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  129 

"SNOW-WORMS." 
By  Arthur  Gibson. 


An  interesting  occurrence  of  these  so-called  worms  was 
brought  to  the  writer's  attention  in  February  last.  Mr.  Lawrence 
W.  Watson,  of  Charlottetown,  P.E.I.,  sent  to  me  some  living 
specimens  of  coleopterous  larvae,  with  the  statement  that  they 
were  abundant  in  a  field  which  was  covered  with  ice  of  several 
inches  thickness.  In  a  second  letter  dated  March  5th,  Mr. 
Watson  says:  "I  am  now  able  to  give  you  further  particulars 
concerning  the  larvae  of  which  I  wrote  to  you  a  short  time  ago. 
The  first  lot  of  specimens  were  collected  on  February  14th. 
February  11th,  and  12th  were  fine,  cold  days.  On  February 
13th  we  had  a  thaw  followed  by  cold,  and  strong  wind.  February 
14th  was  very  cold.  The  second  appearance  w^as  on  Februar}^ 
23rd.  On  the  20th  there  was  rain,  but  frost  at  night;  21st  and 
22nd  were  fine,  cold  daA^s.  On  the  23rd  it  was  cold  and  there 
were  some  snow  flurries.  Upon  this  occasion  the  larvae  were 
not  so  numerous.  On  the  former  appearance  there  were  about 
two  or  three  to  the  square  foot  of  ground;  upon  the  second 
occasion  the}^  were  more  scattered.  To-day  they  are  very 
numerous  and  occur  more  in  bunches.  March  2nd  was  mild 
with  snow  at  night.  The  3rd  was  fairly  mild;  yesterday  we  had 
a  "silver  thaw."  To-day  it  is  mild.  In  every  case  the  larvae 
were  found  in  fields  and  50  or  100  yards  from  trees.  They  were 
not  seen  on  bare  ground,  always  on  ice  or  snow  of  a  depth  of 
two  to  six  inches.     To-day  they  are  very  active  on  snow." 

Some  of  the  larvae  sent  bv  Mr.  Watson  were  fon\'arded  to 
Dr.  L.  O.  Howard,  thfe  United  States  Entomologist,  at  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  As  Dr.  Howard's  letter  in  reply  gives  much  interest- 
ing information  I  quote  it  in  full: — 

"The  larvae  sent  by  vou  with  your  letter  of  February'  26th, 
and  which  were  found  alive  on  ice  at  Charlottetown,  Prince 
Edward  Island,  are  what  are  known  as  'snow-worms.'  These 
are  the  larvae  of  the  Lampvrid  (Telephorid)  genus  Telephorus, 
commonly  called  soldier  beetles.  They  hibernate  in  the  ground 
among  the  roots  of  grasses  and  when,  in  wintertime,  a  peculiar 
combination  of  climatic  conditions  prevails — melting  snow,  the 
ground  soaked  with  water,  the  temperature  above  freezing 
point— the  larvae  appear  above  ground,  often  in  enormous 
numbers  of  specimens,  and  crawl  about  on  the  surface  of  the 
snow.  Such  climatic  conditions,  however,  do  not  occur  every 
vear,  and  consequently  the  interesting  phenomenon  of  seeing 
multitudes  of  snow- worms  is  by  no  means  a  common  one. 
However,  single  specimens  of  Telephorus  larvae  may  be  seen 
everv  vear  on  the  surface  of  snow. 


130  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

"The  snow-worm  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington  and  at 
Detroit,  Mich.,  is  the  larva  of  Telephorus  hilineatus  which  is  also 
a  common  species  throughout  Canada.  You  will  find  figures 
of  both  larva  and  imago  of  this  species  in  Riley's  Fourth  Missouri 
Report,  page  29.  The  genus  Telephorus  contains  many  closely 
allied  species  and  it  is  possible  that  some  of  them  may  have  the 
same  habit  as  T.  bilineatus." 

Occurrences  of  Telephorid  larvae  on  snow,  similar  to  the 
above,  have  occasionally  been  recorded  in  the  United  States. 
Dr.  Lintner,  the  late  State  Entomologist  of  New  York,  in  his 
Eighth  Report  (1891)  refers  to  a  remarkable  appearance  of  the 
larvae  of  Telephorus  which  were  thought  to  be  the  species 
bilineatiis.  In  this  instance  the  larvae  occurred  at  Center,  N.Y., 
in  millions  about  February  10th  during  a  rain.  The  snow  was 
literally  alive  and  black  with  the  "worms,"  for  a  distance  of 
about  half  a  mile  long  and  about  twelve  rods  wide,  while  beyond 
this  strip  the  larvae  were  abundant  in  every  direction,  but  to  a 
less  extent.  They  were  active  on  the  snow  for  a  few  days.  In 
the  article  on  these  insects  Dr.  Lintner  says:  "The  explanation 
of  the  larvae  appearing  on  the  .snow  would  be,  that  they  were 
drawn  from  the  ground  by  the  (warm  ?)  rain,  and  with  the  change 
of  rain  into  snow,  they  continued,  with  its  increasing  depth  to 
mount  to  the  surface,  as  other  larvae  have  been  known  to  do." 

Telephorus  hilineatus  is  a  common  northern  species,  and  it 
is  most  probable  that  the  larvae  which  were  noticed  on  Prince 
Edward  Island  were  of  this  species.  The  larva  of  T.  bilineatus 
is  of  a  rich  velvety-brown  colotir;  the  body  is  narrowed  at  each 
end,  and  the  segments  are  distinctly  divided.  The  late  Dr. 
Riley  in  the  report  referred  to  above,  by  Dr.  Howard,  treats  of 
this  insect  as  an  enemy  of  the  Codhng  Moth,  one  of  the  worst 
pests  of  the  apple  grower.  It  is  also  a  well  known  enemy  "of 
the  larvae  of  the  Plum  Curculio,  when  these  enter  the  ground  to 
pupate." 

The  Telephorids  belong  to  the  family  Lampyridae,  known 
popularly  as  the  fire  flies  which  are  familiar  to  almost  everyone. 
Kehogg,  in  "American  Insects,"  writes  of  the  Lampyridae  as 
follows:  "The  light-giving  organ  is  usually  situated  just  inside 
of  the  ventral  wall  of  the  last  segment  of  the  abdomen,  and 
consists  of  a  special  mass  of  adipose  tissue  richly  supplied  with 
air-tubes  (tracheae)  and  nerves.  From  a  stimulus  conveyed  by 
these  special  nerves  oxygen  brought  by  the  network  of  tracheae 
is  released  to  unite  with  some  substance  of  the  adipose  tissut--,  a 
slow  combustion  thus  taking  place.  To  this  the  light  is  due,  and 
the  relation  of  the  intensitv  or  amount  of  light  to  the  amount  of 
matter  used  up  to  produce  it  is  the  mo.st  nearly  perfect  known 
o  physicists." 


1909j  The   Ottawa  Naturalist.  131 

THE  TRAGIC  SIDE  OF  BIRD  LIFE. 
By  H.  Groh,  Ottawa. 


Poetry  and  song  are  full  of  the  idealization  of  bird  life;  but 
even  bird  life  has  its  stern  realities.  The  following  notes  are 
gleaned  from  my  field  journal  for  the  nesting  months  of  Mav  and 
June,  and  include  all  the  nests  which  came  under  my  observation 
during  that  time,  in  one  small  swamp  within  the  city  limits. 
Their  significance,  as  bearing  upon  the  small  tendency  toward 
increase  of  our  native  songsters,  is  sufficiently  apparent  without 
comment. 

May  18.  Black  and  White  Warbler  nest-building.  Carry- 
ing dead  grass  into  a  hole  at  base  of  a  rotten  stump. 

Mav  20.  Robin's  nest  with  eggs,  in  crotch  of  a  tree  in  full 
view  of  public  road. 

May  24.     Robin's  nest  empty. 

May   25.     Black  and  White  Warbler's  nestcontains  first  egg. 
Mav  26.     Song  Sparrow's  nest  with  five  eggs. 
May  28.     Song  Sparrow's  nest  disturbed  and  eggs  gone. 
May  31.     White -throated   Sparrow's  nest,  containing  four 
eggs,  one  of  them  a  Cow'bird's. 

June  2.  Nest  of  Wilson's  Thrush  containing  three  eggs. 
June  2.  Black  and  White  Warbler's  nest  has  now  five 
eggs.  By  some  accident  the  rotten  side  of  the  stump  had  got 
crushed  down  in  such  a  way  as  to  block  the  entrance  to  the 
nest,  so  that  vesterdav  morning  the  bird  was  unable  to  enter. 
Cleaned  it  awav,  and  find  this  morning  that  she  has  returned. 

.     June  3.     Nest  of  Wilson's  Thrush  torn  from  its  place  on  a 
grassv  mound,  and  eggs  gone. 

June  7.  Black  and  White'' Warbler's^'nest  found  to  have 
been  torn  out,  and  eggs  missing. 

June  7.  The  White-throated  Sparrow  has  hatched  the 
Cowbirds'  and  one  of  its  own  three  eggs.  The  other  two  remain 
in  the  nest,  apparently  worthless.  The  Cowbird  distinctly  the 
larger  nestling. 

June  12.  Cowbird  in  White-throated  Sparrow's  nest _  has 
so  monopolized  the  attention  of  its  foster  parents,  that  it  is 
now  fullv  again  as  large  as  their  rightful  nestling. 

June  19.  White-throated  Sparrow's  nest  deserted,  but 
after'  a  minute  or  tw^o  the  parent  birds  appeared  in  the  trees 
above  the  nest,  and  by  their  chirping  showed  signs  of  concern. 
No  sign  of  either  voung  bird. 

This  last  entrv  completes  the  history^of  the  nests  discovered 
in  this  sv/amo,  with  the  single  exception  of  one  belonging  to  a 
pair  of  crows,  whose  voung  on  June  12  had  so  far  escaped  the 
fate  of  the  other  birds,  as  to  be  tr^nng  their  powers  of  flight. 


132  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

NOTES  ON  THE  BIRDS  OF  DURHAM,  ONT. 
By  W.   E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 


The  following  observations  were  made  during  a  brief  visit 
at  Durham,  covering  the  20th  to  the  22nd  of  June,  1909,  during 
which  time  I  stayed  with  Mr.  William  Mountain,  who  lives  two 
miles  south  of  the  village,  and  from  whom  I  received  valuable 
information  regarding  some  of  the  species.  Interesting  memo- 
randa were  also  received  from  Mr.  Chris.  Firth,  who  resides 
about  two  miles  east  of  Durham,  where  he  has  lived  for  a  number 
of  years. 

Durham  lies  about  28  miles  south  of  the  Georgian  Bay  and 
about  40  miles  east  of  Lake  Huron.  The  latitude  of  Durham  is 
about  44°-25' ,  and  the  elevation  is  1,500  feet,  or  about  900  feet 
above  the  lake.  The  tree  growth  consists  largely  of  hardwoods, 
such  as  maple,  elm,  oak,  and  beech,  while  the  conifers  are  chiefly 
balsam,  cedar,  and  hemlock. 

From  a  visit  of  such  short  duration  it  would  be  impossible 
to  give  a  list  of  the  birds  of  the  vicinity,  so  I  will  limit  my  notes 
to  those  that  are  deemed  of  special  interest : — 

Bob  White;  formerly  rare,  but  now  extinct;  the  last  one 
was  seen  about  10  years  ago. 

Dove;  rare,  only  one  seen. 

Goshawk;  prior  to  20  years  ago  this  bird  bred  in  the  country 
immediately  around  Durham,  but  was  not  known  to  do  so  at 
present  by  my  informants. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo;   moderately  common,  but  the  Yellow 
billed  has  not  yet  appeared.   In  1900  I  saw  two  near  Wiarton, 
but  in  my  previous  journeys  into  the  North  Bruce  Peninsula,  it 
was  not  observed. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker;  rare. 

Bob-o-link;  rather  rare. 

Meadowlark;  common. 

Cowbird;  rather  rare. 

The  total  number  of  the  various  sparrows  observed  is  as 
follows,  arranged  in  order  of  abundance: — 

Vesper 130      Savannah 21 

Chipping 80      Swamp 18 

Song 75      Junco 18 

Goldfinch 38      Chewink 12 

Indigo 38      Purple  Finch 8 

White-throated 36      Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  .        4 

Mr.  Firth  told  us  that  the  Chewink  had  arrived  about  1905. 
but   was  not   observed  previously.      I   saw  two  of  these  birds 


1909J  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  133 

near  Wiarton  in  1888,  one  in  1889,  and  noted  it  on  four  successive 
days  in  1900  all  over  the  base  of  the  Peninsula. 

The  Tree  Swallow  is  surprisingly  rare,  only  one  specimen 
having  been  seen.  The  diminution  in  the  number  of  this  species 
in  Western  Ontario  is  very  striking,  not  a  single  pair  having 
been  observed  during  the  nesting  seasons  of  1908  or  1909  near 
London.  In  the  Peninsula  they  were  abundant  in  '87,  '88, 
and  '89,  but  in  1900  most  days  revealed  onlv  two  birds. 

Rough-winged  Swallow;  we  were  surprised  to  find  two 
pairs  of  these  birds  nesting  in  a  cut  bank  in  the  village  of  Durham. 

A  single  Warbling  Vireo  was  noted  in  the  village,  but  no 
Yellow-throats  or  Blue-heads  were  seen. 

The  following  warblers  were  noted  in  the  numbers  given, 
the  order  being  that  of  abundance  as  before: — 

Black-throated  Green.  ...      25      Chestnut-sided 7 

Black  and  White 18      Ovenbird 7 

Yellow 14      Redstart 7 

Canada 13      Blackburnian 5 

Water  Thrush 11      Mourning 5 

Black-throated  Blue 10      Nashville 5 

Maryland  Yellow-throat. .        7 

Brown  Thrasher,  of  which  two  or  three  specimens  were  seen 
and  heard,  was  said  by  Mr.  Firth  to  be  a  new  arrival,  never 
having  been  observed  before  the  present  year,  although  I  have 
noted  it  in  small  numbers,  spread  well  over  the  Bruce  Peninsula 
where  the  elevation  is  about  600  feet. 

The  common  Thrush  was  the  Veery,  but  we  heard  also  two 
Hermits  and  a  single  Wood  Thrush.  The  Alder,  Olive-sided 
and  Least  Flycatchers  were  all  rare.  Crested,  Wood  Pewee  and 
Kingbird  being  the  common  ones. 


PERSONAL. 


Members  of  the  Club  and  friends  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher 
will  be  interested  to  know^  that  the  Division  of  Entomology  and 
Botany  of  the  Dominion  Experimental  Farms,  over  whicl)  he 
was  for  so  many  years  the  head,  has  now  been  separated  into 
two  distinct  Divisions,  viz.,  the  Division  of  Entomology  and  the 
Division  of  Botanv.  The  position  of  Entomologist  has  been 
given  to  Dr.  C.  Gordon  Hewitt,  and  that  of  Botanist  to  Mr.  H. 
T.  Gussow,  F.R.M.S.  Both  of  these  gentlemen  have  now  arrived 
at  Ottawa  and  are  at  present  busily  engaged  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  their  respective  Divisions.  Dr.  Hewitt  was  formerly 
Lecturer  in  Economic  Zoology,  University  of  Manchester, 
Manchester,  England,  and  Mr.  Gussow,  Assistant  to  Dr.  William 


13  4  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct 

Carruthers,  the  eminent  British  botanist.  We  are  very  glad 
indeed  to  welcome  both  of  the  above  gentlemen  to  Ottawa. 
The  Ottawa  Field-NaturaHsts'  Club  will  doubtless  receive  much 
benefit  from  their  presence. 


In   the   removal   of  the    Rev.    G.    Eifrig   from    Ottawa  to 
Addison,   111.,  the  Club  has  lost  from  the  ranks  of  its  active 
members  a  most  valued  officer  and  leader.     From  almost  the 
first  day  he  came  Mr.  Eifrig  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  Club.     As  an  ornithologist  of  recognized  standing,  he  was 
a  welcome  addition  to  our  Society,  and  during  his  stay  with  us 
he  did  splendid  work  in  encouraging  the  study  of  local  birds. 
His    papers    in    the    Ottawa    Naturalist    have    given    much 
pleasure  to  our  readers  and  we  shall  certainly  miss  his  kindly 
face  and  interesting  talks  at  our  excursions  in  the  field,  and  at 
our  meetings  during  the  winter  months.     He  has  been  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Council  of  the  Club,  being  at  the  present  time 
the  2nd  Vice-President  and  Chairman  of  the  Excursions  Com- 
mittee.    As  a  true  and  enthusiastic  student  of  bird- life  his  de- 
parture will  be  keenly  felt  by  many  members  who  followed  him 
at  our  outings.    Mr.  Eifrig  left  Ottawa  on  September  27th  to  take 
up   his  new  work  at  the   College  of  the   Lutheran   Church   at 
Addison,  111.    As  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  and  Secular  History, 
his  best  thoughts  will  be  directed  along  Hnes  of  favourite  studies. 
It  is  also  probable  that  he  will  teach  Natural   History.     The 
Addison  College  is  the  principal  one  of  its  kind  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  the  United  States.     We  extend  to  Mr.  Eifrig  our  con- 
gratulations on  this  further  recognition  of  his  ability,    and  at 
the  same  time  wish  him  continued  success  and  happiness  in  his 
new  field  of  labor.    We  hope  to  publish  in  our  pages  many  more 
of  his  interesting  papers. 

BOOK  REVIEW. 


Hygiene  for  Young  People. — A  Reader  for  Pupils  in  Form 
III  of  the  Public  Schools.  By  Professor  A.  P.  Knight, 
M.A.,  M.D.,  Queen's  University,  Kingston.  8vo.,  pp.  211. 
Toronto:  Thel:opp-Clark  Co. 

It  was  a  happy  suggestion  which  prompted  the  gifted 
Professor  of  Physiology  in  Queen's  University,  Kingston,  Dr. 
A.  P.  Knight,  to  prepare  the  handsome  elementary  guide  to 
health,  "Hygiene  for  Young  People,"  just  issued  in  Toronto, 
under  the  recommendation  of  the  Ontario  Minister  of  Educa- 
tion. It  is  published  as  a  reader  for  Public  School  use  and  for 
School  Libraries,  and  no  book  could  be  more  admirably  adapted 
for  both  purposes.  As  a  Birthday  of  Christmas  Gift-book  it 
would  be  valued  by  any  thoughtful  boy  or  girl.  A  more  attrac- 
tive and  fascinating  little  work  could  not  be  imagined,  and  it  is 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  135 

popular,  wonderfully  clear,  and  thoroughly  scientiiic,  in  its 
treatment  of  matters  of  daily  life,  regarding  which  far  too  much 
ignorance  prevails.  A  life-like  portrait  of  the  immortal  Apostle 
of  Health,  Louis  Pasteur,  forms  the  frontispiece,  while  the  text 
is  illustrated  by  sixty-six  original  drawings  and  half-tones.  The 
pleasing  cover,  the  paper,  the  clear  large  type,  and  the  whole 
get-up  of  the  book  reflect  the  greatest  credit  on  the  author  and 
publisher. 

The  author's  former  "Introductory  Physiology  and  Hy- 
giene" has  proved  its  usefulness  as  a  teacher's  manual,  and  the 
present  work  was  written  at  the  suggestion  of  a  former  active 
member  of  the  Ottawa  Field- Naturalist's  Club,  Inspector  R.  H. 
Cowley,  and  of  Inspector  W.  I.  Chisholm.  Professor  Knight  has 
long  been  recognized  as  a  leading  educationist  and  few  of  our 
Canadian  scientific  men  have  had  his  lengthy  and  rare  experience 
in  the  work  of  instruction.  Hygiene,  like  Political  Economy,  is 
too  often  regarded  as  a  dismal  science,  a  science  of  "Don'ts,"  as 
testified  by  health  notices  in  every  street  and  tram-car.  To 
make  the  subject  attractive  to  young  people  is  a  difficult  task, 
but  Professor  Knight  has  achieved  it  with  marked  success. 
More  readable  pages  could  not  be  written  than  those  on  Sunlight, 
Bathing,  the  Eyes,  Digestion,  Exercise,  Disease,  and  Clothing. 
Any  boy  or  girl  will  be  the  better  for  reading  this  bright  little 
manual  Much  of  the  sickness,  which  afflicts  our  children,  is 
due  to  ignorance,  not  only  on  the  part  of  the  sufferersbuton  the 
part  of  parents.  Yet,  even  the  most  devoted  parents  cannot 
watch  their  offspring  all  the  time.  How  valuable  then  to  interest 
the  young  in  the  subject  of  health,  treated  so  ably  in  this  book! 
The  lessons  here  taught  will  become  second-nature  in  the  child 
who  will  avoid  dangers  to  health  as  naturally  as  he  will  avoid 
a  deep  hole  in  the  side-walk.  Tennyson's  sad  lines: — 
"How  dwarf'd  a  growth  of  cold  and  night. 
How  blanch'd  with  darkness  must  I  grow." 
find  effective  antidote  in  Professor  Knight's  chapter  II  where 
the  pale  face,  the  stunted  growth  and  the  weak  frame,  charac- 
teristic of  unnatural  conditions,  especially  city  overcrowding, 
are  described,  and  the  causes  and  the  remedies  clearly  enunciated. 

Fresh  air,  cleanliness,  tobacco,  alcohol,  are  all  amply  treated 
by  the  author,  with  convincing  reasonableness.  The  important 
chapters,  XIII  and  XIV,  treat  of  the  blood  and  circulation.  It 
is  curious  that  more  than  a  quarter  of  the  blood  in  the  human 
body  is  contained  in  the  liver,  while  through  the  brain  and 
muscles  there  circulate  five  or  six  parts,  by  weight,  of  the  total 
amount,  the  bones  receiving  only  2^  per  cent,  and  the  skm 
barely  1  per  cent.  To  the  blood  is  due,  as  Professor  Knight 
points  out,  the  "pinkish  or  reddish  colour  of  the  skin,"  and  the 
fine  ruddy  cheeks  of  Canadian  girls,  as  compared  with  their  pale 
cousins  in  New  York  or  Boston,    are    partly    to    be    explained 


136  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Oct. 

by  our  colder  air.  Red  corpuscles  are  more  numerous  in  the 
blood  in  a  colder  environment,  and  people  who  live  in  the 
country  have  more  red  corpuscles  than  those  living  in  towns. 
The  number  of  these  minute  red  particles  in  our  blood  is  sur- 
prising. There  are  between  three  and  a  half  to  five  millions  of 
them  in  a  man  20  or  30  years  of  age.  Fishes,  such  as  trout  and 
cod,  have  not  half  that  number,  and  the  "cold-blooded"  sharks 
are  said  to  have  not  more  than  140,000  to  230,000  in  their  vascular 
system.  In  these  days  of  "suffragette"  assertions  and  claims, 
man  can  boast,  on  scientific  grounds,  the  superior  richness  of  his 
blood!  Man's  blood  has  12  to  20  per  cent,  more  solid  matter 
than  woman's;  but  woman's  blood  is  always  found  to  be  brighter 
in  colour,  hence  the  more  attractive  complexion  when  unim- 
proved by  alleged  artificial  aids!  Of  course  the  white  corpuscles 
of  the  blood  cannot  be  ignored,  though  they  are  not  one-seventh 
in  number,  there  being  2,284  white  to  11,306  red  corpuscles  in 
human  blood.  But  Professor  Knight  has  no  space  for  curious 
details  such  as  these;  his  object  is  more  direct  and  practical, 
and  his  wise  words  on  "How  to  breathe, "on  foul  air  in  the  house 
(p.  44),  care  of  the  hands  (p.  60),  care  of  the  teeth  (p.  76),  ears 
and  earache  (p.  84),  eyesight  (p.  92),  round  shoulders  (p.  100), 
and  clothing  (p.  105)  are  perfectly  admirable.  Food  and  milk 
form  a  special  chapter,  XVI,  but  one  cannot  look  at  a  single 
page  of  this  bright  readable  work  without  having  the  attention 
at  once  enchained.  Exercise,  clothing,  and  sleeping  ("sleep  on 
the  right  side,"  says  the  author),  and  other  vitally  interesting 
and  valuable  matters  are  explained  in  the  clearest,  simplest  and 
most  accurate  language.  Nothing  could  be  more  instructive 
than  the  strange  experiment  by  Dr.  Hodge  of  Clark  University, 
U.S.A.,  with- four  puppies,  and  Bum's  conversion  from  habits 
of  intoxication,  and  Nig's  devotion  to  the  whiskey  flask,  are 
interesting  and  pathetic  in  the  extreme.  Consumption  is  amply 
dealt  with  in  chapter  XXV,  and  indeed  all  phases  of  a  healthy 
life  and  avoidance  of  common  ills  are  clearly  and  concisely 
treated  in  this  splendid  little  work,  in  which  we  have  not  found 
a  single  misprint  or  typographical  error.  The  only  suggestion 
which  a  critic  might  make  would  be  the  addition  of  an  explana- 
tion that  whereas  arteries  carry  arterial  blood  and  veins  carry 
venous  blood,  as  stated  on  page  97,  the  reverse  is  the  case  in  the 
lungs,  in  which  the  pulmonary  arteries  carry  venous  blood  and 
the  veins  carry  from  the  lungs  bright,  arterial  blood. 

Thirty  years  ago  a  clever  English  lady,  Mrs.  Catherine  M. 
Buckton,  the  first  lady  ever  elected  to  a  School  Board,  wrote  a 
small  handbook  entitled  "Health  in  the  House,"  and  it  was 
such  a  success  that  edition  after  edition  was  exhausted  in  a  few 
years.  May  Professor  Knight's  valuable  book  as  rapidly  secure 
a  wide  circulation  and  succe5«k'e/«.^ ^editions  be  called  for  by 
the  Canadian  public !        /\0^1r^^  "X    E.E.   Prince. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,   NOVEMBER,   1909  No.  8 


NEW  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  CANADIAN  BRYOLOGY. 


By  N.  Conr.  Kindberg,Ph.D.,  Upsala,  Sweden. 


The  collector  of  the  specimens  is  Professor  John  Macoun,  M.A., 
F.R.S.C,  etc.,  if  no  other  is  indicated. 

L  Alsia  californica  (Hook  et  Arn.)  Sull. 

Vancouver  Island  1908,  (also  by  Dr.  Jal.  Roll  (1888). 

2.  Climacium  dendroides  (L.)  Web.  et  Mohr  *  Kindbergii 

(Ren.  et  Card.)  Grout. 
Brighton,  October,  1888. 

3.  Calliergon  subturgescens. 

Allied  to  the  last.  Resembles  C.  iurgescens  (T.  Jensen)  in 
its  jiilaceous  stem,  and  C.  scorpioides  in  its  dark  brownish 
color. 

Leaves  large,  broadly  oval  obtusate  obtuse  and  entire,  not 
decurrent,  very  densely  crowded;  only  some  branch-leaves 
curved;  alar  cells  large  and  well-defined,  other  cells  narrow 
linear;  costa  generally  indistinct. '  Perichetial  leaves  long-acumi- 
nate subulate  and  entire.  Capsule  not  large;  pedicel  about  3 
cm.  long.    Tufts  about  10  cm.  high.    Stem  weak.    Monoecious. 

In  a  pool  at  Laggan  at  5,200  feet  altitude,  Rockv  Mountains, 
Alta.,  July  25th,  1904.     No.  45. 

4.  Calliergon  subsarmentosum. 

Stem  pinnate,  brown  below  the  middle.  Leaves  golden 
glossy,  not  reddish  and  not  distinctly  decurrent,  long- lanceolate 
and  obtuse;  alar  cells  very  large  and  hyaline,  reaching  to  the 
costa;  other  cells  linear;  costa  pale  vanishing  below  (but  near) 
the  apex.  Branch  leaves  very  small.  Capsules  not  seen.  Habit 
of  C.  giganteum.    Allied  to  C.  sarmentosum. 

In  wet  earth,  Shawnigan  Lake,  Vancouver  Island,  B.C., 
June  18th,  1908. 


138  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Nov. 

5.  Calliergon  lonchopus. 

Allied  to  C.  niolle,  Dicks.  Leaves  large,  suboval  obtusate, 
often  apiculate,  denticulate  above,  not  curved,  more  or  less 
densely  crowded;  alar  cells  small  and  well-defined,  other  cells 
narrow  linear;  costa  long  and  double.  Perichetial  leaves  acute, 
very  short-acuminate,  generally  entire;  costa  double  very  long. 
Capsule  not  large,  pedicel  3  .  5  cm.  long.  Tufts  green,  decolorate 
below,  about  10  cm.  high.  Stem  wxak,  dioecious?  (Male  flowers 
not  seen). 

In  allied  European  'species  the  pedicel  is  only  8-10,  rarelv 
12-15  mm.  long. 

On  Sulphur  Mountain  at  Banff,  Alta. ,  September,  1904. 
Nos.  351  and  355. 

6.  PlAGIOTHECIUM    UNDULATUM    *    P.    SUBNECKEROIDEUM. 

Differs  in  the  leaves  being  less  crowded,  rather  distant,  and 
long-decurrent  (as  in  P.  neckeroideum)  ;  also  leaves  obtusate, 
mostly  obtuse.  Capsules  not  seen.  In  P.  undulatuni  and 
neckeroideum  the  leaves  are  acuminate  or  at  least  acute. 

On  earth,  Newcastle  Island,  Departure  Bay,  Vancouver 
Island,  B.C.,  July  10th,  1908.     Coll.  John  Macoun. 

7.  Camptothecium  nitens  var.  microtheca,  Kindb.  n.  var. 

Capsule  small.  Perichetial  leaves  hyaline,  not  filiform- 
pointed.  Stem  not  or  (rarely)  sparingly  tomentose.  Resembles 
the  arctic  form  "atrichum,  Kindb."  in  not  often  having  a 
tomentose  stem. 

Collected  in  a  bog  along  Hunker  Creek,  near  Dawson, 
Yukon,  July  27th,  1902.     No.  267. 

8.  Camptothecium  nitens  var.  leucobasis,  Kindb.  n.  var. 

Upper  leaves  green,  lower  decolorate  (dusk}-) ;  basal,  also 
the  alar  cells  hyaline.     Stem  not  tomentose. 

Collected  in  a  bog  bv  Hunker  Creek,  near  Daw^son,  Yukon, 
July,  1902.      No.  349. 

9.  IsoTHECiUM  aggregatum   (Mitten)  Kindb. 

specimens  probably  belonging  to  this  species,  insufficiently 
described  by  Lesq.  and  James,  were  found  near  New  West- 
minster, B.C.,  by  Mr.  Albert  Hill  in  1903  and  1904,  com.  by 
Messrs.  Brotherus  and  Cufino.  This  species  differs  from  the 
others  named  by  me  "Myura,"  in  long-decurrent  leaves. 

10.  Eurhynchium  glaciale   (Bryol.  eur.)  Kindb.,  var. 

angustifolium,  new  variety. 
Leaves  narrower,   ovate-oblong  or  ovate-lanceolate:   costa 
short.     Otherwise  not  differing.     Pedicels  faintly  rough. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  139 

Fruiting  on  stones  in  a  brook  at  Laggan,  eastern  slope  of 
Rocky  Mountains,  Alta.  Altitude  5,200  feet.  June  27th,  1904. 
No.  152  in  part. 

11.  EURHYNCHIUM   GLACIALE  *  INFRAALPINUM. 

Differs.  All  leaves  serrate,  less  crowded  and  longer- 
decurrent.  Stem-leaves  longer-costate.  Perichetial  leax'es 
defiexed.  Pedicel  of  capsule  very  rough.  Leaves  small.  Capsule 
not  seen. 

Cape  Breton  Island,  at  the  base  of  trees,  1898. 

12.  EURHYNCHIUM    TRACHYPODIUM     (FUNCK.)    KiNDB. 

Collected  on  rocks  on  Yoho  Pass,  western  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  B.C.  Altitude  5,500  feet.  September  2nd,  1904. 
No.  230. 

13.  Brachythecium  pseudo-chloropterum. 

Leaves  long-decurrent,  recurved  below  to  the  middle, 
serrulate  all  around,  nearly  gradually  tapering  from  a  subovate 
base  to  a  rather  longish  acumen,  not  or  indistinctly  striate, 
nearly  crowded  not  mamillose  at  the  back,  suberect  when  drv; 
cells  small,  nearly  all  rhombic-rhomboidal  (as  in  Amblystegium) ; 
alar  cells  large,  short  subrectangular-quadrate  finally  rufesceui; 
costa  subpercurrent  or  sometimes  short-excurrent.  Tufts  loose, 
decolorate  with  green  branch-tips.  Stem  sparingly  branching, 
6-8  cm.  high,  radiculose  at  the  base,  beset  below  with  minute 
leaves.     Dioecious.     Capsules  not  seen. 

Resembles  in  habit  Eurhynchium  chloropterum,  C.  M.'and 
Kindb.,  also  in  the  serrulate  and  punctulate,  not  large  leaves. 
It  has  rather  the  characters  of  Brachythecmm  than  Eurhynchium, 
but  definite  limits  between  these  "genera"  are  not  existing. 

In  wet  ground  in  the  valley  of  Pipestone  Creek,  eastern 
slope  of  Rocky  Mountains,  Alta.,' July  8th,  1904,  altitude  6,000 
feet.     No.  74.' 

14.  Brachythecium    rivulare    (Bryol.    eur.),   *  B. 

colpophylloides. 

Differs  from  this  species  in  the  leaves  being  narrower  and 
their  acumen  longer  and  abruptly  tapering  to  a  short  tAvisted 
point.  Capsules  and  pedicels  not  seen.  It  is  therefore  doubtful 
that  it  belongs  to  B.  rivulare;  but  the  areolation  of  the  leaves 
is  the  same. 

On  earth  in  the  Yoho  Vallev,  west  slope  of  Rocky  Mountains, 
B.C.,    altitude    7,000    feet,    September    6th,    1904.      No.  293. 

15.  Brachythecium  cirrhosum   (Schwaegr)  Schimper. 

Collected  on  Southampton  Island,  Hudson  Bay.  August 
15th,  1904,  by  Commander  A.  P.  Low.     No.  360. 


140  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  -  [Nov. 

16.  Hypnum  (Campylium)  obsoletinerve. 

Leaves  very  small  (as  in  H.  Halleri)  and  crowded,  falcate 
but  not  circinnate,  neither  striate  nor  recurved,  entire,  not  de- 
current;  insertion  often  yellowish;  cells  small  and  narrow. 
Stem-leaves  from  ovate-oblong;  base  abruptl}^  tapering  to  a 
shorter  acumen;  nearly  all  cells  narrow,  the  angular  sometimes 
suboblong,  but  special  alar  cells  not  defined;  costa  simple,  short 
and  mostly  obsolete.  Branch-leaves  smaller  with  subovate  base, 
nerveless;  all  cells  narrow.  Perichetial  leaves  hyaline,  simply 
but  very  faintly  costate.  Tufts  dense  and  not  glossy,  brownish 
below,  green  above.  Stem  thin,  irregularly  divided.  Dioecious. 
Capsules  not  seen. 

Resembles  in   habit   Hypnum  depressulum,   C.    Muell. 

On  earth  in  swampy  soil  at  Laggan,  Alta.,  altitude  5,500 
feet,  June  28th,  1904.     No.  163. 

17.  Hypnum  Kneiffii,  Schimper,  *.  micropterum. 

Leaves  short-decurrent  with  a  few  dilated  cells  below  the 
insertion,  alar  cells  small  or  indistinct;  other  cells  narrow 
linear.  Habit  of  H.  vernicosum.  Otherwise  as  H.  Kneiffii. 
Capsules  not  seen. 

On  wet  earth,  Yoho  Valley,  west  slope  of  Rocky  Mountains, 
B.C.,  September,  3rd,  1904.     No.  296. 

18.  PsiLOPiLUM  tschutschicum   (C.  M.)  Kindb. 

Capsule  narrow  subcylindric  and  slightly  curved,  finally 
blackish,  longer  than  in  Psilopilum  IcevigaHim  (Wahlenb.) 
Limpr.  Peristome  finally  fuscescent.  Spores  0,  020-0,  025  mm. 
Basal  leaf-cells  very  large. 

A  common  species  on  clay  banks  of  Hunker  and  Bonanza 
Creeks,  in  July,  1902.  In  fine  fruit  late  in  July  on  Hunker 
Creek,  Yukon. 

19.  Polytrichum  apiculatum. 

Differs  from  our  allied  species  in  the  minutely  apiculate  lid 
of  the  capsule.  Leaves  rigid,  short-acuminate  acute,  nearly  plane 
below  the  middle;  apical  cells  of  lamellae  papillate,  awn  red  and 
rough,  Perichetial  leaves  hyaline;  costa  brown.  Capsule  narrow 
4-angled  with  distinct  apophysis;  pedicel  3-5  cm.  long.  Stem 
simple,  scarcely  1  cm.  high. 

Along  Molar  Creek,  eastern  slope  of  Rocky  Mountains,  Alta., 
altitude  6,500  feet,  July  8th,  1904.     No.  96. 

20.  Fissidens  osmundoides,  var.  obliquus. 

Capsule  asymmetric;  pedicel  6-8  mm.  Leaves  generally 
opaque.     Stem  without  rhizoids. 

Growing  on  old  stumps  and  earth  and  roots  where  floods 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  141 

occur  in  spring.  On  old  stumps  at  Sicamous,  B.C.,  July  3rd, 
1889.  Placed  under  F.  osmundoides  in  Part  VI.  On  dead  cedar 
roots  Island  Lake  and  on  earth  at  White  Trout  Lake,  Algonquin 
Park,  July,  1900;  on  roots  and  earth  by  Lake  Deschenes,  above 
Britannia,  October  27th,  1900.  These  specimens  were  named 
F.  Garberi  in  Part  VII,  p.  204.  On  an  old  stump  at  Hull,  Que., 
October  27th,  1907. 

21.  FissiDENS  BusHii,  Card,  et  Ther. 

Owen  Sound,  Ont.,  6th  Sept.,  1890.    New  to  Canada. 

22.  FiSSIDENS    RUFULUS,    LiNDB. 

On  rocks  b}'  a  small  waterfall  in  a  brook  near  the  Biological 
Station,  Departure  Bay,  Vancouver  Island,  Juh^  3rd,  1908. 
New  to  Canada. 

23.  FiSSIDENS    (Conomitrium)   Julianus    (Savi),   var.   ameri- 

CANUS. 

Leaves  tapering  to  an  acute,  often  subulate  acumen. 
Ontario,   Hastings  Co.,  Canadian  Musci,  n.   54    ("Conomi- 
trium Hallianum,"  not  so,  named  by  me). 

24.  Tetraplodon   urceolatus    (Brid.)    Bruch.   &   Schimp. 

*   t.    submnioides,  new  subspecies. 

Capsule  small  rufescent,  scarcely  reaching  above  the  tufts; 
its  neck  scarcely  longer;  annulus  none;  pedicel  thick  yellowish, 
about  6-8  mm.  long,  not  exserted.  Leaves  entire  oval-oblong, 
often  long-acuminate;  costa  strong,  excurrent  in  a  long  point; 
as  in  T.  mnioides.    Tufts  somewhat  lax. 

In  the  true  European  T.  urceolatus  the  leaves  are  oval  and 
obtusate,  abruptly  narrowed  to  a  shortish  point;  costa  not 
distinctly  percurrent,  capsule  blackish-brown;  pedicel  nearly  in 
its  whole  length  exserted  above  the  very  compact  tufts. 

Although  the  habit  of  the  present  plant  is  very  much 
different  from  European  specimens,  the  characters  are  scarcely 
sufficient  to  distinguish  it  as  a  proper  species.  It  needs  also 
further  observation. 

Collected  in  Labrador  in  1891  by  the  late  Rev.  A.  C. 
Waghorne. 

25.  Tetraplodon  mnioides  (L.  fil.)  Br.  &  Sch  *  Breweri 

(Hedw.) 

It  seems  to  be  a  subspecies  of  T.  mnioides;  its  leaves  are 
narrower  with  a  very  long-excurrent  costa.  The  tufts  are  not 
always  "loose"  (Limpr.) 

Collected  on  Hunker  Creek,  Yukon  (No.  141),  barren  and 
loosely  tufted;  also  (No.  143)  fruiting  and  densely  tufted;  both 
in  July,  1902.     Coll.  John  Macoun. 


142  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Nov. 

26.  Tetraplodon  mnioides  *  Breweri,  var.  brevicollis, 

Differs  in  the  capsule  (as  in  T.  urceolatus  [Brid.]  Br.  &  Sch.) 
not  being  shorter  than  the  neck. 

Collected  on  Bonanza  Creek,  Yukon,  July  18th,  1902. 
Coll.  John  Macoun.     No.  144b (?) 

27.  DiCRANUM    SUBSCOPARIUM. 

Agrees  with  D.  scoparium  in  its  leaves  being  canaliculate 
and  broadly  acuminate,  thin  cells  narrow  with  large  pores,  costa 
not  excurrent,  perichetial  leaves  short -arist ate,  capsule  curved; 
differs  in  having  a  sulcata  capsule,  also  in  its  leaves  being  more 
strongly  dentate;   costa  not  distinctly  bilamellate. 

The  leaves  are  undulate,  nitid, golden  yellow  or  bright  green 
and  nearly  straight. 

On  earth  in  woods  at  Laggan,  Rocky  Mountains,  Alta.,  at 
an  altitude  of  5,200  feet,  June  28th,  1904.     Nos.  55  and  181. 

28.  DiCRANUM    STENODICTYON,    KiNDB. 

Collected  on  Bonanza  Creek,  Yukon,  'l902.  The  habit  of 
these  specimens  does  not  differ  from  that  of  the  other  species  of 
Dicranum,  as  stated  in  the  first  description. 

29.  DiCRANUM   PERICH^TIALE,   KiNDB. 

British  Columbia.    J.  M.  Macoun. 

30.  DiCRANOWEISIA  RoELLII,  KiNDB.,  VAR.  ATERRIMA. 

Differs  in  the  tufts  being  black  when  dry,  as  in  D.  crispula 
var.  airata. 

On  rocks,  7,000  feet  altitude,  at  Lake  O'Hara,  Rocky 
Mountains,  B.C.,  August  9th,  1904. 

31.  SeLIGERIA    SUBCAMPYLOPODA,    new    VARIETY. 

Leaves  entire  subUnear,  mostly  long  and  acute;  costa 
generally  percurrent,  rarely  short-excurrent.  Perichetial  leaves 
obtuse,  very  much  broader  and  shorter.  Capsule  (generally 
broadly)  piriform;  pedicel  long,  arcuate  when  moist.  Tufts 
dense,  about  0.5  cm.  high.  • 

On  rocks  at  the  head  of  Lake  Louise,  altitude  6,000  feet, 
Rocky  Mountains,  Alta.,  September  13th,  1904.     No.  7. 

32.  Grimmia  elatior,    Bruch.  *  rufescens. 

Agrees  with  G.  elatior  in  the  leaves  and  their  costa  being 
papillose,  nearly  all  the  leaf-cells  (except  the  lower  basal) 
sinuous;   leaves  large,  nearly  appressed  when  dry. 

Differs  in  leaves  being  rufescent,  often  recurved  all  around, 
with  longer  and  more  numerous  papillae,  and  a  short,  strongly 
dentate-papillose  hairpoint. 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  143 

It  is  possible  that  the  capsules,  when  such  are  found,  can 
give  better  characters. 

Collected  on  the  shore  of  Baffin  Land,  west  of  Greenland, 
August  18th,  1904,  by  Commander  A.  P.  Low.    No.  329. 

33.  Grimmia  grandis. 

Leaves  smooth,  carinate  and  ovate-lanceolate  acuminate 
acute,  wholly  recurved  at  one  side,  neither  crisped  nor  appressed 
when  dry;  the  lower  very  small;  cells  not  sinuous,  nearly  all 
short  subquadrate,  the  alar  short-rectangular,  costa  smo6th; 
hairpoint  faintly  rough  often  longish.  Tufts  loose,  in  the  upper 
part  green,  fuscescent  below.  Stem  to  5  cm.  high,  much 
branching,  naked  below.     Capsules  and  flowers  not  seen. 

Differs  from  G.  elaiior  in  the  leaves  being  smooth,  etc. ;  in 
G.  elata,  Kindb.,  resembling  in  habit,  lower  leaf-cells  are  very 
long  and  linear. 

On  rocks  at  the  head  of  Lake  Louise,  eastern  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  Alta.,  altitude  6,000  feet,  September  13th,  1904. 
No.  17. 

34.  Grimmia   (Pseudo-Racomitrium)  elata. 

Leaves  quite  smooth  (not  papillose  as  in  G.  elaiior),  ovate 
lanceolate  acuminate-acute,  carinate,  recurved  below  to  the 
middle  on  both  sides,  neither  appressed  nor  crisped  when  dry; 
upper  cells  quadrate  not  sinuous,  middle  suboblong  faintly  (or 
not)  sinuous,  basal  long-rectangular,  alar  wider  but  generally 
short-rectangular  and  often  hyaline  in  several  rows ;  costa  smooth ; 
hair-point  long  and  denticulate.  Capsule  (old)  oblong,  not  or 
scarcely  exserted.  Dioecious.  Plants  robust,  3  cm.  high  loosely 
tufted  (but  cohering),  brownish  with  green  branch-tips.  Habit  of 
Grimmia  elatior. 

On  rocks  along  Hunker  Creek.  Yukon,  July  26th,  1902. 
No.*108. 

35.  Grimmia  ovat^formis. 

Agrees  with  G.  ovata,  Weber  &  Mohr.  Tufts  low  and  com- 
pact; .capsule  small  and  smooth  with  straight  pedicel;  leaves 
recurved,  not  large,  nearly  appressed  when  dry,  the  upper  narrow 
with  long  hairpoint. 

Differs  in  nearly  all  leaf-cells  very  sinuous,  the  alar  long- 
rectangular;   calvptra  cucullate;   dioecious. 

G.  attenuata,  C.  M.  &  Kindb.,  resembles  it  in  leaf-cells,  but 
differs  in  having  larger  leaves  and  also  looser  and  higher  tufts. 

On  rocks  at  the  head  of  Lake  Louise,  eastern  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  Alta.,  altitude  6,000  feet,  September  13th.  1904. 
No.  19. 

(To  be  continued) 


144  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Nov. 

DISCOURSES  UPON  THE  LEPIDOPTERA. 
II.     FAMILIARITY  WITH   LOCAL   FORMS. 


By  F.  H.  Wolly-Dod,  Millarville,  Alta. 


Errors  in  naming,  omitting  such  as  are  the  result  of  care- 
lessness, are  principally  due,  as  the  late  Dr.  Johnson  would 
bluntly  have  expressed  it,  to  "sheer  ignorance."  To  put  it 
more  mildly  and  explicitly,  they  are  the  result  of  unfamiUarity 
with  species. 

On  the  North  American  continent,  very  few  species  of 
lepidoptera  have  ever  been  carefully  bred  from  known  parents. 
Consequently,  reliance  has  had  to  be  made  for  separation  of 
species  upon  close  observation  of  the  insects  in  the  perfect  or 
winged  state, — the  imagines,  that  being  the  correct  plural  of  the 
word  imago.  It  goes  without  saying  that  considerable  experience 
is  absolutely  necessary  before  deductions  of  any  value  can  be 
drawn  from  appearances.  A  good  foundation  of  experience  is 
having  bred  sundry  very  variable  species  from  the  egg,  and 
observed  first  hand  the  possibilities  and  limits  of  variation  in 
different  genera.  For  not  only  different  species,  but,  in  a  general 
sense,  different  genera  also,  vary  in  dift'erent  ways.  For  instance, 
quite  a  distinct  phase  of  variation  may  be  expected  in  a 
Mamestra,  from  that  prevailing  in  a  Cucullia;  and  an  Euxoa  is 
apt  to  varv  to  an  infinitely  greater  degree  than  say ,  an  Acronycta. 
Next  in  value  of  experience  gained  by  breeding,  is  a  study  of 
long  series  of  known  variable  species  from  known  localities. 

Now,  the  value  of  deductions  drawn  from  such  a  source, 
depends,  of  course,  very  largely  upon  the  conception,  or  "eye" 
of  the  person  making  the  observations.  For  even  with  the  same 
amount  of  experience  and  material  for  deductions,  some  people 
are  known  to  possess  a  much  better  eye  for  associations  than 
others.  It  is  not  a  question  of  keenness  of  vision,  but  a  fact  that 
some  are  better  able  to  take  in  and  make  due  allowances  for 
the  general  impression  conveyed  from  colour,  etc.,  without  being 
misled  by  resemblances.  The  idea  is  perhaps  poorly  expressed, 
but  it  is  undeniable  that  though  "an  eye  for  a  species"  can  be 
cultivated,  it  cannot  be  acquired  where  it  does  not  naturally 
exist.  The  late  Mr.  A.  R.  Grote,  when  it  is  considered  what  scant 
material  he  had  from  which  to  make  deductions  on  North 
American  forms,  must  be  admitted  to  have  had  an  excellent 
eye  for  a  species.  The  same  cannot,  unfortunately,  be  said  of 
Mr.  Francis  Walker,  curator  of  the  British  Museum  of  Natural 
History  in  the  fifties  and  sixties.  Nor  can  the  two  men  be  com- 
pared in  the  amount  of  care  they  took  in  comparison. 

But  to  return  to  the  basis  for  deductions.     Observations  of 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  145 

the  insects  in  a  state  of  nature,  living,  in  their  environment, 
their  manner  and  hours  of  flight,  their  preference  for  certain 
foods,  their  attitude  when  at  rest,  and,  by  no  means  least  in 
importance,  their  dates  of  appearance,  are  all  valuable  points 
to  be  observed  and  noted  in  the  forming  of  specific  associations. 
Long  series  should  be  studied,  and,  bearing  all  the  above  points  in 
view,  the  variation  noted,  every  capture  of  each  successive  season 
examined  for  fresh  phases  of  variation  and  specimens  sought 
for  at  all  time  to  fill  in  apparent  gaps  in  the  varietal  gradient. 
Aim  should  also  be  made,  not  only  at  uniting  dissimilar,  but  divid- 
ing similar  forms.  For,  as  already  pointed  out,  neither  does 
dissimilarity  always  indicate  distinctness,  nor  resemblance  uniting 
of  species.  Though  the  most  expert  will  not  always  succeed  in 
thus  successfully  associating  every  specimen  that  comes  to  hand, 
it  is  astonishing  how  familiar  one  having  a  good  eye  may  become 
in  time  with  the  general  facies  of  different  but  confusinglv 
variable  species.  It  may  happen  that  he  has  grouped  several 
forms  as  probable  varieties  for  years.  i\t  last,  either  by  accident, 
by  personal  observation,  or  by  having  differences  pointed  out  bv 
another  person,  characters  considered  specific  are  noticed, 
separation  of  the  series  made,  and  though  difficulties  may  occur 
for  a  while,  in  course  of  time,  with  more  familiarity  with  the 
distinguishing  points  and  extent  of  variation  in  the  different 
series,  the  differences  may  seem  so  obvious  to  his  eye  that  he 
will  wonder  how  he  could  ever  have  confused  them.  This  may 
truly  be  called  becoming  familiar  with  a  species  in  one  locality. 
Yet  an  attempt  to  point  out  differences  in  two  very  similar 
forms — or  they  may  be  very  dissimilar  to  his  own  eye, — ^to 
another  man,  however  good  a  judgment  or  wide  an  experience 
he  may  possess,  in  such  a  way  as  to  equally  convince  him  of 
two  species,  especially  by  the  submission  to  him  of  a  few  odd 
specimens  only,  may  fail  completely,  owing  to  the  lack  in  that 
other  man  of  familiarity  with  the  species,  or  with  its  form  in 
that  locality  at  anv  rate.  The  eye  of  the  latter  man  is  not  ac- 
customed to  the  slight,  and  possibly  to  the  former,  indefinable 
differences,  which  to  him  may  seem,  if  noticeable  at  all,  varietal. 
Too  much  reliance  should  not  be  placed  upon  the  opinion 
given  upon  local  forms  by  experts  not  actually  familiar  with 
the  form  in  that  particular  locality.  "Professor  Brown  called  a 
specimen  I  sent  him  by  this  name,  and  he  has  a  wide  experience, 
and  is  generally  accepted  as  the  leading  authoritA"  on  this  group.'. 
Precisely!  But  unfortunatelv  Prof.  Brown  does  not  happen  to 
be  familiar  with  the  form  as  it  occurs  in  that  locality,  and  is 
uqite  likely  to  have  been  misled  into  entirely  wrong  associations 
by  the  specimen,  or  it  may  have  been  the  few  odd  specimens 
submitted  to   him.      Dr.   Jones  is   after  all  just   as  much   of  a 


146  The   Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Nov. 

specialist  in  that  particular  family,  and  he  called  the  same 
thing  by  quite  a  different  name  last  year.  In  fact,  Mr.  Robinson, 
who  was  here  only  last  week,  gave  the  species  yet  a  third  name, 
claiming,  from  information  based  on  careful  notes  and  personal 
inspection  of  the  type  of  that  species,  that  the  form  was  perfectly 
typical.  By-the-way,  that  same  Mr.  Robinson  wrote  a  day  or 
two  later  cancelling  his  self-chosen  name,  and  saying  that  he 
had  this  time  found  the  real  thing  in  another  collection!  The 
truth  is  that,  like  Prof.  Brown,  neither  Dr.  Jones  or  Mr.  Robin- 
son, however  wide  experience,  good  eye,  or  knowledge  of  types 
they  may  possess,  are  not,  nay  cannot  be,  familiar  with  that 
particular  species,  or  at  any  rate  in  that  particular  locality, 
and,  assuming  that  they  have  taken  the  trouble  to  examine  the 
thing  closely,  have  been  misled  by  general  resemblances,  or 
have  entirely  different  conceptions  of  the  probable  range  of 
variation  in  that  district.  You,  the  collector  on  the  spot,  have 
the  best  chance  of  associating  or  separating  allied  forms  occurring 
in  your  own  district,  and  if  Messrs.  Brown,  Jones  or  Robinson 
have  given  you  the  same  name  to  what  you  feel  convinced  are 
different  species,  or  vice  versa,  it  lies  with  you,  if.  you  will,  to 
assist  them,  by  a  few  notes  or  otherwise,  into  seeing  the  error 
of  their  ways.  Recollect,  however,  that  until  things  have  1  een 
bred  and  carefulty  studied  in  different  stages  in  different  districts 
and  probably  even  then,  differences  of  opinion  are  sure  to  occur 
in  some  cases,  particularly  as,  of  many  species,  it  is  impossible 
to  exactly  match  in  every  particular,  two  specimens  in  several 
hundred. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM  THE  HERBARIUM  OF  THE 
GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 


By  James  M.  Macoun. 


Calochortus  Lyallii,  Baker. 

This  beautiful  little  species  was  found  growing  in  abundance 
on  an  open  hilltop  at  an  altitude  of  3,500  ft.  near  the  Similkameen 
River,  B.C.,  June  14th,  1905.  No.  70,212.  (/.  M.  Macoun). 
New  to  Canada. 

Sph^ralcea  munroana,  (Dougl.)  Spach.  '  't: 

Malvastrum  Munroanum,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  I:  87. 

Prof.  Macoun  wrote  27  years  ago:  "To  be  looked  for  along 
the  southern  boundary  of  British  Columbia."     This  beautiful        .^ 
plant  may  have  been  found  by  other  collectors,  but  it  has  not        ;;- 
been  reported  to  us  from  Canada.     It  grows  in  immense  clumps       > 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  147 

about  half  a  mile  west  of  Osoyoos  Lake,  B.C.,  where  it  was  col- 
lected by  the  writer,  June  17th,  1905.  Herb.  No.  73,168.  Its 
brick-red  flowers  are  quite  unlike  those  of  any  other  Canadian 
plant,  except  Malvastruni  coccineum,  in  color. 

Pyrola  elliptica,  Nutt. 

IShuswap  Lake,  B.C.  No.  15,792.  1889.  {John  Macoun). 
Kanaka  Creek,  Port  Heney,  B.C.  (.4.  /.  Hill).  Chilliwack 
River,  B.C.  No.  72,458.  {W .  Spreadborough).  Not  recorded 
in  Canada  west  of  the  Selkirk  Mts.  Apparently  a  rare  species  in 
British  Columbia  as  it  was  not  found  by  the  writer  during  five 
l^  seasons'  work  in  that  province. 

Vaccinium  Alask^nsis,  Howell. 

Along  the  Hope  trail  near  Lake  House,  Skagit  River,  one 
bush  was  found  in  1905.  Herb.  No.  72,467.  (/.  M.  Macomi). 
Not  uncommon  near  Ucluelet,  Vancouver  Island,  in  1909. 
(Macoun  and  Fraser).  Resembling  V.  ovalifolium,  but  well 
characterized  by  its  black  fruit  on  erect  pedicels. 

Hydrophyllum  albifrons.  Heller. 

H.  occidentale,  var.  Fendleri,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  V:  343. 
A  not  uncommon  species  in  the  Coast  Range  at  an  altitude 

tof  4,000-5,000  ft.  Our  specimens  are  from  Spence  Bridge,  B.C. 
Herb.  No.  16,241;  Chilliwack  Lake,  B.C.,  Herb.  No.  54,325; 
Skagit  River,  B.C.,  Herb.  No.  76.745.  (/.  M.  Macoun). 
Pedicularis  Grcenlandica.  Retz.  var.  suRRECTA,(Benth.)  Piper. 
Easily  distinguished  from  P .  Grcenlandica  by  its  long  coiled 
beaks.  Though  its  distribution  is  given  by  Piper  "British 
Columbia  and  Saskatchewan  to  California  and  New  Mexico," 
none  of  our  specimens  east  of  British  Columbia  seem  to  be  this 
variety.  It  is  represented  in  the  herbarium  of  the  Geological 
Survev  bv  specimens  from  Tulameen  River,  B.C.  Herb.  No. 
17,646.  [Dawson).  Chilliwack  Lake,  B.C.,  alt.  5,000  ft.  Herb. 
No.  54,489.  (/.  M.  Macoun).  Chilliwack  Lake,  B.C.,  alt.  5,500 
ft.     Herb.  No.  76,773.     (W.  Spreadborough). 

Penstemon  Richardsonii,  Dougl. 

A  few  leaves  of  this  species  were  collected  along  the 
Similkameen  River,  B.C.,  June  9th,  1905.  Herb.  No.  76,763. 
(/.  M.  Macoun).     Not  before  recorded  from  Canada. 

Penstemon  priunosus,  Dougl. 

Dry  ground,  Similkameen  River,  B.C.  Herb.  No.  76.815. 
(/.  M.  Macoun).     Not  before  recorded  from  Canada. 

Penstemon  pinetorum.  Piper. 

P.  ovatus,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  11,  p.  355. 


148  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Nov. 

Elk  River,  Rocky  Mountains.  Herb.  No.  17,723.  {G.  M. 
Dawson).    Only  known  Canadian  station. 

Penstemon  ovatus,  Dougl. 

A  common  plant  in  the  valleys  of  the  Chilliwack  and 
Skagit  Rivers  in  1901  and  1905.  Herb.  Nos.  76,812-813-814. 
(J.  M.  Macoun).    Previous  Canadian  records  go  to  other  species. 

Orthocarpus  pusillus,  Benth. 

Douglas,  B.C.,  April  29th,  1906.  Herb.  No.  76,832. 
(W .  Spreadhorough).  Not  before  recorded  from  British  Columbia 
mainland. 

Plantago  elongata,  Pursh. 

P.  pusilla,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PL  Vol.  I:  p.  394. 

Mr.  E.  L.  Morris  in  a  recent  revision  of  the  Plantago  section 
to  which  this  species  belongs  has  shown  that  all  Canadian  speci- 
mens are  P.  elongata.  Known  in  Canada  only  from  the  drier 
parts  of  southern  Saskatchewan  and  Alberta. 

Grindelia  perennis,  a.  Nels. 

G.  squarrosa  of  Canadian  botanists,  in  part. 

From  Manitoba  to  Alberta  and  northward  to  the  Peace 
River.  Our  specimens  of  G.  squarrosa,  from  which  G.  perennisis 
separated  by  its  narrow,  almost  entire  leaves,  are  all  from 
Manitoba  or  southern  Saskatchewan. 

Myosotis  laxa,  Lehm. 

M.  palustris,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  Vol.  I:  p.  340  in  part. 

Piper  in  his  Flora  of  the  State  of  Washington  credits  this 
species  to  Oregon  and  Washington,  but  it  is  remarkable  that  a 
plant  so  common  on  the  Pacific  coast  should  have  for  so  long 
remain  unrecorded.  No  British  Columbia  records  have  been 
made.  Our  specimens  are  from:  Ladner's  Landing,  Eraser 
River,  B.C.,  No.  17,136.  (Jas.  Fletcher).  New  Westminster, 
B.C.,  No.  692,  and  Lulu  Island,  Eraser  River,  B.C.,  No.  17,135. 
(John  Macoun).  Lake  House,  Skagit  River,  B.C.,  No.  76,760. 
(/.  M.  Macoun).  Chilliwack  River,  B.C.,  No.  76,759,  and 
Douglas,  B.C.,  on  the  coast,  No.  76,758.  (Wm.  Spreadhorough). 
Prof.  Macoun  also  reports  having  found  this  plant  on  both  the 
east  and  west  coasts  of  Vancouver  Island. 

Abronia^umbellata,  Lam. 

Abundant  along  the  sea-shore  at  Pachena  Bay,  west  coast 
of  Vancouver  Island.  Collected  Sept.  10th,  1909,  by  Mr.  George 
Eraser.  This  is  the  first  Canadian  record  for  this  species,  the 
specimens  collected  by  Dr.  Eletcher  and  recorded,  Macoun.  Cat. 
Can.  PI.  Vol.  I:  p.  395,  as  A.  umhellata  being  the  next  species. 


1909] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


149 


Abronia  latifolia,  Esch. 

Found  by  many  collectors  in  the  vicinity  of  Victoria, 
Vancouver  Island.  Very  fine  specimens  of  this  species  were 
collected  on  the  west  coast  of  Vancouver  Island  at  Long  Beach, 
north  of  Ucluelet  by  Mr.  Wm.  Spreadborough  in  1909.  Roots 
were  found  which  in  their  dried  state  are  three  inches  in 
diameter,  they  were  nearly  six  inches  in  diameter  when 
collected. 


BIRD  MIGRATION,   1908. 

Observations  Made  on  Sable  Island,  Nova  Scotia. 

By  R.  S.  Bouteillier. 


When  first 
seen. 

Semipalmated  Plover April  17 

Robin "  20 

White-throated  Sparrow "  22 

Tern "  25 

Piping  Plover May  10 

Least  Sandpiper "  14 

Roseate  Tern "  14 

Swallow "  14 

Martin "  14 

House  Sparrow "  21 

Phalerope ^ "  22 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler..  .     "  25 

Black-polled  Warbler "  25 

Maryland  Yellow-throat "  25 

Blackbird June  2 

Greater  Yellowleg July  8 

Pectoral  Sandpiper "  22 

White-rumped  Sandpiper "  24 

Black-belHed  Plover Aug.  16 

Golden  Plover "  20 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler "  15 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. ...     "  16 

Least  Tern "  16 

Blue-winged  Teal "  19 

Pine  Grosbeak "  19 

Sora  Rail "  19 

Pipet "  19 

Blackbird "  19 


Number 
seen. 
2  or  3. 
about  12. 
several, 
several. 
2. 
2. 
2. 

a  few. 
a  few. 
2. 

about  20. 
1. 
1. 
1. 
1. 
2. 
1. 

30. 
3. 

several. 
2  or  3. 
1. 

several. 
2.       . 
1. 
1. 

several. 
1. 


150 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[Nov, 


Nuthatch Aug. 

House  Wren " 

Pied-billed  Grebe Oct. 

American  Bittern " 

Snow  Bunting " 

Black  and  White  Warbler :  .     " 

Flicker " 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker " 

Fox  Sparrow " 

American  Hawk  Owl 

Wilson's  Thrush 

Great  Blue  Heron " 

American  Goldeneye " 

Ring-billed  Gull Nov. 

Northern  Shrike " 

Brant " 

Baldpate " 

Bufflehead " 

Scoup  Duck Dec. 

Snowv  Owl " 


19  1. 

19  1. 

4  1. 

4  1. 

4  several. 

4  1. 

8  1. 

9  1. 

9  several. 

9  1. 

22  in  numbers. 

28  1. 

28  several. 

3  1. 

4  1. 
7  1. 
7  4. 

7  several. 

1  in  numbers. 

15  2. 


ANT  ROADS. 


By  Charles  Macnamara,  Arnprior,  Ont. 

Ant  roads  are  probably  not  uncommon  in  this  country,  but 
as  they  are  generally  hidden  by  the  grass,  and  sometimes  run 
underground  for  considerable  distances,  they  are  not  often  notic- 
ed except  by  those  looking  expressly  for  them.  Tropical  insects, 
we  are  told,  build  paths  six  inches  wide  on  which  a  man  can 
easily  walk.  Our  native  ants  cannot  boast  of  any  such  elaborate 
works  as  these,  but  they  nevertheless  construct  what  are  doubt- 
less for  them  very  important  highways. 

The  prime  object  of  the  roads  is  to  make  some  food  supply 
easily  accessible,  generally  to  reach  some  shrub  or  tree  infested 
by  aphides,  of  whose  sweet  excretion  the  ants  are  very  fond. 
Such  are  the  objective  points  of  a  couple  of  these  roads  in  the 
vicinity  of  Arnprior,  built  by  an  ant  which  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson 
tells  me  is  the  Campanotus  pennsylvanicus .  The  roads,  which 
are  situated  in  a  level  open  field  edged  by  small  pines  and  spruce, 
look  like  tiny  well-worn  paths.  They  are  about  three-eighths 
of  an  inch  wide,  and  are  sunken  about  half  an  inch  into  the  soil. 
One  is  some  85  ft.  and  the  other  about  1 10  ft.  long,  and  they  run 
parallel  to  each  other  about  140  ft.  apart.     There  are  numerous 


1909J  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  151 

small  "jogs"  and  turns  in  them,  and  they  cannot  be  said  to  be 
the  shortest  distance  between  two  points,  but  their  general 
direction  is  straight  enough  from  the  nests  to  the  aphis  colonies. 
They  are  quite  smooth  and  free  from  blades  of  grass  or  other 
obstructions,  but  they  are  not  very  easy  to  trace  as  the  long  grass 
conceals  them,  and  occasionally  they  disappear  entirely  in  a 
tunnel  a  few  inches  long.  In  fine  weather  traffic  on  them  is  \ery 
active,  and  numerous  parties  of  workers  are  continually  running 
to  and  fro. 

Before  I  regretfully  tore  one  up  in  tracing  it  to  the  nest, 
thirteen  feet  of  the  longer  road  mentioned  above  was  entirely 
subterranean,  being  tunnelled  at  a  depth  of  about  an  inch  under 
the  sod  .  My  brutal  devastation  of  their  work  at  first  caused 
great  excitement  among  the  ants,  but  before  I  had  left  the  ravag- 
ed scene,  the  workers  had  begun  repairs  in  the  most  philosophic 
manner,  and  w^hen  I  revisited  the  spot  a  week  or  two  later,  the 
road  was  all  clear  and  smooth' again.  Indeed,  their  determination 
to  "keep  the  line  clear"  seems  to  be  as  strong  as  it  is  in  the  most 
zealous  railway  superintendent.  When  traffic  is  brisk,  a  pinch 
of  earth  placed  across  the  road  as  a  barrier  creates  a  great  com- 
motion. There  is  a  tumultuous  running  back  and  forth  and  a 
climbing  over  the  barrier  and  around  it.  But  presently  a  single 
worker,  who  has  recovered  her  equinamity  sooner  than  the  rest, 
is  seen  dislodging  particles  of  the  encumbering  earth  with  her 
jaws  and  depositing  them  in  the  grass  at  the  edge  of  the  road. 
After  a  little  she  is  joined  by  others,  and  in  a  comparatively  short 
space  of  time  the  obstruction  is  removed  and  the  road  is  clear 
again.  Any  cricket  or  grasshopper  that  blunders  on  to  the 
highway  is  promptly  attacked  and  quietly  driven  off  by  the 
menacing  jaws  of  the  ants. 


THE  NITROGEN  COMPOUNDS  IN  RAIN  AND  SNOW. 


Our  readers  inay  remember  that  we  presented  in  the  issue 
for  October  1908,  an  account  of  the  interesting  work  carried  on 
by  the  Chemical  Division  of  the  Dominion  Experimental  Farms 
in  the  determination  of  the  fertilizing  value  of  rain  and  snow. 
It  was  there  stated  that  from  the  analysis  of  each  fall  of  rain 
and  snow  it  had  been  calculated  that  during  the  year  ending 
February,  1908,  4.323  lbs.  of  nitrogen  had  been  furnished  to 
the  soil  per  acre,  and  of  this  approximately  75  per  cent,  had  been 
present  in  rain  and  25  per  cent,  in  the  snow. 


152 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[Nov. 


Reference  to  the  data  obtained  for  the  year  ending  February 
28th,  1909,  shows  that  in  certain  important  respects  the  results 
differ  markedly  from  those  of  the  preceding  year.  Thus,  the 
amount  of  nitrogen  (present  as  free  ammonia, albuminoid  ammonia 
and  nitrates)  washed  out  of  the  atmosphere  and  furnished  to 
the  soil  per  acre,  during  the  twelve  months,  was  8.364  lbs. — 
practically  twice  the  quantity  reported  the  year  1907-08.  An 
examination  of  the  monthly  precipitations  shows  that  the  rain 
for  September,  October  and  November  was  unusually  rich  in 
ammonia.  The  explanation  of  this  extraordinary  abnormal 
richness  of  the  rain  last  autumn  may  be  given  in  the  words  of 
the  Chief  Chemist,  Mr.  Frank  T.  Shutt,  M.A. :  "A  very  severe 
drought  prevailed  during  August,  September  and  the  first  three 
weeks  in  October,  1908,  the  rainfall  being  considerably  below 
the  average  for  these  months.  This  excessive  dryness  of  the 
weather  allowed  the  bush  fires,  which  are  not  unusual  at  this 
time  of  the  year,  to  spread  and  gain  very  considerable  headway. 
Fires  were  common,  not  only  in  the  district  known  as  the 
Ottawa  Valley,  but  also  over  large  territories  in  Ontario  and 
Quebec  and  the  northern  part  of  New  York  State.  These  fires 
raged  almost  continually,  the  rainfalls  being  very  light  for  many 
weeks,  so  that  for  two  months,  more  or  less,  the  atmosphere 
was  heavily  charged  with  smoke.  Hundreds  of  acres  of  forest 
were  burnt  and  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  timber  destroyed. 
So  dense  was  the  smoke  at  times  that  for  several  days  together 
at  Ottawa  it  was  difficult  to  see  clearly  for  many  yards,  and  the 
irritation  to  the  eyes  and  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose  and 
throat  was  excessive.  Not  until  the  heav}'  rain  of  the  24th  and 
25th  of  October  was  the  atmosphere  again  cleared.  This  smoke 
naturally  contained  large  proportions  of  ammonia  as  a  product  of 
combustion  and  hence  the  scanty  precipitations  that  occurred 
during  these  weeks  were  exceptionally  rich  in  that  constituent. 
To  this  cause  then  we  attribute  the  exceptional  and  phenomen- 
ally high  results  recorded  for  the  year."  H^ 

The  detailed  discussion  of  the  results,  appearing  in  the 
forthcoming  report  of  the  Chemist,  will,  we  are  assured,  bring 
out  several  other  interesting  points  regrading  the  amount  and 
composition  of  the  year's  rain  and  snow. 


NEW  MEMBERS. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  recently  been  elected  ordin- 
ary members  of  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club:  Mr.  Chas. 
H.  Bennett,  Ottawa;  Mr.  W.  H.  Bell,  Nepigon,  Ont.;  Prof.  S. 
Blair,  Macdonald  College,  Quebec;  Mr.  L.  B.  Brown,  Toronto; 
Mr.  H.  C.  Duff,  Norwood,  Ont.;  Mr.  H.  T.  Gussow,  Ottawa; 
Dr.  C.  Gordon  Hewitt,   Ottawa;    Dr.  Julius  Klotz,  Lanark,  Ont. 


THE   OTTAWA    NATURALIST. 


VOL.    XXIII.      PLATE    III 


IF.  A.  Parks,  del. 


Periglyptocrikus  priscus  Billings  sp. 

Viewed  in  the  direction  of  the  left 

postero-hiteral  ray. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.   XXIII.  OTTAWA,   DECEMBER,   1909  No.  9 


NOTE  ON  THE  ORNAMENTATION  OF   PERIGLYPTO- 

CRINUS  PRISCUS. 

By  William  A.  Parks,  Ph.D.,  Associate  Professor  of 
Geology,  University  of  Toronto. 

With  One  Plate,  No.   III. 


This  beautiful  species  was  described  by  Billings  in  Decade 
IV  of  Canadian  Organic  Remains  as  Glyptocrinus  priscus. 
Wachsmuth  and  Springer  in  their  classical  work  "The  Crinoidea 
Camerata  of  North  America,"  establish  a  new  genus,  Pcriglypto- 
criniis,  for  the  reception  of  those  forms,  otherwise  like  Glypto- 
crinus, but  in  which  the  arms  are  biserial  instead  of  uniserial  as 
in  all  members  of  the  latter  genus:  the  present  species  evidently 
belongs  to  the  new  genus. 

Billings'  description,  while  quite  accurate  except  for  the 
statement  that  the  plates  of  the  cup  are  smooth,  does  not  enter 
into  the  detail  necessary  for  the  identification  of  species  of 
Glyptocrinus  and  its  allies.  The  original  figures  also  are  small, 
indistinct  and  destitute  of  the  beautiful  ornamentation  charac- 
teristic of  the  species. 

The  description  given  by  Wachsmuth  and  Springer*  is 
couched  in  the  terminology  adopted  by  those  authors  and  is 
quite  adequate  for  the  identification  of  the  species;  the  profuse 
ornamentation  is  however  not  mentioned  nor  does  it  appear  in 
the  single  figure  which  accompanies  the  text.  The  reason  for  this 
omission  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  type  specimen  from  which  both 
Billings  and  Wachsmuth  and  Springer  derived  their  figures  is  a 
young  and  undeveloped  example.  The  fortunate  discovery  of 
two  larger  and  more  mature  forms,  which  I  cannot  but  believe 
belong  to  this  species,  justifies  some  further  remarks,  particularly 
with  regard  to  the  ornamentation  of  the  plates  of  the  cup. 

Judging  from  the  figures  of  both  authors,  the  size  of  the 
type'specimen    is  about  13  mm.  from  the  base  to  the  point  of 

*The  Crinoidea  C.-amerata  of  North  A.menca  p;  278 


154  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

contact  of  the  first  pinnules  of  adjoining  arms,  and  about  the 
same  distance  measured  transversely  at  the  point  of  origin  of 
these  pinnules.  The  larger  of  my  specimens  measures  30  mm. 
and  15  mm.  in  these  two  directions  respectively.  It  is  therefore 
apparent  that  the  mature  cup  is  more  elongate  than  the  un 
developed  form. 

In  these  specimens,  the  arrangement  of  the  plates,  the 
character  of  the  posterior  interray,  the  peculiar  manner  of 
origin  of  the  first  and  second  pinnulas  and  the  biserial  arms  with 
their  three-jointed  plumes  conform  exactly  to  the  description 
given  by  the  authors  cited.  A  further  account  of  the  anatomy 
of  the  form  is  therefore  quite  unnecessary. 

With  regard  to  the  ornamentation,  Billings  states  that  "A 
strong,  rounded  carina,  or  ridge,  runs  up  each  of  the  primary 
rays,  and,  dividing  into  two  on  the  centre  of  the  third  plate, 
sends  a  branch  up  each  of  the  secondary  rays  to  the  base  of  the 
fingers;  the  carinse  are  also  divided  on  each  of  the  basal  plates, 
and  coalesce  into  one  on  the  centres  of  the  first  primary  radial 
plates;  in  the  azygos  interradius  a  sixth  rib  ascends  to  the  top 
of  the  cup,  dividing  the  space  into  two  parts  about  equal;  it 
bifurcates  below  on  the  centre  of  the  large  azygos,  one  branch 
proceeding  to  the  centre  of  the  two  contiguous  first  primary 
radial  plates."  Billings  further  states  that,  with  the  exception 
of  these  carinae,  the  plates  are  smooth.  The  description  given  of 
the  ornamentation  by  Wachsmuth  and  Springer  is  as  follows: 
"A  small  species.  Dorsal  cup  obconical  with  slightly  convex 
sides ;  section  across  the  costals  sharply  pentagonal,  owing  to  the 
conspicuous  radial  ridges,  which  pass  from  the  arms  down  to  the 
centre  of  the  radials,  where  they  divide  and  are  continued  to  the 
basals.  The  ridges,  which  are  rounded,  grow  narrower  towards 
the  middle  of  the  plates,  widening  at  their  margins.  Surface, 
except  along  the  ridges,  covered  with  numerous  small  pustules 
without  definite  arrangement." 

All  the  above  features  are  exhibited  by  the  present  speci- 
mens, but  in  addition,  each  plate  of  the  cup,  with  the  exception 
of  a  iew  of  the  higher  brachials  and  interbrachials,  is  provided 
with  prominent  ridges  radiating  from  the  centre  to  the  sides  of 
the  plate,  where  each  is  continuous  with  the  corresponding  ridge 
of  the  adjoining  plate.  In  the  case  of  the  basals,  the  radials,  the 
first  brachials  and  the  first  interbrachials,  these  ridges  coalesce 
at  the  centres  of  the  plates,  are  remarkably  lineal  in  character 
and  are  continuous  across  the  sutures:  higher  up  they  become 
more  and  more  petaloid  in  character.  On  the  outer  sides  of  the 
main  carinae,  where  they  pass  from  the  radials  to  the  basals  after 
bifurcation,  lie  secondary  parallel  ridges,  which  do  not,  however, 
reach  the  centres  of  the  plates.     Somewhat  irregularly,  similar 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  155 

secondary  ridges  appear  across  the  sutures  between  adjacent 
radials  and  also  between  the  radials  and  the  first  interbrachials. 
The  parts  of  the  plates,  not  occupied  by  the  radial  carinae  or  the 
above-mentioned  ridges,  are  covered  by  a  delicate  granulation. 
The  prominence  of  these  ornamental  elevations  and  their  unusu- 
ally lineal  character  give  the  impression  of  a  polygon  surrounding 
each  radial,  with  its  angles  connected  to  the  centre  of  that  plate 
like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel.  Less  pronounced  ploygons  also  appear 
around  each  plate  of  the  third  circlet,  but  higher  up  the  cup, 
this  impression  is  lost  on  account  of  the  increasing  irregularity 
of  the  plates  and  the  more  pronounced  petaloid  character  of  the 
ridges. 

The  beauty  of  the  organism  is  further  increased  bv  the 
peculiar  manner  of  origin  of  the  first  and  second  pinnulas.  The 
radial  plates  bifurcate  on  the  second  primibrach  (prim axil, 
second  costal)  and  a  row  of  non-stellate  but  granulated  plates 
lies  between  the  two  divisions  of  the  ray.  The  prominent  carinae 
are  continued  up  the  secundibrachs  (distichals)  into  the  arms. 
From  each  of  the  second  secundibrach«,  lateral  branches  of  the 
carinae  pass  outwards  and  upwards  into  the  notch  between  the 
arms  of  contiguous  rays.  Wachsmuth  and  Springer  interpret 
these  lateral  extensions  of  the  carinse  as  pinnulae:  they  appear 
however  to  be  an  integral  part  of  the  plates  over  which  they  pass 
and  may  be  considered  as  the  carinae  of  tertibrachs  (palmars),  the 
continuation  of  which  into  arms  has  not  been  completed.  This 
explanation  seems  reasonable  in  view  of  the  fact  that  twenty 
is  the  normal  number  of  arms  in  the  Glyptocrinidcs.  Following 
Wachsmuth  and  Springer,  however,  the  third  secundibrach 
(distichal)  is  without  a  plume  but  from  the  fourth,  a  strong 
pinnule  passes  inwards  and  upwards  to  becom.e  confluent  with 
its  mate  in  the  depression  between  the  two  arms  of  the  same 
rav.  It  is  this  peculiar  arrangement  of  the  lower  pinnulo- which 
induces  me  to  believe  that  my  specimens  belong  to  Billings' 
species.  Were  it  not  for  this  agreement  in  a  unique  feature,  the 
difference  in  ornamentation  and  in  the  general  shape  of  the  cup 
might  be  considered  sufficient  ground  for  the  establishment  of  a 
new  species. 

Periglyptocrinus  priscus,  as  emended  above,  is  a  fairly  large 
and  unmistakable  species  and  is  the  mo.st  beautiful  form  among 
the  many  Crinoids  from  the  Trenton  Formation  in  Ontario. 

Horizon — Trenton.  ^^ 

Location — Balsam  Lake,  Ontario. 

Collector — Mr.  Joseph  Townsend. 

Specimen  Number — 649  T.  University  of  Toronto  Museum. 


156  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

THE  SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK  MIGRATION. 
By  W.   E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 

Point  Pelee  is  a  place  of  surprises.  One  never  knows  what 
to  expect,  but  can  always  feel  sure  that  there  will  be  something 
doing  in  the  bird  line,  and  frequently  that  something  is  of  un- 
expected and  absorbing  interest. 

My  visit  of  September  18th,  19th  and  20th  happened  to  be 
just  the  very  time  to  see  the  celebrated  Sharp-shinned  Hawk 
migration  from  its  inception,  and  thereby  to  realize  more  easily 
the  effect  it  has  on  other  bird  life.  When  we  arrived  on  the  17th, 
we  were  told  that  the  hawk  flight  was  not  "on"  and  on  the  next 
morning,  we  found  that  this  was  quite  true.  There  were,  of 
course,  a  few  hawks  drifting  down  from  the  north  and  crossing 
the  lake,  as  there  always  are  in  fall  but  there  were  not  a  very 
great  many,  while  on  the  other  hand  there  were  large  numbers 
of  small  birds.  We  recorded,  that  day,  68  species  of  birds,  of 
which  four  were  hawks,  and  among  these  were  100  Sharp- 
shins,  which  always  comprise  the  bulk  of  the  early  flight.  Other 
birds  were  there  in  numbers;  for  instance,  we  recorded  300 
Waxwings,  150  White-throated  Sparrows,  100  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglets,  80  Flickers  and  50  Olive-backed  Thrushes. 

The  wind,  that  night,  was  strong  from  the  west  and  the 
temperature  rather  high.  The  next  morning,  we  found  the  hawks 
very  much  augmented  in  numbers,  recording  six  species,  in  the 
following  numbers,  250  Sharp-shins,  10  Marsh,  10  Cooper's,  2 
Pigeon,  1  Duck,  and  1  Osprey.  The  results  of  the  presence  of 
so  many  »Sharp-shins  was  strikingly  visible  among  the  small 
birds,  reminding  us  forcibly  of  the  old  automobile  joke,  which 
stated  that  the  quick  were  those  that  got  out  of  the  way  of  the 
automobile,  and  the  dead  were  those  that  did  not.  Some  of  the 
birds  were  apparently  wise  and  got  out  of  the  wa}-. 

Although  the  Ruby-crowned  inigration  was  just  beginning, 
we  saw  none  after  the  first  day.  The  White-throated  Sparrows 
dropped  from  150  to  20,  and  the  Olive-backed  Thrush,  which 
divides  with  the  Cuckoo  the  doubtful  honor  of  being  the 
favorite  food  of  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  also  dropped  to  20, 
and  there  was  a  similar  diminution  in  the  numbers  of  almost 
every  species,  while  the  total  number  of  species  observed,  which 
was  68  on  the  first  day,  was  31  on  the  second  day. 

On  the  third  day  the  conditions  became  extreme.  I  was  in 
the  observatory  from  6  until  nearly  10.  The  Hawk  flight  began 
about  6.15  and  was  unabated  when  I  left.  The  rate  of  flight  can 
be  imagined  by  the  fact,  that  when  I  undertook  to  count  100 
passing  me,  the  task  occupied  only  eleven  minutes.     A  few  of 


» 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  157 

these  were  returning,  probably  one  dozen  out  of  100,  this  would 
leave  75  which  crossed  the  lake  in  1 1  minutes,  which  is  at  the  rate 
of  about  400  per  hour.  They  did  not  fly  in  these  numbers  at  all 
times  of  the  morning,  but  so  far  as  we  were  able  to  judge,  the 
flight  continued  all  day  and  we  recorded  900  Sharp-shinned 
Hawks,  50  Marsh  Hawks,  10  Cooper's  Hawks,  3  Duck  Hawks, 
and  1  Fish  Hawk.  The  total  number  of  species  seen  besides 
these  6  Hawks  was  only  13,  and  of  small  birds  that  might  be 
^  considered  legitimate  prey  for  the  hawk,  we  saw  only  50  speci- 
mens divided  among  eight  species,  so  it  will  be  seen  that  almos. 
every  species  vanished  completely.  The  supposition  is  th  t 
birds  which  lived  in  the  upper  branches  were  all  eaten,  but  t  . 
fact  that  we  kicked  out  of  the  bushes  occasional  White-throat-, 
etc.,  goes  to  show  that  ground-loving  and  shrub-loving  birds 
concealed  themselves  with  tolerable  efficacy.  A  pair  of  wrens 
scolded  me  from  a  clump  of  juniper,  but  would  not  leave  their 
shelter,  although  I  was  within  5  or  6  feet  of  them.  Two  or  three 
White-throats,  which  flew  out  of  another  juniper  clump  at  ihy 
approach,  immediately  concealed  themselves  elsewhere  and 
when,  after  watching  them  for  a  little  while,  I  moved  again, 
another  one  jumped  out  of  the  clump  within  5  feet  of  me. 

It  is  hard  to  say  just  where  these  hawks  passed  the  night, 
but  certainly  as  they  went  down  in  the  morning,  they  looked 
hungry;  all  of  them  apparently  were  hunting  for  breakfast,  and 
it  was  not  until  nearly  10,  that  a  few  of  them  appeared  with  a 
visible  crop,  showing  that  they  had  fed.  They  stooped  at  one 
another  often  and  occasionally  one  would  be  seen  in  hot  pursuit 
of  some  small  bird,  but  in  every  case  the  latter  escaped.  Many 
of  the  hawks  came  through  the  woods  and  down  the  trail  at  a 
distance  of  only  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  hoping  no  doubt  to 
surprise  their  prey. 

In  the  few  hawks  taken,  we  identified  the  remains  of  the 
Wood  Pewee,  White-throated  Sparrow  and  Olive-backed  Thrush. 
Nearly  all  of  the  feathered  clusters  seen  on  the  ground,  where  the 
meal  had  taken  place,  consisted  of  the  remains  of  the  Thrush. 

Even  mid-winter  showed  no  such  lack  of  birds,  as  these 
two  hawk-ridden  days.  The  flight  had  been  delayed  beyond  its 
usual  time  and  doubtless  this  contributed  to  a  congestion  of 
hawks,  and  the  fact  that  such  a  large  percentage  of  them  crossed 
the  water  at  once,  leads  one  to  suppose  that  their  domination  will 
be  short  this  vear.  Certainlv  they  will  not  stay  where  food  is  not 
reasonably  plentiful,  when 'by  crossing  the  lake  and  spreading 
over  the  country  they  will  be" able  to  get  their  meals  with  much 
greater  regularity  than  bv  staying  on  Point  Pelee. 

At  one  time  I  chanced  to  be  watching  a  hawk,  which  was 
about  200  vards  awav,  when,  apparently  sighting  a  small  bird  m 


158  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

a  bush  within  25  feet  of  where  I  stood,  he  set  his  wings  and  dived 
with  great  rapidity  almost  straight  for  me.  When  he  came 
within  50  yards,  his  feet,  which  had  been  kept  close  up,  were 
brought  forward  and  extended  all  ready  for  business,  but  just 
before  he  reached  the  bush  they  were  partially  withdrawn  and 
the  little  bird,  which  had  moved,  escaped. 

It  seemed  strange  to  move  around  through  the  cedars  and 
deciduous  woods  at  Point  Pelee  and  have  no  birds  within  sight, 
except  hawks.  Some  species  had  apparently  learned  their  lesson 
especially  well,  as  for  instance,  the  Carolina  Wren  and  the 
Cardinal,  both  of  which  are  common  throughout  the  year  at 
Point  Pelee.  Of  the  former,  two  of  us  recorded  four  specimens 
on  the  first  day,  but  the  latter  was  not  observed  at  all,  although 
it  must  have  been  there  in  considerable  numbers. 

It  was  decidedly  interesting  to  watch  the  few  Pigeon 
Hawks  which  were  noted,  their  graceful  swallow-like  flight  con- 
trasting strongly  with  the  alternate  flapping  and  sailing  of  the 
Sharp-shinned.  One  of  the  former  which  we  saw  flying  along 
with  the  others,  surpassed  them  considerably  in  speed  and  was 
apparently  playing  with  them  as  he  came,  darting  first  at  one 
and  then  another,  but  only  in  play,  as  his  food  consisted  of 
smaller  species,  which  are  doubtless  more  pleasing  to  his  palate. 
On  several  occasions  I,  as  well  as  others,  have  seen  this  bird 
chase  its  prey  over  the  water,  and  on  this  trip  Mr.  Norman 
Wood,  of  Ann  Arbor,  noted  the  same  thing  occurring  at  the  end 
of  the  Point.  Later  in  the  day  I  saw  a  Pigeon  Hawk  come  in 
from  the  lake  on  the  east  side.  I  watched  him  as  he  crossed  the 
field  and  lit  on  one  of  the  upper  dead  limbs  of  a  big  tree,  which 
was  fully  one-quarter  of  a  mile  away.  After  marking  the  spot 
carefully  I  inade  a  circuit  and  on  arriving,  found  him  eating  a 
bird,  which  doubtless  he  had  caught  over  the  water.  He  paid 
little  attention  to  me  and  I  was  readily  able  to  come  within  range 
behind  some  trees  and  secure  him.  Soon  after  I  had  located  his 
perch  and  started  to  hunt  him,  I  saw  another  specimen  return- 
ing from  the  lake,  but  was  unable  to  see  where  it  went  to.  These 
occurrences  lend  colour  to  the  idea  that  it  is  customary  with  this 
species  to  take  its  prey  over  the  water  when  opportunity  favours 
this  course. 

The  following  is  the  full  list  of  birds  noted  on  the  three  days 
of  the  trip : — 

September 18th  19th  20th 

Olive-backed  Thrush 50  20               4 

Wilson's  Thrush 2  1  .... 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet 100  ...  .... 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch 6  ...  .... 


1909J 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


159 


White-breasted  Nuthatch 

Winter  Wren 

House  Wren 

CaroUna  Wren 

Thrasher 

Catbird 

Pipit 

Redstart 

Oven-bird 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. . 

Black-poll  Warbler 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler 

Magnolia  Warbler 

Cape  May  Warbler 

Nashville  Warbler 

Black  and  White  Warbler 

Blue-headed  Vireo 

Red-eyed  Vireo 

Migrant  Shrike 

Cedar  Bird 

Eave  Swallow 

Red-breasted  Grosbeak 

Towhee 

Lincoln's  Sparrow .• 

Song  Sparrow 

Junco 

Chipping  Sparrow 

White-throated  Sparrow 

Vesper  Sparrow 

Gold  Finch 

Bronzed  Grackle 

Red-winged  Blackbird 

Cow-bird 

Bobolink 

Crow 

Least  Flycatcher 

Wood  Pewee 

Humming  Bird 

Swift 

Whip-poor-will 

Flicker 

Down}--  Woodpecker 

King  Fisher 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk 

Sparrow  Hawk 

Pigeon  Hawk 


2 
8 

20 
4 

15 
5 
1 

35 
4 
2 

10 
3 

r 

2 


300 


5 

5 

10 

150 

2 

8 

20 

300 

300 

200 

20 

2 

4 

20 

4 

3 

80 

1 

2 

100 

1 


1 

4 

12 

5 
1 


3 

10 

20 

1 

30 


15 

1 

5 


10 

1 

2 

250 


30 
!,000 

25 


1 
,900 


160 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[Dec. 


Marsh  Hawk 8 

Duck  Hawk 

Fish  Hawk 

Red-tailed  Hawk 1 

Cooper's  Hawk 8 

Dove 

Bald  Eagle 

Semipalmated  Plover 1 

Spotted  Sandpiper 1 

Sanderling 2 

Semipalmated  Sandpiper 1 

Least  Sandpiper 1 

Snipe 1 

King  Rail 1 

Bittern 

Least  Bittern 1 

Great  Blue  Heron 2 

Wood  Duck 30 

Blue-winged  Teal 35 

Green- winged  Teal 5 

Black  Duck 

Herring  Gull 100 

Ring-billed  Gull 400 

Bonaparte's  Gull -       1 

Coot 1 

Florida  Gallinule. .  .    8 


10 

50 

3 

.  -  .  . 

10 

10 

1 

,    , 

1 

1 

15 
100 
100 


1 

3 


50 
50 


RARE  BIRDS  AT  POINT  PELEE. 


By  W.  E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 


The  visit  of  the  enthusia.sts  to  Point  Pelee,  beginning 
October  1st,  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule  that  the  Point 
always  has  something  of  extraordinary  interest  for  the  bird  man. 

This  time  we  discovered  Henslow's  Sparrow  in  migration 
and  it  certainly  gave  one  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  to  go  to  a 
certain  field  selected  because  of  its  fitness,  for  this  sparrow  at 
this  time,  and  then  after  a  short  time,  to  find  and  secure  it. 
We  got  altogether  three,  and  those  who  are  acquainted  with  this 
bird  in  its  autumn  plumage,  will  realize  its  beauty.  The  species 
of  the  genus  Ammodramus,  perhaps  without  exception,  make 
it  a  rule  to  spend  the  winter  in  their  highest  plumage,  and  when 
they  reach  the  breeding  grounds  in  spring,  not  having  molted 
since  the  previous  autumn,  they  are  in  worn  plumage,  so  that 
the  autumn  and  mid-winter  specimens  which  I  have  taken  of 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  161 

Henslow's,  Sharp-tailed  and  Grasshopper,  are  the  highest 
plumaged  specimens  that  I  have. 

I  would  not  like  to  injure  the  reputation  of  the  members  of 
the  camp  as  wing  shots  by  stating  that  we  fired  many  times  to  get 
these  three  Henslow's,  but  certainly  we  used  more  than  three 
cartridges.  I  think  they  are  the  most  difficult  shooting  that  I 
know.  Getting  up  at  one's  feet  with  an  exceptionally  jerky 
flight,  they  travel,  perhaps  20,  perhaps  100  yards,  before  dropping 
into  the  grass,  but  there  is  no  moment  of  that  exposure  that 
they  are  not  difficult  to  hit.  The  novice  in  wing  shooting  got  two 
in  two  shots,  the  rest  of  us  got  one  in  all  the  rest  of  the  shots, 
which  were  a  good  many. 

One  of  the  rarest  hawks  in  our  collections  is  the  Duck  Hawk. 
Sometimes  at  the  Point  we  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  one  of 
these  perhaps  the  best  flyers  of  all  the  North  American  Fal- 
conidae,  but  we  have  never  taken  one  at  the  Point.  On  Sunday 
morning  I  was  early  at  the  observatory  tower  and  was  delighted 
to  see  within  100  yards,  on  top  of  the  life  saving  building,  a 
Duck  Hawk  in  young  plumage.  There  he  sat  and  waited. 
Within  30  yards  of  me  came  a  bright  plumaged  Cape  May 
Warbler,  into  a  red  cedar,  so  when  the  next  man  arrived  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  offering  him,  for  choice  of  seeing,  first  the  Cape 
May  Warbler  and  then  the  Duck  Hawk;  he  naturallv  chose  the 
Hawk,  and  I  promptly  produced  it  and  then  followed*  the 
Warbler.  When  Tavern er  arrived,  he  announced  that  he  was 
going  to  photograph  the  Hawk,  and  left  for  that  purpose. _  We 
arranged  a  code  of  signals  by  which  we  could  inform  him  if  the 
Hawk  v.-as  becoming  nervous  and  likely  to  fly,  but  we  had  no 
opportunity  of  using  them,  and  on  the  photographer's  return, 
his  remark  was,  "Well,  some  hawks  are  the  limit."  It  turned 
out  that  he  had  been  able  to  walk  in  full  view,  as  close  to  the 
hawk  as  the  slope  of  the  roof  would  allow,  perhaps  20  yards, 
and  there  set  up  his  camera,  but  in  order  to  get  a  good  photo- 
graph he  wanted  the  hawk  to  look  at  him  and  it  was  necessary 
to  throw  his  handkerchief  in  the  air  to  attract  its  attention. 
Later  on  we  were  informed  that  one  of  the  boys  nearby  had 
been  throwing  stones  at  a  hawk  on  top  of  this  same  building 
and  had  not  been  able  to  scare  it  away.  Duck  Hawks  are 
certainlv  not  given  to  this  kind  of  behaviour. 

The  Cardinals  had  not  recovered  from  their  hawk  scare, 
and  only  two  were  heard  and  none  seen  by  the  members  of  the 
partv.  Bird  feathers  were  numerous  and  varied.  At  one  place 
we  found  the  fresh  remains  of  tv/o  Thrashprs,  and  besides 
numerous  Thrushes  we  saw  feathers  of  the  Phoebe,  Whip-poor- 
will,  White-throated  Sparrow,  Sora  Rail  and  others 

For  a  Ion?  time  we  had  been  observing  flocks  of  Bonaparte  s 


162  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

Gulls.  Occasionally  these  would  fly  past  us,  within  close  range, 
but  it  remained  for  this  trip  to  disclose  to  us,  that,  sometimes 
at  least,  these  flocks  consist  in  quite  large  proportions  of  Caspian 
Tern,  and  I  selected  one  from  the  flock  in  which  this  was  first 
noted,  but  it  dropped  too  far  out  in  the  cold  water  and  the  wind 
drifted  it  beyond  my  swimming  powers.  These  birds  will  be 
looked  for  later  on,  as  they  have  been  observed  in  only  small 
numbers  before.  On  this  trip  there  was  only  the  one  occasion 
when  they  came  near  shore  and  at  all  other  times  the  beautiful 
evolutions  of  the  gulls  were  carried  on  at  considerable  distances. 
Nearly  every  person  has  seen  flocks  of  Blackbirds  and  perhaps 
Waders,  which  when  passing  within  view,  are  apt  to  dart  down 
at  an  abrupt  angle  and  then  shoot  up  again,  but  the  Bonaparte's 
Gull  not  only  does  this,  but  reverses  the  process  as  well.  While 
watching  a  flock  skimming  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  there 
could  be  seen,  one,  at  a  time,  of  these  beautiful  birds,  leaving 
the  flock  and  shooting  upwards  for  perhaps  20  vards,  at  an  in- 
credibly rapid  rate  and  then  dropping  down  to  join  the  others. 
The  effect  of  these  gyrations  is  very  beautiful  indeed;  and  only 
a  few  times  have  I  seen  anything  resembling  the  beautiful 
curving  flight  which  this  bird  used  when  a  high  flying  flock 
desires  to  come  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  They  always  make 
me  think  of  falling  leaves.  Swallows  are  the  only  other  birds 
that  I  have  often  seen  performing  in  this  way. 

The  Carolina  Wrens  which  were  observed  on  only  one  day 
on  our  last  trip,  were  again  in  evidence,. and  several  were  heard 
singing  each  day.  Tree  Swallows  were  seen  in  considerable 
numbers  on  the  1st  and  2nd  of  October.  They  were  living  out 
over  the  marsh  where  probably  they  roosted  as  well.  A  very 
few  Barn  Swallows  were  also  noted,  but  the  date  was  very  late 
for  them. 

The  nights  were  warm  until  that  of  the  5th,  v/hen  the 
theraiometer  dropped  to  42.  The  effect  was  instantaneous,  and 
the  next  morning  a  large  number  of  Blackbirds  were  added  to 
the  daily  bill,  but  their  flight  finished  early  in  the  morning  and 
it  happened  that  this  particular  morning  was  the  only  one,  on 
which  we  made  a  late  arrival  at  the  end  of  the  Point,  owing  to 
dissipation  on  the  previous  evening.  The  said  dissipation  con- 
sisting of  cartridge  loading  and  bird  skinning,  which  are  perhaps 
different  from  the  ordinary  method  of  burning  midnight  oil. 

Short-eared  Owls  were  a  feature  of  the  trip,  and  were  seen 
in  moderate  numbers  almost  everV^  dav  near  the  end  of  the  Point. 
Two  notable  Waders  were  seen,  3  Golden  Plovers  and  one  White- 
rumped  Sandpiper.  A  single  Connecticut  Warbler  was  taken 
on  October  2nd,  but  warblers  in  general  were  in  small  numbers 
and  their  flight  had  evidentlv  passed. 


.:.^^ 


1909J  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  16,3 

BOTANICAL  EXCURSIONS. 


German  Field  Methods. 
By  John  Craig,  Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.Y. 

There  are  few  places  in  central  Etirope  where  the  student 
can  spend  a  more  agreeable  summer  than  in  the  pleasant  city 
of  Freibourg,  in  the  famous  Black  Forest  region  of  southwestern 
Germany.  In  this  city  is  located  the  University  of  Freibourg, 
noted  for  its  strong  medical  staff,  and  to  the  average  American 
naturalist  remembered  as  the  institution  with  which  Weismann, 
the  eminent  zoologist  and  student  of  evolution,  has  long  been 
connected. 

It  was  my  privilege  a  year  ago  to  attend  several  of  Dr. 
Weismann's  lectures,  and  it  may  interest  readers  of  The 
Naturalist  to  hear  some  of  the  personal  features  of  these 
events.  It  is  quite  the  custom  in  Germany  for  the  chief  or  head 
of  a  department  to  give  an  elementary  course,  and  this  is  the 
case  with  Professor  Weismann.  The  number  of  advanced 
students  seem.ed  to  be  comparatively  small.  The  course  which 
attracted  the  mass  of  students  was  an  elementary  and  general 
course  in  zoology,  differing  in  no  special  respect  from  such  out- 
lines as  are  ava'lalle  in  the  best  text  books  of  the  present  day; 
but  it  was  exceedingly  popular  and  the  great  attraction  was  the 
man,  the  lecturer,  and  many  students  with  whom  I  talked  told 
me  that  their  main  reason  for  coming  to  Freibourg  was  the  fact 
that  they  would  have  the  privilege  of  studying  under  Weismann. 
Another  reason  possibly  for  the  head  of  a  department  giving 
elementary  courses  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  German 
professor's  salary  derived  from  the  university  itself  is  not  large, 
but  each  full  professor  has  the  privilege  of  charging  a  fee  to  all 
students  taking  lis  lectures  and  these  fees  constitute  the  large 
share  of  his  revenue,  therefore  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  ele- 
mentary courses  should  be  elected  bv  the  full  professor  who  is 
permitted  to  charge  a  fee. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  manner  in  which  the  work  is 
given  and  lectures  conducted.  Weismann  is  now  well  advanced 
in  years  a  man  between  seventy-five  and  eighty ,  tall,  of  dignified, 
cultured  presence  white  hair  and  beard.  He  wears  very  heavy 
lens  glasses,  owing  to  weakened  and  waning  vision  .  The  lecture 
period  is  forty-five  minutes  in  length  and  begins  fifteen  minutes 
after  the  hour,  at  which  time  the  professor  enters  the  class,  and 
in  the  case  of  Weismann  was  always  greeted  with  applause  by 
his  waiting  students  who  had  previously  secured  seats  in  the 
larqe    auditorium       The   lecturer   immediatelv    advanced   to   a 


164  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

comfortable  arm  chair  in  front  of  a  small  desk,  seated  himself, 
and  began  a  hasty  revievv?  of  the  gromid  covered  by  the  previous 
lecture.  The  review  occupied  about  five  minutes,  when  he 
plunged  into  new  matter  and  continued  talking  with  a  fair  degree 
of  rapidity  to  the  close  of  the  hour.  Professor  Weismann  is 
always  accompanied  by  an  intelligent  attendant,  who  brought 
forward  such  charts  and  models  as  were  necessary  to  illustrate 
the  lecture.  Many  of  these  are  employed.  In  fact  the  wall  behind 
the  lecturer  was  always  covered  with  charts  which  could  be 
drawn  down  or  rolled  up  at  will,  in  addition  to  coloured  diagrams 
on  the  blackboard.  One  of  the  features  of  Weismann's  lectures 
was  the  facility  with  which  he  could  use  coloured  chalks  in 
sketching  organs  and  special  features  to  be  illustrated.  He  in 
common  with  other  lecturers  in  this  school  always  employed 
chalk  of  a  definite  colour  to  illustrate  given  tissues  or  organs. 
A  system  of  this  kind  adds  very  considerably  to  the  clarity  of 
the  lecture.  Dr.  Weismann  used  no  notes  in  lecturing.  At  the 
close  of  the  hour  he  immediately  retired  to  his  private  room.  It 
is  considered  a  very  special  privilege  on  the  part  of  the  student 
to  be  able  to  approach  the  professor  and  discuss  any  point 
covered  in  the  hour's  lecture.  Although  long  past  the  seventy- 
year  mile  post  Weisinann  is  still  lecturing  daily  at  twelve,  in- 
cluding Saturday. 

Among  the  pleasant  experiences  during  my  stay  at  Freibourg 
were  attendance  and  participation  in  several  botanical  excur- 
sions, of  which  there  are  a  number  every  week,  there  being 
one  every  Saturday  and  usually  one  on  Sunday.  The  number 
of  students  attending  these  excursions  varied  from  twentv-five 
to  forty.  Usually  several  women  were  members  of  the  party 
A  fee  is  charged  for  the  privilege  of  attending  them,  in  the  same 
way  that  a  fee  is  charged  for  laboratory  facilities. 

The  ordinary  plan  was  to  take  a  certain  train  out  of  town 
for  a  given  distance  into  the  country,  the  details  and  a  map  of 
the  route  having  been  previously  posted  in  the  laboratory  and 
lecture  rooms  of  the  botanical  department.  One  of  the  assistants 
usually  acted  as  business  manager  of  the  party,  purchasing 
tickets  and  apportioning  the  expenses  among  those  attending. 
On  arriving  at  the  starting  point  for  field  work  the  party  im- 
mediately struck  out  into  the  country  at  a  smart  pace.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  botanical  students  (or  field-naturalists) 
are  not  given  the  freedom  of  the  countryside  in  the  same 
generous  way  in  Germany  that  obtains  in  Canada  and  the  United 
States.  Parties  are  not  allov/ed  to  tramp  at  will  over  meadow 
or  even  through  pasture  lands.  If  such  liberties  are  attempted 
they  are  likely  to  come  into  sharp  conflict  with  the  owner  of  the 
land.     There  are  certain  crown  properties,  however,  in  which 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  165 

they  may  roam  for  purposes  of  study.  The  line  of  march  then 
is  usually  confined  to  the  country  roads,  choosing  the  byways 
more  than  the  highways.  The  party  tramps  along,  looking  here 
and  there  for  interesting  plants  in  bloom,  when  suddenly  a 
whistle  is  blown  which  is  the  signal  for  a  halt.  The  professor 
is  seen  standing  a  little  in  advance  of  the  party,  holding  up  a 
plant  for  general  inspection.  The  students  cluster  around  and 
the  professor  asks  questions.  First,  what  is  the  plant;  second, 
where  does  it  belong,  what  are  its  peculiarities  of  structure, 
what  are  its  uses,  adaptations,  etc.  Sometimes  the  answers 
come  in  chorus,  and  again  there  is  silence  or  a  solo!  Usually  at 
the  close  of  the  study  of  the  individual  plant  some  additional 
remarks  are  offered  by  the  professor  and  the  march  is  then 
resumed.  These  stops  occur  at  frequent  intervals.  At  each  time 
students  are  expected  to  note  the  names  of  plants  discovered 
and  suppleinent  the  information  given  by  other  informati(m  to 
be  secured  from  the  manuals.  Frequently  plants  are  brought  in 
from  the  side  lines  by  students  themselves. 

The  situation  of  Freibourg,  lying  as  it  does  near  the  Rhine 
Valley  on  the  one  hand  and  at  the  gateway  of  the  most  attractive 
and  interesting  part  of  the  Black  Forest  Mountains  on  the  other, 
makes  it  possible  to  vary  the  character  of  the  flora  to  be  studied 
from  day  to  day  by  simply  changing  the  route.  Thus  the 
mountain  flora  may  be  studied  on  one  excursion  and  the  low- 
land area  with  a  different  flora  explored  the  next  time,  or  it  is 
even  possible  in  an  extended  walk  to  include  both  upland  and 
lowland. 

Germans,  like  Englishmen,  are  good  walkers.  The  "week 
end"  tramps  with  rucksack  on  back  are  very  much  in  vogue  in 
Germany,  and  the  mountain  paths  in  this  particular  region  are 
freely  patronized  during  the  summer  by  cheerful  pedestrians. 
This  kind  of  exercise  makes  for  the  development  of  an  essential 
quality  in  a  naturalist,  namely  the  ability  to  walk.  In  these 
field  excursions  I  discovered  that  the  leader  usually  set  a  lively 
pace.  One  of  the  last  excursions  I  had  the  privilege  of  attending 
occurred  on  the  12th  of  July,  1908,  and  I  found  on  returning 
home  and  comparing  the  route  with  the  map  that  we  covered 
about  ten  miles  in  a  little  over  three  hours.  I  found  also  the 
following  list  of  plants  were  collected  and  many  of  them  dis- 
cussed. The  list  is  uninteresting  in  itself,  but  simply  shows  the 
flowering  plants  which  happened  to  attract  our  attention  in  this 
short  ramble  among  the  hills  of  the  Schwarzwald  in  the  first  half 
of  July. 

Achillea  multiflorum,  Alnus  glutinosa,  Asplenium_  rigida, 
Andromeda  polifolia,  Betula  verrucosa,  Blitum  capitatum, 
Calluna  vulgaris,  Campanula  lata,  Campanula  patula,  Cardamine 


166  The  Ottawa  IsIaturalist.  [Dec. 

sylvatica,  Carex  pauciflora,  Centaurea  nigra,  Centaurea  Jacea, 
Chaerophyllum  hirsutum, Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum, Coma- 
rum  palustre,  Cynosurus  crispus,  Dactyb's  glomerata,  Digitalis 
ambigua,  Drosera  rotundifolia,  Epilobium  angustifoUum,  Epi- 
lobium  montana,  Equisetum  arvense,  GaHum  Mollugo,  Genista 
sagittaHs,  Geranium  columbinum,  Geum  rivale,  Heracleum  sp-?, 
Hieracium  murorum,  Hieracium  viticella,  Holcus  lanatus, 
Lathy rus  pratensis,  Lycopodium  vStelago,  Lysimachia  vulgaris, 
Mimulus  sp-?,  Pinus  montana,  Pinus  uncinata,  Polygonum  per- 
tola,  Prenanthes  purpurea,  .Ranunculus  Flammula,  Ranunculus 
repens,  Sambucus  racemosa,  Scabiosa  arvensis,  Scrophularia 
ambrosia,  Senecio  Fuchsii,  Silene  ruprestris,  Spiraea  Aruncus, 
Spiraea  Ulmaria,  Stachys  sylvatica,  Stellaria  graminea,  Stellaria 
nemorum,  Trifolium  aureum,  Trifolium  sp-?,  Valeriana  officinalis, 
Veronica  officinalis,  Vicia  Cracca,  Vicia  sepium.  Viola  tricolor. 

To  many  people  an  agreeable  feature  of  travel  in  the  country 
places  in  Europe  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  pedestrian  is  never  far 
away  from  a  source  of  good  beer  and  rarely  distant  from  an  eating 
house!  It  is  unnecessary  to  descant  upon  the  quality  of  the 
beer  which  is  available  in  that  region,  nor  would  1  say  anything 
which  would  have  a  tendency  to  generate  a  thirst  on  the  part 
of  my  readers  by  extolling  the  merits  of  this  native  beer.  The 
beer  is  good,  it  is  readily  available,  and  it  is  drunk  in  a  civilized 
manner,  sitting  at  tables,  and  accompanied  with  pretzels  or  good 
rye  bread  and  cheese.  In  the  little  German  gasthaus  one  does 
not  need  to  invade  a  stifling,  heavily  curtained  bar  room  and 
range  along  side  the  counter  as  certain  of  the  lower  animals  place 
themselves  in  front  of  a  trough,  but  one  may  sit  under  the  shade 
of  a  tree  in  the  garden  or  on  the  veranda  while  partaking  of 
refreshment. 

This  merely  leads  me  to  say  that  the  botanical  excursion 
invariably  includes  a  gasthaus  in  its  tour.  In  fact  it  usually 
closes  the  afternoon's  program  at  such  a  place,  with  the  Herr 
professor  presiding  at  an  impromptu  supper  surrounded  by  his 
group  of  students,  all  in  excellent  good  humor.  I  am  not  com- 
mending this  as  a  desirable  innovation,  but  merely  commenting 
on  the  eating  and  drinking  habits  in  Germany  as  contrasted  with 
our  habits  in  this  country.  No  doubt  too  much  beer  is  drunk; 
but  it  is  probable  that  beer  is  safer  than  Vvhiskey.  Besides  this, 
there  is  no  treating.     Everyone  pavs  for  his  own  drinks. 

In  general  this  type  of  excursion  and  the  stimulation  which 
it  brings  tends  to  develop  naturalists.  It  is  fair  I  think  to  say 
that  our  training  in  this  country  aims  on  the  other  hand  to 
develop  a  much  narrower  man,  the  specialist.  We  are  in  need 
at  the  present  time  of  a  larger  number  of  men  who  are  not 
narrow  specialists,  rather  naturalists  of  the  so-called  older  school, 


1909J  Tiiii  Ottawa  Naturalist.  167 

men  whose  sympathies  in  the  field  of  natural  history  are  not 
restricted  or  confined  to  a  single  branch,  but  who  have  an 
interest  in  the  entire  range  of  plant  and  animal  life  and  who,  for 
this  reason,  are  able  to  see  correlations  in  a  much  broader  way 
than  the  person  whose  visjon  is  limited  to  and  focused  upon  a 
comparatively  small  group. 

I  ought  to  testify  to  the  earnestness  of  the  students  who 
participate  in  these  excursions,  and  also  to  tht;  courtesy  of  the 
instructing  staflf.  I  observed  no  suggestion  of  exclusiveness, 
nothing  but  generous  cordiality.     The  memory  is  very  pleasiait. 


THE  FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 


At  the  meeting  of  the  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club  held 
in  the  Assembly  Hall  of  the  Normal  School  on  November  9;ii, 
the  Fletcher  Memorial  Committee  reported  that  they  had  n  t :. 
with  a  warm  response  from  members  of  the  Club  and  friends  <  f 
the  late  Dr.  Fletcher,  when  the  matter  of  the  proposed  memoi'al 
had  been  brought  before  them.  Already  between  $1,400  and 
$1,500  had  been  subscribed  but  the  Committee  required  about 
$1,800  for  the  project  in  view  and  asked  that  those  who  had 
not  yet  subscribed  to  the  fund,  but  who  intended  to  do  so, 
would  immediately  communicate  with  the  Treasurer  (Mr.  Arthur 
Gibson)  or  other  member  of  the  Committee.  There  had  not 
been,  nor  would  there  be,  any  personal  canvass;  it  was  the 
desire  of  the  Club  that  spontaneity  should  characterize  every 
donation  to  the  fund 

The  Committee  reported  that  by  far  the  larger  number  of 
subscribers  had  favored  the  suggestion  put  forward  at  tl.e 
meeting  of  the  Club  in  December  last,  that  the  memorial  shou'd 
take  the  form  of  a  fountain  erected  on  the  grounds  of ^ the  Ex- 
perimental Farm,  Ottawa*  the  scene  of  Dr.  Fletcher's  labcrs 
during  the  last  twentv  vears  of  his  life  and  where  he  had  done 
so  much,  officiallv  and  unofficiallv,  in  assisting  the  farmer  and 
fruit  grower  in  their  efforts  to  resist  the  attack  of  insect  ard 
fungous  enemies,  and  in  encouraging _  the  study  of  Natural 
History  throughout  the  Dominion. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  report  it  was  moved  by  Mr.  Frank 
T.  Shutt  and  seconded  bv  Dr.  William  Saunders,  and  unani- 
mously carried,  "that  the  tribute  about  to  be  made  to  tl  e 
memory  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher,  take  the  form  of  a  drmkmg 
fountain  consisting  of  a  granite  shaft  with  bronze  medallion.) 
inscription,  etc.,  to  be  erected  at  the  Experimental  Farnv 
Ottawa,  and  that  the  Committee  are  hereby  empowered  to  make 
all  necessarv  arrangements  for  carrving  out  the  work. 

^  F.  T.  S. 


168  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

TENT-BUILDING  HABITS  OF  ANTS. 


By  C.  Gordon  Hewitt,  D.Sc. 
(Dominion  Entomologist,  Ottawa). 


The  short  and  interesting  article  in  the  November  number 
of  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  on  "Ant  Roads,"  by  Mr.  Charles 
Macnamara,  induced  me  to  believe  that  an  account  of  some 
further  habits  of  ants  might  be  of  interest,  and  this  is  my 
apology  for  giving  a  resume  of  some  observations  which  my 
friend.  Dr.  Marie  Stopes  made  during  a  recent  sojourn  in  Japan, 
and  an  account  of  which  she  published  with  my  collaboration 
in  the  "Memoirs  of  the  Manchester  Library  and  Philosophical 
Society,''  Vol.  Si,  {Memoir  No.  20,  1909),  under  the  title  "On 
the  Tent-building  Habits  of  the  Ant,  Lasius  niger,  Linn.,  in 
Japan." 

La-nus  niger  is  the  common  brown  or  black  garden  ant  and 
has  a  world-wide  distribution.  It  usually  constructs  under- 
ground galleries  and  passages,  and  frequently  keeps  or  cultivates 
aphides  for  the  sake  of  the  "honey-dew"  which  is  an  excretory 
product  of  the  alimentary  canal  and  is  much  sought  after  by  the 
ants  for  food.  It  is  not,  as  is  frequently  supposed,  secreted  by 
the  small  horn-like  posterior  appendages  of  the  ants  known  as 
the  svphons.  The  ants,  as  it  has  been  stated,  sometimes  take 
the  aphid  eggs  into  their  nests  to  protect  them  from  the  frost. 
L.  niger,  to  mv  mind,  is  rather  like  man  in  the  development 
of  its  agricultural  methods.  In  some  regions  they  are  in  these 
respects  less  advanced  than  in  other  places.  Some  are  mere 
savages  and  leave  their  "cows,"  the  aphides,  out  in  the  open  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  others  take  great  pains  to  keep  their 
live-stock  under  such  conditions  as  to  be  free  from  all  danger 
and  to  ensure  a  maximum  amount  of  "honey  dew"  production — 
they  are  the  up-to-date  farmers,  so  to  speak.  I  do  not  intend  to 
enter  the  arena  of  the  vexed  question  of  whether  these  actions  are 
due  to  intelligence  or  instinct  on  the  part  of  the  ants :  that  is  not 
my  object.  I  am  simply  giving  facts;  let  those  who  will  analyse 
the  motive  power  of  these  activities. 

So  that  we  find  that  whereas  certain  ants  are  content  to 
wander  along  their  well-worn  paths  to  the  pasture  fields  where 
their  aphid  stock  is  herded,  others  more  advanced  in  their 
agricultural  development  make  shelters  or  "tents,"  as  they 
have  been  called,  for  their  insect  herds;  we  have  called  them 
"cow-sheds." 

As  early  as  1810  Huber  described  these  structures  which 
L.  niger  w^as  accustomed  to  make.     He  found  small   spherical 


1909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  169 

tents  on  the  Spurge.  They  were  of  the  "carton"  t\'pe.  con- 
structed of  finely  triturated  wood  and  in  these  shelters  the  ants 
kept  the  plant -lice;  they  were  thus  protected  from  their 
enemies  and  also  from  the  rain  and  strong  sunlight.  Forel,  who 
has  added  so  much  to  our  knowledge  of  the  lives  of  these  insects, 
has  described  a  number  of  different  kinds  of  "cow-sheds"  which 
several  European  species  of  Lasius  constructed.  A  certain 
species,  L.  brunneus,  constructs  shelters  made  of  detritus,  that 
is,  minute  inorganic  or  mineral  particles  such  as  sand,  etc.,  over 
large  bark  aphides.  Certain  species  of  Myrmica  make  earthen 
cells  to  enclose  the  aphides  and  these  chambers  communicate 
with  the  rest  by  means  of  covered  galleries.  Our  greatest 
American  authority  on  ants,  Prof.  W.  M.  Wheeler,  informed 
me,  when  I  was  studying  these  interesting  habits,  that  Lasius 
niger  and  its  American  varieties  are  in  the  habit  of  constructing 
shelters  over  plant-lice  and  mealy  bugs,  and  he  refers  to  this 
habit  in  his  interesting  paper  on  the  habits  of  the  tent-building 
ant,  Cremaiogaster  lineolata.  Say.  (in  Bull.  Amer.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.,  Vol.  22,  1906).  The  common  American  varietv,  L.  niger 
var.  americana,  occasionally  builds  detritus  tents  around  the 
stems  of  plants. 

The  Japanese  colonies  of  Lasius  niger  which  Dr.  Stopes 
discovered  seemed  to  have  reached  the  highest  stage  of  agri- 
cultural development;  even  the  ants  seemed  to  be  imbued  with 
the  Japanese  spirit  of  progress!  She  discovered  tents  on  the 
evergreen  oak.  Ilex  integra,  of  a  cylindrical  shape,  encircling  the 
terminal  portions  of  shoots  arising  from  the  stumps  of  a  stem 
that  had  been  cut  down.  These  tents  were  of  the  detritus  type 
and  made  of  minute  grains  of  black  sand  mixed  with  white 
fragments  of  broken  shell — the  trees  were  growing  near  the  sea 
at  Havama.  The  whole  twig,  with  the  exceptions  of  the  tips 
of  the  leaves,  was  enclosed  in  the  detritus  tent  through  which 
ran  galleries  swarming  with  ants.  But  these  particular  ants  were 
not -content  to  construct  "cow-sheds"  merely,  but  for  their  own 
comfort  had  built  of  the  same  detritus  covered  galleries  which 
wound  round  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and  communicated  with  the 
nests  which  were  underground,  so  that  they  could  reach  the 
"cow-sheds"  in  all  weather.  Other  shelters  which  may  have 
been  the  initial  stages  of  the  larger  tents,  were  made  by  the  ants 
by  biting  the  undersides  of  the  midribs  of  the  leaves.  This 
•caused  the  leaves  to  become  inrolled  with  their  uppersides  out- 
wards and  the  spaces  thus  formed  by  the  inrolling  was  filled  with 
detritus  to  form  chambers. 

Ants  appear  to  construct  the  two  types  of  tents — the 
carton  type  made  of  fibrous  material  of  a  vegetable  nature,  and 
the  detritus  type  made  of  inorganic  material:    both   kinds  of 


170  .  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Dec. 

material  may  be  used  by  the  same  species  to  construct  their 
"cow-sheds"  or  tents. 

As  we  concluded  in  our  memoir,  "There  is  no  doubt  that 
this  habit  of  building  detritus  and  carton  tents  has  developed 
for  no  other  purpose  than  that  of  protecting  the  various  species 
of  aphides  which  are  kept  by  the  ants  for  the  sake  of  their 
honey -like  secretions.  By  the  construction  of  such  "cow-sheds" 
the  aphides  are  able  to  continue  sucking  the  juices  of  the  plant 
and  at  the  same  time  they  are  not  only  protected  from  their 
enemies,  but  also  from  alien  ants.  The  protection  from  cold  is 
also  important,  as  Brandes  (in  'Die  Blattlaus  und  der  Honigbau,' 
Zeitschrift  f.  Natur  wiss,  vol.  66,  1894),  has  found  that  aphides 
are  most  active  during  the  warmer  part  of  the  day,  so  that  in 
keeping  these  warm  the  ants  v/ould  also  be  obtaining  a  large 
supply  of  the  secretion  from  them.  In  addition  to  these  explana- 
tions of  the  tent -building  habits  of  ants,  Wheeler  also  suggests 
that  the  tents  may  be  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  aphides  to 
other  plants  or  other  parts  of  the  same  plant. 

"The  evolution  of  the  forms  of  the  tents  which  are  found 
in  the  different  genera  of  tent-building  ants  may  have  started 
with  the  small  earthen  cell  covering  a  few  aphides;  this  may 
have  been  constructed  either  on  the  stem  or  by  filling  the  space 
formed  by  the  inrolling  of  certain  of  the  leaves.  Further  en- 
largement and  elaboration  would  lead  to  the  formation  of  a 
spherical  or  cylindrical  tent  having  the  stem  as  axis,  and  finally, 
to  secure  for  themiselves  the  greatest  comfort  and  convenience, 
the  ants  would  connect  these  tents  either  with  the  earth  or  with 
their  subterranean  nests  by  means  of  covered  passages." 

This  great  adaptability  to  its  environment,  the  usage  of  the 
means  at  hand  and  variability  of  constructive  power  in  a  single 
species  of  insect  such  as  Lasius  niger,  is  of  very  great  interest  to 
the  entomologist  who  becomes  so  accustomed  to  the  fact  of  a 
certain  species  of  insect  making  nests  or  structures  of  a  particular 
and  more  or  less  fixed  type,  such  as  we  find  in  the  other  social 
and  solitary  hymenoptera  as  the  bees  and  wasps,  and  also  in 
other  orders  of  insects. 


BOOK  REVIEW. 


Farm  Weeds  of  Canada. — Bv  George  H.  Clark,  B.S.A.,  and 
James  Fletcher,  LL.D..  F.R.S.C,  F.L.S.,  with  illustrations 
bv  Norman, Griddle:     Second   Edition.     Revised  and   En- 


i909]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  171 

larged  by  George  H.  Clark.  For  sale,  by  single  copies  onlv,  at 
the  office  of  the  Superintendent  of  Stationery  Government 
Printing  Bureau,  Ottawa.     Price  $1.00. 

We  were  particularly  pleased  to  receive  recently  the  second 
edition  of  this  most  useful  publication.     There  are  a  number  of 
splendid  new  features  which  are  at  once  seen  in  a  hasty  glance 
through  the  book.     In  the  first  place  it  is  of  a  more  convenient 
size  and  the  Table  of  Contents  at  the  beginning  is  a  useful  addi- 
tion. The  general  make  up  of  the  work  is  an  improvement  on  the 
first   edition,   the  type  is   better   and  the   arrangement   of  the 
subject  matter  all  that  could  be  desired.    Twenty  full  page  addi- 
tional coloured  plates  are  included,  the  work  of  Mr.  Criddle.    As 
Mr.  Clark  says,  considerable  re-arrangement  of  the  matter  was 
made  necessary  in  this  second  edition  in  order  that  the  various 
plant  families,  genera  and  species  might  be  adjusted  to  conform 
with    the    recommendations    of    the    International    Botanical 
Congress  at  Vienna  and  now  generally  adopted  by  botanists. 
In  revising  the  descriptions  of  plants  and  seeds  technical  terms 
have  been  avoided  wherever  possible.     Many  most  interesting 
quotations  apropos  of  the  subject  are  used  throughout  the  book 
to  complete  pages.    In  the  Preface  it  is  stated  that  "Farm  Weeds 
of  Canada  was  one  of  the  last  of  the  many  contributions  to 
agriculture  from  the  late  Dr.  James  Fletcher.  It  is  desired  that  this 
second  edition  of  the  book  will  further  perpetuate  to  his  memory 
that  large  measure  of  appreciation  of  his  unselfish  personality 
and  zeal  for  useful  service  which  he  so  richly  deserved."     This 
new  edition  of  Farm  Weeds  is  a  particularly  valuable  work  and 
is  without  doubt  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best.  Government 
publication    which    has    yet    appeared    in    any    countr}-.      The 
Dominion  Department  of  Agriculture  is  fully  alive  to  the  enorm- 
ous annual  losses  caused  in  Canada  by  Weeds.    The  first  edition 
of  Farm  Weeds  was  eagerly  sought  after  by  farmers  and  others 
throughout  Canada,  and  has  already  been  of  inestimable  value 
to  the  country.     The  second  edition  revised  and  enlarged  will 
doubtless  too  soon  be  exhausted.     The  nominal  price  fixed  for 
its  sale  will  restrict  its  distribution  to  those  who  will  preserve 
and  make  good  use  of  it.     The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists' Club  is 
specially  interested  in  this  book,  in  that  Mr.  George  H.  Clark. 
Seed  Commissioner  of  the  federal    Department  of  Agriculture, 
and   Mr.    Norman   Criddle   who  made  the   drawings,   are  both 
members.     Other  members  of  the  Club  too,  who  assisted  and 
whose  names  we  notice  in  the  Preface  are  Mr. George  Michaud, 
Prof.  John  Macoun.  Mr.  T.  G.  Raynor,  Mr.  J.  H.  Grisdale.  Mr. 
T    N    Willing,  and  Mr   James  Murrav. 

A    G. 


72  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  [Dec. 

THE  OTTAVVx\  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB. 
LECTURE  PROGRAMME 

1909  -  1910. 

(All  lectures  will  commence  at  8  o'clock  sharp.) 


November  9th,  1909, (Tuesday) — "Home  Birds  andWanderers," 
Mr.  W.  E.  Saunders    London,  Ont.     (Normal  School). 


December  14th,  1909,  (Tuesday) — 8  p.m. — Exhibition  of  bio- 
logical   AND    GEOLOGICAL    SPECIMENS.       MicrOSCOpCS   Will   be 

supplied  for  the  examination  of  microscopic  specimens. 

9  p.m. — Short  addresses  by  Dr.  J.  F.  White,  Mr.  J.  W. 

Gibson,  Mr.  A.  Halkett  and  others.     (Normal  School). 


January  4th,  1910,  (Tuesday) — "Instinct  and  Education,"  The 
President.      (Carnegie  Library). 


January  18th,  1910,  (Tuesday)— "Life,"  Mr.  A.  H.  W.  Cleave, 
F.R.M.S.,  Ottawa.      (Normal  School). 


February  1st,  1910,  (Tuesday) — "House  Flies  and  their  Re- 
lation TO  Public  Health,"  Dr.  C.  Gordon  Hewitt,  Ento- 
mologist, C.  E.  Farm,  Ottawa.      (Normal  School). 


February  15th,  1910,  (Tuesday) — "The  Flora  and  Fauna  of 
THE  West  Coast  of  Vancouver  Island,"  Prof.  John 
Macoun,  Ottawa.      (Carnegie  Library). 


February  25th,  1910,  (Friday) — (Joint  Lecture  series) — "Bac- 
teria in  Relation  to  Plant  Life,"  Prof.  F.  C.  Harrison, 
Macdonald  College.  Que.      (Normal  School). 


March  8th,  1910,  (Tuesday)— "A  Plant  Doctor  and  His 
Work,"  Mr.  H.  T.  Gussow.  F  R  M  S.,  Botanist,  C.E.  Farm, 
Ottawa.      (Normal  School). 


March  15th— ANNUAL  MEETING.  Including  Receipt  of 
Annual  Report,  Election  of  Officers,  Presentation  of  Re- 
vised Constitution  and  By-laws.  A  full  attendance  of 
members  is  requested.      (Carnegie  Library). 


President:  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 
Treasurer:  Arthur  Gibson.  Secretary:  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A. 


f^^. 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.   XXIII.  OTTAWA,  JANUARY.   IQIO  No.    10 


i 


SOME  OF  THE  BEST  NATIVE  PLANTS  FOR 
CULTIVATION. 

By  W.  T.  Macoun, 

Horticulturist  and  Curator  of  the  Arboretum  and  Botanic 
Garden,  Central  Experimental  Farm.  Ottawa. 

There  are  in  Canada  about  4,000  species  of  flowering  plants, 
and  76  species  of  ferns.  In  the  Province  of  Ontario  alone  there 
are  nearlv  2,000  species  of  flowering  plants,  and  46  species  of 
ferns.  This  flora  stretches  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  and 
from  latitude  49°  to  as  far  north  in  the  Arctic  regions  as  the 
Canadian  territory  extends.  Over  this  wide  area  there  are  many 
variations  in  climate,  each  great  climatic  region  being  again 
subdivided  into  habitats,  wdiere  the  different  species  are  found. 
Some  species  have  a  very  wide  range,  extending  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific  and  from  the  49th  parallel  to  the  Arctic  circle, 
while  others,  such  as  the  Tulip  Tree,  Liriodendron  tulipifcra. 
American  Crab  Apple,  Pyrus  coronaria,  Common  Papaw,  Asimina 
triloba,  Flowering  Dogw'ood,  Cormis  florida,  \'irginian  Cowslip, 
Mertensia  puhnonariodes,  and  other  plants  I  might  mention  are 
confined  to  very  limited  districts  in  south-western  Ontario. 
though  having  considerable  range  south  in  the  United  States. 

There  is  no  difference  of  opinion  among  lovers  of  plants  as 
to  the  l)eauty  of  the  Canadian  flora.  The  great  variety,  the 
charming  forms,  the  lovely  colours,  and  the  blending  of  the 
whole  when  under  natural  conditions  give  us  innumerable  and 
varied  pictures  of  which  we  may  well  feel  proud. 

There  is  a  growing  sentiment  in  .Canada  in  favour  of  Can- 
adian things.  We  are  becoming  more  proud  of  our  country- 
everv  year.  We  are  looking  for  an  individuality  which  will 
stand  for  Canada,  and  one  of  the  best  ways  we  can  impress  our 
individualitv  on  the  people  of  other  countries  and  our  own  is 
to  make  Canadian  trees,  shrubs,  and  herbaceous  plants  a 
prominent  feature  of  our  landscapes.     We  have  too  often  in  the 


174  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

past  planted  our  parks  and  public  grounds  with  plants  which 
were  native  of  other  countries  when  we  might  have  made  them 
beautiful  with  our  own. 

Every  city  should  have  a  by-law  regulating  the  planting 
of  avenue  and  shade  trees  along  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  while, 
in  all  cases,  it  might  not  be  desirable  to  confine  the  planting  to 
native  species,  yet  everything  possible  should  be  done  to  en- 
courage the  planting  of  them.  The  merits  of  the  different  species 
should  be  brought  prominently  before  our  people.  A  proposed 
by-law   of  this  kind  is  before  the  Ottawa  City  Council  now. 

Let  us  now  look  at  the  material  there  is  to  draw  upon, 
beginning  with  the  trees,  shrubs  and  vines  which  are,  perhaps, 
our  most  effective  plants. 

The  Norway  Maple,  Acer  platauoides,  is  a  good  shade  tree, 
but  it  is  not  as  desirable  for  street  planting  as  the  Hard  Maple, 
Acer  saccharum.  The  chief  drawbacks  to  the  Norway  Maple,  as 
I  have  observed  it,  are  that  it  forms  too  low  a  head  and  if 
pruned  up  does  not  look  well.  This  tree  is  being  planted  in 
greater  numbers  every  3^ear,  chiefly  due,  in  my  judgment,  to  the 
fact  that  it  grows  rapidly  in  the  nursery,  and  hence  is  a  more 
profitable  tree  to  grow.  But  let  us  stick  to  our  Hard  Maple,  the 
best  maple  l)y  all  odds.  It  grows  to  a  great  height  and  size  and 
its  brilliant  colouring  in  autumn  gives  Canadian  cities  an  in- 
dividualit3\ 

As  the  Hard  Maple  is  the  best  maple  to  plant,  so  is  our 
American  Elm,  Ulnius  americaua,  the  best  elm.  The  rapid 
growth  of  this  tree  in  most  soils,  the  great  height  to  which  it 
grows,  and  its  graceful  form,  make  it  one  of  the  most  desirable 
trees  for  street  planting.  Moreover,  it  lends  itself  to  high  prun- 
ing, which  is  so  necessary  in  our  cities,  where  there  is  such  a 
mass  of  wires.  The  higher  the  American  Elm  is  pruned  the 
better  it  looks  when  the  tree  is  large,  and  this  is  a  very  import- 
ant matter.  In  some  places  two  species  of  European  elms  have 
been  planted  instead  of  the  American.  This  is  a  great  mistake 
as  they  are  inferior  trees  to  our  own  and  e\'ervthing  possible 
should  be  done  to  confine  the  planting  to  the  American  Elm. 

With  the  Hard  Maple  and  American  Elm  conceded  to  be 
the  two  best  trees  for  .street  planting,  there  are  few  other  trees 
which  need  to  be  considered,  as  they  should  constitute  by  far 
the  .greater  part  of  the  planting.  But  for  variety,  a  few  other 
desirable  species  may  be  used.  Why  the  Red  Oak, 'Onerc us  rubra, 
has  not  been  more  planted  as  a  street  tree  is  a  mvstery  to  me. 
It  is  a  most  beautiful  tree,  the  fastest  growing  of  the  oaks,  and 
as  rapid  a  grower,  I  believe,  as  the  Hard  Maple.  Its  leaves, 
which  are  usually  highly  coloured,  remain  on  the  tree  until 
wmter  and  give  a  colour  to  the  streets  long  after  the  leaves  of 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  175 

most  other  trees  have  fallen.  Pin  Oak,  Quercus  palusiris,  is  also 
another  fine  species,  but  a  slower  grower,  but  its  finely  cut  leaves 
give  quite  a  characteristic  feature  to  an  avenue  of  this  species. 
It  is,  however,  much  tenderer  than  the  Red  Oak  and  should 
onlv  be  planted  in  the  milder  parts  of  Ontario. 

Other  good  native  trees  for  street  planting  for  some  sections 
of  the  countrv  are  the  Silver  and  Red  Maples  for  wet  ground, 
the  Svcamore  or  Buttonwood  for  south-western  Ontario. 

For  park  purposes  there  are  so  many  good  native  trees  that 
one  would  have  to  name  almost  all  of  them,  but  a  few  of  the 
best  deciduous  trees  are  those  previously  mentioned  for  streets 
and  the  Basswood,  Beech,  Yellow  Birch,  Canoe  Birch,  Mountain 
Ash,  White  Ash,  Kentucky  Coffee  Tree,  Cork  Elm,  Hickory, 
Scarlet  Haw,  Cockspur  Haw,  Honey  Locust,  and  Tulip  Tree  and 
Sassafras  (for  western  Ontario). 

Canada  is  rich  in  evergreens  and  why  the  Scotch  Pine, 
Austrian  Pine,  and  Norway  Spruce  are  used  to  the  almost  ex- 
clusion of  our  native  pines  and  spruces  can  only  be  explained  by 
the  apparent  preference    for  something  exotic. 

The  Scotch  Pine,  Pinus  sylvestris,  cannot  be  compared  in 
beauty  with  our  White  Pine,  Pinus  Sirobus,  which  is  the  most 
beautiful  pine  that  grows.  The  Scotch  Pine  is  stiff er  in  habit 
to  begin  with  and  soon  becomes  scraggy  and  unsightly,  while 
the  beaut V  of  the  White  Pine  increases  as  it  grows  older  if 
given  plentv  of  room  so  that  it  may  hold  its  branches  to  the 
ground. 

The  Austrian  Pine,  Pinus  Laricio  nigricans,  is  a  fine  tree, 
but  it  also  has  a  stiff  er  outline  than  our  Red  Pine,  with  which 
it  mav  be  fairlv  compared.  We  usually  think  of  Red  Pine,  Pinus 
resinosa,  as  it'is  seen  in  the  woods,  a  tall  tree  with  a  clean  trunk 
and  apparently  a  few  leaves  at  the  top,  but  well  grown  speci- 
mens of  Red  Pine  branching  to  the  ground  are  most  attractive. 

The  Norway  Spruce,  Picea  excelsa.  is  a  beautiful  tree  when 
young,  being  a  rapid  grower  and  very  graceful,  but  for  perma- 
nent effect  it  cannot  be  compared  with  our  native  White  Spruce. 
Picea  alba,  particularly  those  wnth  a  bluish  tinge,  as  anyone  who 
has  seen  a  well-grown  specimen  of  White  Spruce  sixty  or  seventy 
feet  high  will  bear  me  out.  The  Colorado  or  Rocky  Mountain 
Blue  Spruce,  Picea  pungens As  a  close  competitor  of  the  White 
Spruce  and  the  best  specimens  are  bluer  in  colour  and  it  is  un- 
doul)tedlv  one  of  the  best  spruces  to  plant,  but  it  is  a  very  stiff 
tree  and  it  is  not  a  favotirite  with  many  people  on  that  account. 
Moreover,  it  is  expensive,  which  makes  it  more  or  less  ])rohibitive. 
B.  The  Hemlock,   Tsuga   canadensis,   is  a  very    graceful  tree. 

B'   and  while  a  rather  slow  grower  there  is  no   other   tree   which 
■k  does  well  in  eastern  Canada  that   looks  anvthing  like  it.      For 

I 


176  The  Ottawa  Naturalist  [Jan. 

park  effect  and  for  blending  with  other  trees  it  is  one  of  the 
most  desirable.  From  British  Columbia  we  have  the  Douglas 
Fir,  Bull  Pine,  and  Englemann's  Spruce,  all  fine  trees  and 
doing  well  in  eastern  Canada.  The  best  Englemann  Spruce  re- 
seinbles  ver}- much  the  Colorado  Blue  Spruce,  but  is  more  graceful. 

Among  the  most  ornamental  Canadian  shrubs  I  mention 
the  Viburnums,  of  which  there  are  eight  good  species  which 
succeed  under  cultivation.  Perhaps  the  best  of  these  is  the 
High-bush  Cranberry,  Viburnum  Opulus,  which  is  ornamental 
both  in  summer  and  winter,  the  brightly  coloured  fruit  being 
very  attractive.  Our  wild  roses  are  very  useful,  among  the  best 
being  Rosa  lucida,  the  glossy  leaves  of  which  make  this  yery 
ornamental  even  when  out  of  flower.  Two  of  the  best  species 
of  Mock  Orange  are  natives  of  British  Columbia,  namely,  Phila- 
delphus  Gordonianns  and  Philadelphiis  Lezvisii.  Flowering  Dog- 
wood is  a  verv  effective  shrul)  in  spring  in  Western  Ontario, 
while  the  Amelanchiers  make  masses  of  white  in  the  early  spring. 
For  autumn  effects  the  Aromatic  and  Stag-horn  vSumachs  can- 
not be  beaten. 

Among  the  hedge  plants  there  is  no  evergreen  so  satis- 
factory as  the  native  American  Arbor  Vitse  or  Cedar.  Rarely 
injured  bv  insects  or  diseases,  standing  pruning  well  and  need- 
ing comparatively  little  pruning,  it  is  undoubtedly  the  best. 
It  is  not  so  rapid  a  grower  as  the  Norway  Spruce,  which  is 
sometimes  used  for  hedge  purposes,  l)ut  is  more  permanent  and 
takes  up  less  room.  The  White  Pine  is  also  proving  an  excellent 
hedge  plant  at  the  Experimental  Farm.  The  Hemlock  makes 
a  very  fine  hedge  if  rapid  growth  is  not  desired,  being  compact  ^i^' 
and  of  a  pleasing  shade  of  green. 

While  few  of  our  deciduous  plants  are  used  for  hedge 
purposes  we  see  no  reason  why  some  of  them  should  not  be  used 
with  good  effect.  The  native  beech  is  doing  well  as  a  hedge  '.■ 
plant  at  Ottawa  and  there  is  no  good  reason  wdiy  it  should  not  ^i. 
become  as  popular  in  this  country  as  the  European  Beech  is  in 
England.  The  Moosewood,  Dire  a  palusiris,  should  make  a 
splendid  hedge  plant  with  its  soft,  light  green  leaves.  The 
Scarlet  Hawthorn  should  make  a  desirable  one,  and  where  a 
hedge  for  holding  back  stock  is  required  the  Honey  Locust  is 
one  of  the  best  plants  to  use  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Ontario. 
This  is  taking  the  place  of  the  Osage  Orange  in  those  districts 
where  the  latter  succeeds.  There  are  other  shrubs  with  attrac- 
tive foliage,  such  as  the  Viburnums  and  Hamamelis  which  should 
do  well  as  hedges. 

Among  the  climbing  hardy  plants  we  have  three  native 
woody  species  which  can  scarcely  be  excelled.  These  are  the 
Virginian  Creeper,  the  Wild  Clematis  or  Virgin's  Bower,  and  the 

a 

1 


1910]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  177 

Climl)ing  Bitter  Sweet,  and  to  these  might  be  added  for  some 
purposes  the  Wild  Frost  Grape. 

For  beauty  of  autumn  colouring  the  Virginian  Creeper  stands 
alone  among  climbing  plants.  Where  leaf-hoppers  are  troublesome 
its  attractiveness  is  marred  during  the  latter  part  of  summer  bv 
the  withering  of  the  leaves.  There  is,  however,  a  self-fastening 
variet\'  brought  into  notice  by  the  Experimental  Farm,  which 
is  now  l»ecoming  quite  cominon  about  Ottawa.  This  does  not 
need  support  but  climbs  walls  by  means  of  its  discs  and  tendrils 
almost  as  well  as  the  Ampelopsis  Veitchii  The  foliage  of  this 
varietv  is  somewhat  downy  and  the  insects  seem  to  be  repelled 
bv  the  hairs,  at  any  rate  they  trouble  it  very  little. 

The  Virgin's  Bower  or  Wild  Clematis  is  a  verv  rapid  grower, 
has  clean  fohage  which  is  very  seldom  affected  by  insects,  and 
bears  a  profusion  of  small  white  flowers  in  sum.mer.  This,  and 
the  Eviropean  Traveller's  Jov,  Clematis  Vitalha,  v/hich  is  much 
like  ours,  if  planted  alternately  v.ill  give  a  continuity  of  bloom 
from  earlv  summer  almost  until  Clematis  paniculata  is  in  Ijloom. 

The  Climbing  Bittersweet,  Celastrus  scaudens,  should  be 
more  planted  than  it  is  as  it  has  a  \-ery  clean,  attractive  foliage 
and  the  orange  and  scarlet  fruit  in  autumn  and  early  winter 
lengthens  its  season  of  usefulness  verv  m_uch.  In  parks  or  large 
grounds  this  can  be  used  verv  effectively. 

One  might  write  much  more  about  the  beauties  and  ad- 
vantages of  our  trees  and  shrubs.  Something  must,  however,  be 
said  about  the  best  native  herbaceous  plants. 

It  has  often  been  remarked,  especially  by  those  coming 
from  other  countries,  how  few  species  of  Canadian  wild  flowers 
are  fotmd  growing  along  the  roadsides  or  borders  of  cultivated 
fields  in  eastern  Ontario.  If  we  take  out  the  Golden-rods  and 
Asters  there  are  few  prominent  plants  left.  But  one  might  say: 
"There  is  the  Canada  Thistle;  that  surely  is  common  enough!" 
But  the  Canada  Thistle  is  a  European  plant  and  we  should  protest 
against  its  being  called  under  that  name.  Furthermore,  prac- 
ticalh'  all  our  bad  weeds  are  European  plants.  The  reason  why 
so  few  attractive  Canadian  v,'ild  flowers  are  found  along  our 
roadsides  and  in  our  uncultivated  ground  is  that  most  of  our 
best  wild  flowers  are  woodland  species  and  when  the  woods 
disappear  they  disappear  with  them.  To  retain  and  make  use 
of  the  many  beautiful  woodland  species  we  must  preserve  the 
woods  or  make  for  them  in  our  parks  and  gardens  conditions 
approaching  those  thev  get  in  their  native  wdlds.  But  for- 
tunately, there  are  a  number  of  beautiful  flowers,  among  the 
best  in  fact  that  are  available  anywhere,  which  will  succeed 
under  cultivation  without  anv  very  special  selection  of  situation 
or  soil,  and  first  among  these  I  mention  Trillinm  grandiflonim 


178  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

There  is  no  other  white  flowered  perennial  of  its  season  of  bloom 
which  approaches  it  for  beauty.  It  has  a  comparatively  long 
season  of  bloom  for  a  spring  flower,  quickly  becomes  established 
and  multiplies  rapidly.  A  ckimp  of  about  three  roots  planted 
ten  years  ago,  now  produces  more  than  fifty  flowers  annually, 
most  of  very  large  size.  These  could  be  used  with  splendid 
effect  in  parks  or  private  grounds  if  massed. 

The  Virginian  Cowslip,  Mertensia  ptdmouarioiies,  or,  as  it 
used  to  be  called,  Mertensia  virginica,  is  another  spring  flowering 
herbaceous  perennial  which  should  have  a  place  in  every  garden. 
The  flowers  which  open  at  Ottawa  during  the  second  week  of 
May  are  of  a  lovely  shade  of  pale  blue  and  when  in  biid  are  pink 
at  the  base.  This  plant  soon  withers  after  blooming  and  by 
earlv  summer  is  not  seen  above  ground. 

Another  charming  wild  plant  which  does  well  under  culti- 
\-ation  is  the  Wild  Sweet  William  or  Blue  Phlox,  Phlox  dwancata. 
This  blooms  at  Ottawa  from  the  middle  of  May  to  June  10th, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  admired  plants  at  that  time.  The  flowers 
varv  from  soft  tints  of  lilac  to  mauve,  and  a  white  variety  is 
found  in  western  Ontario  which  is  very  beautiful. 

A  dwarf  phlox  native  of  south-western  Ontario  is  the  Moss 
Pink,  Phlox  subulata,  blooming  early  in  spring  and  particularly 
useful  for  rockeries.     It  can  be  had  now  in  many  varieties. 

Although  some  of  the  best  of  the  later  blooming  Columbines 
are  not  natives  of  Canada,  yet  two  of  the  best  early  species  are 
Aqiiilegia  canadensis,  and  -4.  r(9(:(:me"a,  which,  if  not  so  common, 
would  be  more  appreciated. 

Among  the  first  flowers  to  open  after  the  snow  goes  is  the 
Prairie  Anemone  or  Prairie  Crocus,  Anemone  patens,  var. 
Nuttalliana.  This  is  common  in  the  prairie  provinces.  It  is 
very  showy,  even  in  small  clumps,  but  if  massed  would  be  very 
effective  in  earlv  spring  and  be  a  contrast  to  the  early  flowering 
bulbs,  which  are  in  bloom  at  the  same  time. 

One  of  the  showiest  native  plants  we  have  and  particularly 
attractive  on  account  of  its  odd  but  pleasing  colour,  is  the 
Butterfly  Weed  or  Pleurisy  Root,  Asclepias  tuherosa.  The 
flowers  are  a  bright  orange  and  the  plant  remains  in  bloom  from 
early  in  July  to  earlv  in  August. 

The  Oswego  Tea  or  Bee  Balm,  Monarda  didyma,  is  a  native  { ', 
which  is  considerablv  used  in  planting  in  the  United  States  and  y'; 
could  be  used  much  more  in  Canada  with  good  effect.  The  plant  :* 
being  from  three  to  four  feet  high  and  the  flowers  being  bright  M 
crimson  or  scarlet,  it  is  a  striking  object  wherever  planted.  It  ■'^ 
blooms  from  early  in  Julv  to  September.  While  mentioning  t.: 
scarlet  flowers  one  must  not  forget  the  Cardinal  Flower,  Lobelia 


s- 


I 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  179 

cardinalis.  which  does  very  weU  in  a  moist  ])lace  in  the  herbaceous 
border. 

There  are  many  species  of  herbaceous  Spiraeas  growing  at 
the  Central  Experimental  Farm,  but  there  are  none  of  them  as 
handsome  or  as  effective  as  the  Goat's  Beard,  Spircea  Aruncus,  a 
native  of  British  Columbia.  It  grows  4^  feet  high  and  from 
early  in  June  to  early  in  July  it  is  a  mass  of  large,  plume-like 
panicles  of  creamv  white  flowers. 

Among  lilies,  what  is  more  effecti\'e  than  our  native  Lilmm 
SHperbum,  attaining  a  height  of  4j  to  7  feet  at  Ottawa? 

Of  hardv  native  orchids  of  great  beauty  which  do  well  under 
cultivation  with  special  preparation  of  soil  and  partial  shade, 
may  be  mentioned  Cypripedium  spectahile,  Cypripedhim  puhescens, 
and  C.  parviflorum.  One  of  our  lovers  of  wild  plants  at  Ottawa 
has  also  been  very  successful  with  C.  acaule.  Orchis  spectabilis 
and  Habenaria  psycodes  can  also  be  cultivated. 

Other  well  known  native  wild  flowers  which  are  very 
desirable  and  do  well  under  cultivation  are  Coreopsis  lanceolata, 
Gaillardia  arisiata,  Polemoniums  of  several  species,  Violets  of 
several  species.  Anemone  canadensis,  Papaver  nudicaide,  Ctmi- 
cijuga  racemosa,  Thalictrnm  pnrpurascens,  Dicentra  eximia, 
Echinacea  purptirea.  Hepatica  acniiloba  and  triloba,  Sanguinaria 
canadensis,  Enpatorimn  ageratoides.  Aster  novce-anglue ,  and 
j^-  other  species,  SoUdago  canadensis ,  and  many  other  beautiful 
plants  from  the  Avester-n  proA'itices.. 

Nor  must  we  close  without  reference  to  the  ferns,  of  which 
b..  we  have  so  many  beautiful  species  that  may  be  readily  cultivated. 
"   Among  the  best  are: — 

1.  Maidenhair  Fern,  Adianliini  pedatum. 

2.  Male  Shield  Fern,  Aspidimn  Filix-mas. 

3.  Marginal  Shield  or  Evergreen  Wood  Fern,    Aspidium 

marginale. 

4.  Spinulose  Wood  Fern,  Aspidiuyn  spinnlosmn. 

5.  Narrovr -leaved  Spleenwort,  Asplenium  angustifolium. 

6.  Ostrich  Feather  Fern,  Onoclea  Strnthiopteris. 

7.  Sensitive  Fern,  Onoclea  sensibilis. 

S.  Cinnamon  Fern,  Osmnnda  cinnamomea. 

9.  Roval  Fern,  Osmnnda  regalis. 

10.  Fragile  Bladder  Fern.  Cystopteris  fragilis. 

1 1 .  Bulblet  Bladder  Fern,  Cystopteris  bulbifera. 

12.  Ladv  Fern,  AspJcninm  Filixfemina. 


180  The  Ottawa  Natuf^alist.  [Jan. 

NEW  CONTRIBUTIOiXS  TO  CANADIAN   BRYOLOGY. 

By  N.  Conr.  Kindberg,  Ph.D.,  Upsal.v,  Sweden. 


(Continued  from  page  143). 

36.  Grimmia   (Schistidium)   diversifolia. 

Leaves  large,  channelled  or  concave,  diversiform  ;  the  lower 
broader,  subovate  obtuse  and  muticous;  the  upper  broadly 
ovate-lanceolate,  obtusate  or  short-acuminate,  recurved  all 
around,  muticous  or  rarel}'  with  a  short  and  broad  hairpoint: 
cells  not  sinuous.  Perichetial  leaves  larger.  Capsule  immersed ; 
peristome  orange,  brittle.  Stem  2-?>  cm.  high.  Tufts  blackish- 
brown. 

On  rocks  in  Pipestone  Pass,  eastern  slope  of  Rockv 
Mountains,  Alta.,  altitude  7,300  feet.  July  5th,  1904.      No.  119a. 

37.  Grimmia  Hartmaxi  Sch. 
Gaspe-,  1907. 

i'6.  Grimmia  papillinervis. 

Capsule  smooth  oval;  teeth  nearly  entire,  reddish-yellow  or 
yellowish;  stomata  not  distinct;  pedicel  exserted,  curved  when 
moist.  Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  broadlv  acuminate  subacute, 
carinate,  slightly  or  not  recurved,  sometimes  papillose  at  borders, 
not  large,  faintly  appressed  when  dry;  cells  quadrate,  not 
sinuous;  the  upper  somewhat  sm.all  and  chlorophyllose,  the 
lower  larger,  nearly  uniform  and  hyaline;  hairpoint  long,  denti- 
culate or  nearly  siriooth;  costa  papillose.  Monoecious  (sub- 
paroecious).  Tufts  pulvinate,  densely  cohering,  about  1  cm. 
high  dark  or  glaucous  green  when  dry.  Lid  and  calyptra  not 
seen. 

British  Columbia,  Skagit  summit.     J.  M.  Macoun,  1905. 

39.  Grimmia  ha.ml:losa,  Lssy. 

Vancouver  Island,  Nanaimo  Biological  Station.  June,  1908. 
New  to  Canada. 

40.  Grimmia  cogxata.  Card,  et  Ther. 

Alberta.  Lake  Louise,  alt.  6,000  ft.  13th  Sept.,  1904. 
New  to  Canada. 

4L   Grim.mia  subpapillinervis. 

Agrees  with  G.  papillinervis.  Leaves  v/ith  not  sinuous  cells, 
the  upper  cells  subquadrate;  costa  papillose.  Differs  from  it. 
Leaves  longer,  long-subulate;  lower  cells  rectangular,  the  alar 
more    distinct;  hair-point    smooth.      Capsule    oblong-cyhndric. 


1910J  T-HE  Ottawa  Naturalist.  181 

Differs  also  from  G.  alpestris  in  the  longer  leaves  and  the  curved 
pedicel  of  capsule,  etc.;  from  G.  subsulcata  in  the  longer,  not 
striate  leaves. 

British  Columbia  1908.     A.  Brinkman. 

42.  Grimmia  Stirtoni,  Schimper;  Braithwaite. 

Capsule  oval,  smooth;  pedicel  straight,  slightly  exserted 
above  the  (with  ver}^  long  and  rough  hair-point  furnished) 
perichetial  leaves.     Hitherto  found  onlv  in  sterile  state. 

Vancouver  Island,  Mount  Benson,  1893. 

43.  fxRIMMIA    SERRATA. 

Differs  from  the  resembling  G.  robustijolia.  Capsule  oblong, 
distinctly  costate.  Leaves  serrate  above;  upper  cells  not 
sinuous.     Tufts  green. 

British  Columbia,  Rossland,  15th  Aug.,  1902.    J.  M.  Macoim. 

44.  Racomitrium   depressum,  Lesq.,  var.   nigricans 

Tufts  blackish  when  dry;  leaves  sometimes  furnished  with 
a  hairpoint. 

The  sterile  specimens  agree  with  the  description  in  Manual 
of  Mosses  of  North  i\merica  by  Lesquereux  and  James;  the  true 
R.  depressum  is  found  in  Yosemite  Valley,  but  I  have  not  -^oen 
authentic  specimens.     Perhaps  the  capsule  is  different 

Collected  on  Southampton  Island,  near  Fuller-'  u,  north- 
west of  Hudson  Bay,  by  Commander  A  P  Low  in  1904,  also 
at  Whale  River,  Labrador,  in  1896. 

45.  Scouleria  Muelleri,  Kindb. 

Dift'ers  from  5.  aaiiatica  in  its  leaves  being  broader  at  the 
middle;  inner  basal  cells  very  numerous.  These  characters  are 
sufficient  to  make  a  proper  species  when,  they  are  constant  and 
easih'  observed. 

Collected  on  a  rock  in  the  Klondike  River  near  Dawson, 
Yukon,  August  8th,  1902.      No.  295. 

46.  Barbula  subcylindrica.  Broth. 

Vancouver  Island  1908  and  1909,  also  fruiting.  New  lo 
Canada.     Pedicel  twice  longer  and  neither  curved  nor  exserted. 

47.  Barbula  andre^oides. 

Leaves  small  and  short,  broadly  ovate  and  subcochle- 
ariform,  obtusate,  mostlv  obtuse,  more  or  less  refiexed ,  distinctly 
papillose,  appressed  when  drv,  straight  suberect  and  rufescent 
when  moist;  cells  small  subquadrate;  costa  percurrent  red- 
lirown.      Perichetial  leaves  broadlv  ovate-lanceolate  acummatr 


182  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

acute;  costa  long-excurrent.  Tufts  blackish-brown  when  dry, 
dense,  2-3  cm.  high.  Stem  capillary.  Dioecious.  Capsules  not 
seen. 

On  rocks,  summit  of  McArthur  Pass,  western  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  B.C..  altitude  7,500  feet,  August  10th,  1904. 
No.  241. 

48.  Barbula  subandre^.oides. 

Resembles  B.  andreceoides  in  the  stem  being  often  proliferous 
with  long  shoots,  also  in  perichetial  leaves  and  in  habit. 

Differs  from  it:  Leaves  longer,  generally  subovate-oblong 
short-acuminate  and  not  reflexed.  Tufts  pu]vinate,^about  1  cm. 
high. 

On  rocks,  near  Twin  Falls,  Yoho  Valley,  western  slope  of 
Rockv  Mountains,  B.C.,  altitude  6,800  feet,  September  6th, 
1904." 

49.  Barbula  inclinata   (Hedw.  fil.)  Schwaeor. 

On  damp  rocks  at  Laggan,  eastern  slope  of  Rockv  Mountains, 
altitude  5,200  ft.,    June  26th,  1904.     No.  Ib^.     New  to  Canada. 

50.  DiDYMODOx  brachydoxtius  (bruch)  Wils. 

(Trichostoman    mutabile  Notaris). 
British  Columbia,  fruiting :  A.  Brinkman,  1908. 

51.  EXCALYPTA    ALASKANA,    KiNDB. 

"E.  faviseta,"  Kindb.  in  letter  to  Macoun,  1890. 

Leaves  recurved,  not  limbate  obtuse  or  subobtuse.  Capsule 
taintly  sulcate  when  dry;  pedicel  soon  red;  calyptra  not  fringed. 

Collected  on  rocks  at  Sicamous,  B.C.,  July  3rd,  1889,  on  the 
Yoho  Pass,  B.C.,  September  2nd,  1904;  also  at  Laggan,  Alta., 
June  27th,  1904.  • 

52.  Meesra  Macounh. 

Syncecious.  Leaves  decurrent,  from  a  dilated  base  taper- 
ing to  a  gradually  attenuate,  acute,  entire  or  near  the  apex 
sparingly  dentate  acumen ;  the  upper  reflexed  at  the  borders  and 
with  an  excurrent  costa;  basal  cells  larger  than  the  upper  ones. 
Pedicel  of  capsule  to  7  cm.  long. 

M.  longiseta  differs  in  the  leaves  not  being  reflexed  and. with 
an  abbreviate  costa.  In  M.  Albertinii  the  leaves  are  entire,  their 
l")asal  cells  small;   the  pedicel  of  the  capsule  is  not  so  long. 

In  a  small  log  at  Laggan,  eastern  slope  of  Rock\'.  M-ount;iins, 
Alta.,  altitude  5,500  feet,  July  2Sth,  1904.     No.  37'. 

53.  Mielichhoferia  recurvifolia. 

Leaves  small  and  smooth,  broadlv  ovate,  obtusate  or  very 
shortly   acuminate,   slightly   denticulate  above,   often   recurved 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  183 

on  the  borders,  appressed  when  dry;  nearly  all  cells  quadrate; 
costa  percurrent.  Tufts  compact,  decolorate  with  green  branch- 
tips,  about  3  cm.  high,  in  the  lower  part  filled  by  earth.  Cap- 
sules and  flowers  not  seen. 

On  earth  by  Lake  Agnes  above  Lake  Louise,  eastern  slope 
of  Rockv  Mountains,  altitude  7,500  feet,  September  14th,  1004 
No.  34.  ' 

54.  Philonotis  microcarpa. 

Allied  to  Philonotis  marchica,  agreeing  in  the  leaves  being 
uniform,  small  and  serrate,  also  in  the  stem  being  high  and  not 
thick;  differs  in  the  leaves  being  sometimes  reflexed  at  the 
borders,  the  inner  perichetial  long,  reaching  far  above  the 
vaginula,  broad  and  acute  with  a  not  percurrent  costa;  capsule 
very  small. 

The  tufts  are  tomentose,  about  6  cm.  high;  lid  of  capsule 
conic;   pedicel  capillary,  2,  2.5  cm.  long.      Male  plants  not  seen. 

In  other  allied  species  {Ph.  Macounii  et  al)  tufts  are  very 
much  lower,  the  stems  thinner  and  subcapillary . 

Bogs  along  Pipestone  Creek,  eastern  slope  of  Rockv 
Mountians,    altitude    6,000    feet,    July    8th,    1904.      No.  75. 

55.  Philonotis    fontana     (L.)    Brid.,     var.     microthamnia, 

KiNDB.  New  variety. 

Tufts  dense,  nearly  wholly  tomentose.  Shoots  of  male 
plants  very  slender,  1-1.5  cm.  long;  barren  branches  shorter; 
stem  capillary.  Leaves  small  recurved  acuminate  acute,  spread- 
ing or  falcate  with  double  mamillse;  the  upper  longish  with 
long-excurrent  costa;  the  lower  shorter  with  shorter  costa.  All 
perigonial  leaves  obtuse;   costa  faint  or  obsolete. 

Collected  in  a  peat  bog  along  Hunker  Creek,  Yukon,  Julv, 
1902.     No.  152. 

56.  Funaria  microstoma  Bryol.  eur. 
Vancouver  Island,  1908.     New  to  Canada. 

57.  Physcomitrium  microcarpum. 

Leaves  entire,  limbate  by  one  yellow  cell-row,  ovate-oblong 
short-acuminate,  not  recurved;  the  upper  with  short-excurrent 
costa.     Capsule  small ;   lid  convex;  spores  rough;  pedicel   pale, 
finally  pale-reddish. 
Brit.  Columbia.     A.  Brinkman,  1908.     New  to  Canada. 

58.  Mnium  Seligeri,  Juratzka  &  Milde. 

On  rocks  near  Fort  Albanv,  west  coast  of  James  Bay, 
Hudson  Bay,  Augvxst  9th,  1904.'  Coll.  Mr.  W.  Spreadborough. 


184  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  IJan. 

No.  369.     On  rocks  and  earth  at  Ottawa,  October  10th,  1905. 
New  to  Canada. 

59.  Mnium  medium  Br.  eur.  *  boreale,  Kindb. 

Near  Fort  Albany,  James  Bay,  Hudson  Bay,  August  9th, 
1904.     Coll.  W.  Spreadborough. 

New  to  Canada.     Also  found  in  Illinois  by  C.  F.  Baker. 

60.  Mnium     Blyttii    Br.    eur.,    var.  microphyllum,   Kindb- 

new  variety. 

Leaves  smaller,  obtusate  (not  acuminate),  generally  obtuse 
and  elliptic,  rarely  with  a  very  short  point;  only  shoot-leaves 
green,  the  others  purplish-red. 

In  bogs  along  Hunker  Creek,  Yukon.  Not  unc.mmon. 
Collected  in  July,    1902.      Nos.   218,   219,   21,3  in  part. 

61.  Mnium  Macounii. 

Agrees  with  M.  riparium.  Mitt.,  in  the  leaves  of  the  barren 
stems  being  loosely  disposed  and  crisped  when  dry. 

Differs  in  leaves  being  very  much  smaller,  nearly  always 
simply  dentate  (or  entire  at  least  below  the  iniddle),  very  rarely 
doubly  dentate;  nearly  all  cells  of  the  same  size  (not  smaller 
towards  the  margins),  also  (and  principally)  in  the  short  costa. 

Leaves  generally  obtusate  (short-pointed  or  acute),  more 
or  less  (or  not)  decurrent;  the  lower  leaves  smaller  and  broadly 
oval  often  reddish;  the  upper  generally  oval  (or  rarely  oblong); 
all  with  a  border  of  2-3  rows  of  narrow  and  often  finally  red 
cells;  costa  finallv  red,  not  dentate,  abbreviate,  generally  ceasing 
far  belovv^  the  apex.  Stem  purplish.  Tufts  large,  very  radiculose 
at  the  base,  dense,  1  cm.  high  or  lower.  Dioecious.  Capsules 
not  seen. 

In  peat  bogs  along  Bonanza  and  Hunker  Creeks,  Yu  on, 
July.  1902.      Nos.  212,  233b. 

62.  Bryum  cyclophylloides. 

Differs  from  B.  cydophyllum  (Schw.)  Br.  eur. 

Upper  leaves  more  concave,  crowded  (and  green),  the  lower 
rufescent;  cells  somewhat  larger,  the  alar  rufous;  costa  per- 
current,  often  red.     Capsules  not  seen 

In  a  small  pool  by  Pipestone  Creek,  eastern  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,    altitude    6,500    feet     July    6th,    1904.      No.  84. 

63.  Bryum  pendulum    (Hornsch.)  Schimper.,   *  Nanum. 
Differs  in  capsule  being  minute,  pedicel  less  than  1  cm.  long, 

stem  very  short  with  gemmiform  shoots. 

On  Cape  Henrietta  Maria,  west  side  of  James  Bay,  Hudson 
Bay,  August  9th,  1904.     Coll.  Wm.  Spreadborough.    'No.  364.        ^Uii 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  1S5 

64.  Bryum  pendulum  *  longipes. 

Differs  in  its  narrow  capsule  with  a  mamillate  lid,  costa  of 
leaves  short-excurrent. 

On  earth  at  Laggan,  eastern  slope  of  Rockv  Mountains, 
altitude  5,200  feet,  June  26th,  1904.     No.   132. 

65.  Bryum  subpercurrentinerve. 

Leaves  crowded,  concave,  not  decurrent,  diversiform,  entire, 
not  large,  twisted  when  dry;  cells  dilated  subrhombic;  costa  red. 
Older  leaves  with  red  insertion.  Upper  stem-leaves  oval-oblong 
subacute,  mostly  limbate  and  reflexed;  costa  percurrent  or 
rarelv  short-excurrent.  Shoot-leaves  and  lower  stem-leaves  oval, 
not  distinctly  limbate,  slightly  or  not  reflexed,  very  obtuse, 
arrounded  at  the  apex;  costa  not  percurrent.  Capsules  not 
seen;  pedicel  capillary,  1.5  to  2  cm.  long.  Dioecious.  Tufts 
dense,  green  above,  2-3  cm.  high. 

Very  peculiar  in  the  round-obtuse  shoot-leaves  with  their 
abbreviate  costa. 

Bogs  along  Pipestone  Creek,  eastern  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,    altitude    6,000    feet,    July    8th,    1904.      No.  89. 

66.  Bryum    (B.  parvulum  Ivindb  in  Revue  Bryolgique) 

Macounii    (New  name). 

Capsule  suboval,  not  constricted, brown  and  pendent,  small, 
neck  longish;  lid  large  convex  mamillate,  red  and  nitid;  teeth 
brown;  endostomial  segments  entire,  pale;  cilia  wanting; 
pedicel  1  cm.  long;  spores  about  0.03  mm.  Leaves  small  and 
short,  ovate-oblong,  short-acuminate  acute,  recurved  and  entire, 
more  or  less  limbate;  insertion  red;  cells  rhombic;  costa  red, 
percurrent.  Tufts  low  and  compact;  stems  subgemmiform. 
Svnoecious.  Habit  of  Bryum  archangelicum;  it  differs  in  monoecious 
inflorescence,  costa  of  leaves  excurrent,  etc.  B.  lacustre  differs 
in  the  small  lid  of  the  capsule,  endostomial  segments  fenestrate, 
narrower  leaf-cells,  loose  tufts,  etc. 

On  wet  earth  and  rocks  at  Gaspe  Basin,  Oaspe  County,  Que.. 
August,  1907.     Coll.  John  Macoun. 

67.  Bryum    (Webera   vel  Pohlia)   obtusatum. 

Leaves  small  and  distant  but  neither  decurrent  nor  reflexed, 
ovate-oblong  or  ovate,  obtusate,  generally  obtuse;  distinctly 
denticulate  to  the  middle;  cells  somewhat  wide;  costa  abbrevi- 
ate. Lower  leaves  shorter,  round-obtuse,  sometimes  faintly  rose- 
red.  Perichetial  leaves  suboblong  shortish,  not  acuminate, 
generallv  obtuse,  rarely  subacute.  Stem  red.  Shoots  long  with 
capillary  stem  and  short,  much  distant  and  patent  leaves.  Tufts 
7  cm.  high.      Dioecious.     Capsule  not  seen. 


186 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


[Jan. 


In  the  railway  ditch  at  Hector,  western  slope  of  Rocky 
Mountains,  B.C.,  altitude  5,200  feet,  August  4th,  1904. 
No.  265a. 

68.  Bryum  alpiniforme,  Kindb. 

Cat.  Can.  Plants,  p. 271. 

Hitherto  found  only  in  a  sterile  state.  Capsule  sometimes 
asymmetric;  cilia  appendiculate;  spores  0.01  mm.  Stem  4-5 
cm.  high. 

In  the  railway  ditch  at  Hector,  with  the  preceding  species, 
on  same  date.     No.  274  in  part. 

69.  Bryum   subobtusifolium,  C.   Mueller,  musci 

tschuchtschici. 

Differs  from  B.  ohtusijolium,  Lindb,  leaves  less  loosely 
disposed,  shorter-decurrent  and  often  limbate.  Sterile.  The 
tufts  are  7  cm.  high. 

On  Southampton  Island,  Hudson  Bay,  August  9th,  1904 
Coll.  Commander  A.  P.  Low.     No.  33  7.     New  to  America. 

70.  Bryum   (Webera)  subcucullatum,  C.  M.   &  Kindb. 

Cat.   Can.   Plants,  p.  113. 

It  seems  to  be  a  good  species,  when  the  inflorescence  is 
paroecious.  It  was  regarded  by  me  (in  Eur.  and  N.  Amer. 
Brvineae)  as  a  subspecies  of  B.  conimntatum. 

Collected  on  the  "Saddle"  above  Lake  Louise,  eastern  slope 
of  Rockv  xMountains,  altitude  7,300  feet,  July  20th,  1904. 
No.  77. 

71.  Bryum  aurimontanum. 

Nearly  allied  to  Bryum  arcticum  in  peristome,  spores  and 
synoecious  inflorescence. 

Differs  from  it:  Leaves  shorter,  subovate,  dentate  near 
apex,  yellowish  (not  red-)  limbate;  capsule  less  narrowed  to  the 
mouth. 

On  earth  at  Dawson  City,  Yukon,  July  14th,  1902.    No.  163. 

72.  Bryum  submicans. 

Allied  to  Bryum  arcticum\  but  capsules  are  less  narrowed  to 
the  mouth;  leaves  yellowish-limbate. 

Differs  from  Bryum  micans,  Limpr.  Capsule  longer,  oval- 
oblong  (not  subglobose).  Leaves  longer,  broadly  (not  narrowly) 
limbate,  the  upper  with  long-excurrent  costa.  Pedicel  of 
capsule  longer,  3-4  cm. 

Inflorescence  and  spores  as  in  B.  micans  and  not  B.  arcticum,. 

In  peat  bogs  along  Bonanza  Creek,  Yukon,  July  18th,  1902. 
Coll.  John  Macoun.     No.  173  in  part. 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  187 

73.  Bryum  subneodamense. 

Differs  from  Bryum  neodamense  Itz.  Leaves  very  much 
smaller  and  broader,  suborbicular,  not  or  slightlv  decurrent- 
limb  of  only  2-3  cell-rows.  Capsule  not  seen.  Habit  of  Mmum 
hymeno phylloides .  "It  is  not  identical  with  Bryum  suborbictdare . 
Philib."     Brotherus  has  written  so  to  me. 

Borders  of  Bonanza  Creek,  Yukon,  July  18th,  1902.  No. 
211a.     Coll.  John  Macoun. 

74.  Bryum  pallescens,  var.  grande. 

Leaves  narrowly  lanceolate  long-acuminate  entire.     Pedicel 

of  capsule  S-6  cm.  long.    Spores  verv  small,  0.01  mm.  Synoecious. 

On  rocks  at  Goldstream,  Vancouver  Island,  June  8th.  1908. 

75.  Bryum   Lowii. 

Synoecious.  Leaves  small,  red,  round-oval  obtuse  (or  the 
uppermost  subacute),  entire  and  not  limbate,  not  (or  only  the 
uppermost)  refiexed  at  borders,  somewhat  loosely  disposed, 
slightly  or  not  decurrent ;  insertion  pale ;  cells  subrhombic ; 
costa  red  abbreviate.  Ripe  capsules  not  seen,  pedicel  capillar3^ 
1  cm.  long.  Tufts  dense,  1-2  cm.  high.  Probably  allied  to 
B.  erythrophyllum  Kindb. 

Hudson  Bav,  Southampton  Island:  Commander  A.  P. 
Low,  1904. 

76.  Bryum  julaceum. 

Fruiting  stem  gemmiform ;  shoots  julaceous  or  gemmiform. 
Capsule  brown,  oblong,  not  large:  neck  short;  lid  large  convex 
mamillate:  cilia  appendiculate;  spores  about  0,  01  m.m.: 
pedicel  2-3  cm.  long.  Leaves  reflexed  but  not  limbate,  ovate- 
oblong  entire,  more  or  less  actiminate;  insertion  red:  cells  small 
rhomboidal:  costa  long-excurrent,  denticulate  above,  finally 
red.  Tufts  low  and  dense.  Dioecious.  Allied  to  Bryum 
Kunzei,  Hornsch. 

British    Columbia,    Pipestone    Pass.     7,400     ft.    Alt.    1904. 

77.  Bryum  neodamense,  Itzigs. 
Ottawa,  1907.     New  to  Canada. 

78.  Bryum   glaciale. 

Polygamous  or  monoecious.  Capsule  small  brown,  oblong 
strangulate;  neck  short;  lid  conic  mamillate;  teeth  yellowish; 
cilia  appendiculate;  spores  about  0,  01  m.m.;  pedicel  1  cm. 
long.  Leaves  small  and  generally  flat  (rarely  recurved)  at 
borders,  crowded  and  not  decurrent,  ovate  or  ovate-oblong 
acute,   entire  and   not   distinetlv  limbate;    insertion  red:    cells 


188  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

short,  somewhat  wide;  costa  of  stem-leaves  long-excurrent  but 
of  shoot-leaves  mostly  short-excurrent.  Tufts  dense,  green 
above,  2-3  cm.  high.  Stem  radiculose,  neither  julaceous  nor 
gemmiform.     Allied  to  B.  ccespiticium,  L. 

British  Columbia,  Skagit  Summit,  about  6,000  ft.  Alt.  J. 
M.  Macoun,  1905. 

79.  Bryum  intermedium   (Ludw.)  Brid.  subsp.  ovatifolium. 

Capsule  not  curved;  cilia  long-appendiculate ;  spores  0, 
025  m.m.  Leaves  generally  ovate  or  ovate-oblong,  those  of  the 
shoots  decurrent;   costa  of  lower  leaves  not  excurrent. 

British   Columbia,    Pipestone   Creek,    6,500   f.    a.    s.,    1904. 

80.  Bryum  nano-c^spiticium. 

Synoecious.  Stem  very  short  with  gemmiform  shoots. 
Leaves  subovate  acute,  neither  decurrent  nor  recurved,  narrowly 
limbate,  red  at  base;  costa  short-excurrent.  Capsule  brownish; 
teeth  yellow  with  red  base;  cilia  appendiculate ;  spores  about 
0,  01  m.m.;   pedicel  3  cm.  long. 

Yukon  district.  Hunker  Creek,  1902. 

81.  Bryum   brachyneuron,   Kindb. 

British  Columbia,  Ucluelet,  1909.    New  to  Canada. 

82.  Bryum   drepanocarpum,  Philib. 

•  Scarcely  distinct  from  B.  meeseoides.     New  to  Canada. 
British  "Columbia,  Ucluelet,  1909. 

83.  Bryum  camptocarpum,  Cardot  et  Theriot. 

Differs  from  B.  ■yneeseoides  in  inonoecious  inflorescence. 
Newfoundland.     A.  C.  Waghorne. 

ADDENDUM. 

84.  Anacolia  Baueri   (Hampe),  Paris. 

CPhilonotis  leiophylla,  Kindb.,  in  Canadian  Musci). 

(Bartramia  Menziesii  Turn.;  Sulb^-ants  Icones),  found  only 
in  California,  differs  principally  in  the  not-excurrent  costa  of 
the  leaves.  All  specimens,  related  to  it  in  Catal.  of  Canad. 
Musci,  are  belonging  to  .4.  Baueri. 


85.  Camptothecium  megaptilum  Sulliv. 

Vancouver  Island,  1908.     New  to  Canada. 


86.  Isothecium   Howei,  Kindb.  f^ /^ 


Vancouver  Island,  1908.    New  to  Canada. 


*7*       VI 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  189 

87.  Oligotrichum   hercyxicum    (Rhrh.)   Lam. 

British  Columbia,  1908:     Brinkman. 

88.  Brachythecium   velutinum,  Br.   eur.   subsp.   curviram- 

EUM. 

Leaves  smaller,  sometimes  recurved  below;  cells  generally 
wider,  lanceolate,  the  alar  well-distinct;  costa  longer,  ceasing 
in  the  acumen.  Perichetial  leaves  faintly  denticulate.  Branches 
subjulaceous,  often  curved.  Capsule  smaller  than  in  the 
common  form. 

Quebec,  1905. 

89.  Brachythecium    (sect.   Rutabula)   laxirete. 

Leaves  ovate-lanceolate  acuminate,  not  plicate,  long-de- 
current,  not  or  only  at  the  base  recurved,  nearly  appressed  when 
drv;  alar  cells  quadrate  numerous,  not  large;  other  cells  lanceo- 
late; costa  mostlv  short,  rarely  percurrent.  vStem-leaves  short- 
acuminate,  nearlv  entire;  branch-leaves  long-acuminate  with 
subulate  or  filiform  point,  nearly  entire  below,  serrate  above. 
Tufts  not  glossy.  Stem  irregularly  divided.  Monoecious. 
Capsule  unknown. 

Differs  from  B.  mtahulum  in  smaller,  nearly  appressed 
leaves,  those  of  the  branches  longer-acuminate,  wider  leaf-cells, 
etc.     Approved  bv  Dr.  Brotherus. 

British  Cokimbia;     Brinkman,  1908. 

90.  Brachythecium   papillipes. 

Monoecious.  Capsule  small,  cilia  appendiculate;  annulus 
not  seen;  pedicel  minutely  papillose  nearly  in  its  whole  length, 
2  cm.  long.  Leaves  somewhat  large,  ovate-lanceolate  acuminate, 
often  with  long  filiform  point,  long-decurrent,  not  auricled, 
recurved  below  at  one  side,  not  plicate,  entire  below,  slightly 
denticulate  above;  alar  cells  rectangular,  not  large,  other  cells 
linear;  costa  vanishing  below  the  acumen,  generally  reaching 
to  §. 

B.  nihabundum  differs:  Leaves  longer,  longer-acummate. 
short-decurrent,  distinctly  denticulate  at  the  acumen;  alar  ccHs 
not  well-defined;    costa  vanishing  in  acumen. 

British  Columbia,  190S;     Mr.  A.  Brinkman 

91.  Hypnum    (Drepanocladus)  Jamesii-Macoi'mi. 

("Hypnum  conflatum  subenerve"  Kiivlb.  in  letter  to 
Prof.  J.  Macoun). 

Leaves  small  ovate-oblong,  more  or  less  abruptly  tapermg 
to  a  subfiliform,  often  curved  point,  entire  and  decurrent,  neither 
striate  nor  recurved;     insertion   pale;     alar   cells  large  hyaline 


190  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

and  well-defined;  other  cells  narrow,  very  small;  costa  thin, 
mostly  indistinct,  sometimes  ceasing  below  or  near  the  iniddle. 

Dioecious.  Stem  irregularly  divided,  not  creeping;  para- 
phyllia  none.     Capsules  unknown. 

Differs  from  the  resembling  H.  KneiEii  in  small  leaf-cells 
and  indistinct  or  short  and  faint  costa.  Now  approved  by  Mr. 
Renauld. 

Alaska,  St.  Paul's  Island.  J.  M.  Macoun,  1892,  No.  113; 
Ottawa,  28th  September,  1907,  No.  268.     New  to  Canada. 

92.  Orthotrichum  affine,  Schrad.,  subsp.  subrivale. 

Capsule  and  pedicel  exserted.  Leaves  short-acuminate 
acute  (not  subulate). 

Quebec,  1905,  No.  69. 

93.  Bartramia  circinnulata,  C.   M.  et  Kindb. 

Capsule  long-pedicellate,  as  in  B.  pomiformis . 
Vancouver  Island,  1908. 

94.  BrYUM    HYDROPHILUM,    KiNDB. 

Leaves  of  fruiting  stem  narrowly  recur^-ed  in  the  lower 
part.  Cilia  of  the  endostome  appendiculate.  Spores  small, 
about  0.  01  m.m.     Dioecious.     Allied  to  B.  ventricosum. 

Vancouver  Island,  fruiting,  1908. 

95.  EURHYNCHIUM    RUSCIFORME     (WeIS)    MiLDE,    VAR.   OBTUSUM. 

Leaves  generally  obtuse,  often  arrounded  at  the  apex. 
Capsules  not  seen. 

Vancouver  Island,  1908. 

96.  Calliergon  trifarium    (Web.   et  Mohr),  subsp. 

apiculatum. 

Stem  much  divided;  branches  curved;  leaves  short-api- 
culate,  not  arrounded  at  apex,  less  strongly  appressed.  Capsules 
unknown. 

Vancouver  Island    1908. 

97.  Isothecium  myuroides,   Kindb. 

("Isothecium  aplocladum,  Mitt.:"  Kindb.,  Eur.  and  N. 
Amer.  Bryineo). 

Leaves  shorter  than  in  /.  tnyosur aides;  cells  often  oblong. 
It  is  several  times  found,  also  1908,  in  Vancouver  Island. 

98.  Weisia  Wolfii,  Lesq.   et  James. 

("W.  mucronata  Br.  eur. :"    C.  Mueller). 


1910]  Tna  Ottawa  Naturalist.  191 

Peculiar  in  the  large  spores. 

British  Columbia,  Ucluelet,  4th  June,  1909,  No.  143; 
Quebec,  Hull,  September  26th,  1907.  No.  214;  Ottawa,  October 
iUh,  1900,  No.  890. 

99.  Hypopterygium  canadense,  Kindb. 
British  Columbia,  Ucluelet,  1909. 

100.  Hypnum  callichroum,  Brid. 

Labrador,  1892  and  1894;  Rev.  A.  C.  Waghorne.  New  to 
Canada. 

101.  Bryum   hamicuspis,   Kindb.,   Hedwigia,   1903. 

Agrees  with  B.  pallescens:  Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  long- 
attenuate,  broadly  limbate,  recurved  all  around,  not  decurrent; 
insertion  deep-red.  Capsule  somewhat  narrow,  strangulate,  not 
pendent;  lid  large  convex;  teeth  pale;  cilia  appendiculate. 
Tuft  dense. 

Differs  from  it:  Leaves  more  distinctly  denticulate;  costa 
short-excurrent  to  a  curved,  not  long  point.  Capsule  brown 
with  a  short  neck.     Spores  0,  01  m.m.     Dioecious. 

Ontario,    Cape    Vincent,    Kingston:      Prof.    Fowler,    1881. 

102.  Bryum  columbico-c^spiticium,  Kindb.,  Hedwigia,  I.e. 
Differs  from  B.  coespiticimn:     Capsule  longer,  subcylindric ; 

pedicel  often  very  (5-8  cm.)  long  and  geniculate.     Synoecious. 
Costa  of  leaves  mostlv  short-excurrent. 

British  Columbia,  Revelstoke.  1890,  Vancouver  Island. 
Comox.  1887,  No.  92. 

103.  Didymodon  Dieckii,   Broth. 
Vancouver  Island,  1909. 

104.  Thamnium   pseudo-neckeroides,  Kindb., 

Hedwigia,   1902,  p.   219. 

(Hypnum  alleghaniense,  Canad.  Musci,  No.  102). 

It  is  more  allied  to  T.  Leibergii,  Britton,  than  to  T.  alle- 
ghaniense, Bryol.  eur. ;  but  is  perhaps  only  a  subspecies.  It 
differs  indeed:  nearly  all  leaves  ovate-oblong  with  a  subulate 
acumen.  Stem  sometimes  with  paraphyllia;  branches  after 
complamte.     Dioecious. 

Ottawa,  Owen  Sound  and  Cape  Breton.  British  Columbia, 
Ucluelet,  1909. 

Obs.  The  species,  subspecies  and  varieties,  not  marked 
with  the  name  of  the  author,  are  already  by  myself  described  as 
nctv  in  the  Journal  "Revue  Brvologique,"  the  vears  1904-1909. 


192  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Jan. 

A  GANNET  NEAR  OTTAWA. 

A  very  beautiful  specimen  of  a  juvenal  of  the  Gannet,  or 
Solan  Goose  {Sula  bassana,  Boie.)  was  shot,  October  14th,  at 
Shirley's  Bay,  seven  miles  above  Britannia  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Slack, 
90  Elm  St.,  Ottawa.  When  Mr.  Slack  first  saw  the  bird  it  was 
apparently  feeding  about  300  yards  from  the  shore  and  while  he 
was  endeavoring  to  decide  how  best  to  reach  it  with  a  rifle  shot 
the  bird  rose  and  flew  straight  towards  him.  Fortunately  Mr. 
Slack  had  a  shot-gun  with  him  and  with  that  the  bird  was  killed. 
It  was  secured  for  the  Geological  Survey  Museum  and  is  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  bird  collection.  The  Solan  Goose  breeds 
abundantly  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  has  been  taken  a 
few  times  on  Lake  Ontario,  but  this  is  the  first  record  of  its 
occurrence  near  Ottawa. 

J.   M.   M. 


CONTRIBUTIONS    FROM    THE    HERBARIUM    OF    THE 

GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 


By  James  M.   Macoun. 


Phegopteris  Robertianum,   (Hoff^m.)  A.   Br. 

P.  Dryopteris  var.  Rohertianiim  (Hoffm.),  Macoun  Cat.  Can. 
PI.  II.:  270. 

On  rocks,  Hunker  Creek,  Yukon,  No.  78,  293;  four  miles 
up  Klondike  River,  Yukon,  No.  78,  292.      {John  Macoun). 

Sporobolus  uniflorus,   (Muhl.)   Scribn.   and  Merr. 

On  rocks  at  Petawawa  Falls,  Algonquin  Park,  Ont.,  July 
23rd,  .1900,  Herb.  No.  21,915.  {John  Macoun).  Not  before 
recorded  from  Canada. 

Eleocharis  nitida,   Fernald. 

In  a  swamp  at  Parker's,  nine  miles  from  Ouyon,  Que.  No. 
61,199.  Only  known  station.  This  species  and  K.  Macounii, 
collected  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun  near  North  Wakefield,  Que.,  are 
both  described  in  the  new  edition  of  Gray's  Manual  and  should  be 
looked  for  in  other  localities  bv  Ottawa  collectors. 

Carex  cephaloidea,  Boott. 

The  only  Canadian  locality  from  which  we  have  recorded 
this  species  is  London,  Ont.  Later  records  are:  Gait,  Ont.,  No. 
78,035  {W.  Herriot);  Hull,  Que.,  No.  61,146:  near  Wakefield, 
Que.,  No.  78,179,  and  Tilsonburg,  Ont..  No.  33,732.  {John 
Macoun). 


1^10]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  193 

Salix  texkra,  Anders. 

This  species  was  described  from  specimens  collected  by 
Lyall  at  7.000  feet  altitude  on  the  International  boundary  in 
1860  and  was  not  collected  in  Canada  again  until  found  bv  the 
writer  in  1905,  probably  on  the  same  mountain  on  which  Lyall 
hrst  saw  it.  Second  summit  west  of  Skagit  River,  altitude  6,500 
feet.      No.  73,674. 

Abkoxia  umbellata.  Lane. 

The  record  made  for  this  species  on  page  148  of  The 
Ottawa  Naturalist  should  have  been  credited  to  Mr.  James 
Fraser  instead  of  Mr.  George  Fraser. 

Ranunculus  Lobbii,  A.   Grav. 

Abundant  in  Lost  Lake  near  Victoria,  Vancouver  Island, 
Herb.  No.  77,391.  May  11th,  1908,  in  fine  fruit.  {John  Macoun). 
Not  before  recorded  north  of  Oregon. 

Cakile   edentula,   (Bigel.)   Hook. 

C.  Americana,  Nutt.:    Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  PI.  I:    58. 

Abundant  at  Long  Beach,  20  miles  north  of  Ucleulet,  west 
coast  of  Vancouver  Island,  B.C.,  Augvist  7th,  1909.  Herb.  No. 
78,288.  {John  Macoun).  Not  recorded  in  Canada  west  of  Lake 
vSuperior  nor  on  the  Pacific  Coast  north  of  California. 

Alth.-ea  officinalis,  L. 

Brother  Victorin  of  Longueuil  College  reports  this  species 
to  be  very  common  in  pastures  at  Oka,  Que.  We  have  no  other 
record  of  its  occurrence  in  Canada. 

Bartonia  Virgixica,   (L.)   B   S  p. 

The  cnlv  .specimens  we  have  of  this  beautiful  species  were 
collected  by  Dr.  Chas.  A.  Hamilton  in  pastures  on  both  sides  of 
the  Feauxbourg  Road  iust  south  of  Mahone  Bay,  N.S.  Dr. 
Hamilton  reports  it  as  growing  quite  plentifully  over  30  or  40 
acres  of  pasture.  The  soil  was  thin  and  peaty  but  not  swampy. 
The  plants  associated  with  it  were  Pteris  aquilina,  Mynca 
asplenfolia,  GauUheria  prociinibens,  etc.     Herb.  No.  78,291. 

Amsinckia  lycopsoides,  Lehm. 

Douglas,  B.C.  No.  76,744.  {Wm.  Sprcadboroiigh).  Common 
in  suitable  localities  on  Vancouver  Island  but  not  before  re- 
corded from  mainland  of  British  Columbia. 

COLEOSANTHUS    OBLONGIFOLIUS,     (Nutt.) 

Brickellia  oblongijolia,  Macoun,  Cat.  Can.  Pl.  I:    207. 

This  plant,  which  is  hardly  distinguishable  from  C.  linif alius, 
was  collected  by  Lvall  "on  mountain  slopes  along  the  southern 
boundarv  of  British  Columbia"  but  not  again  until  it  was  found 
bv  the  M-riter  in  the  Skagit  Vallev,  B.C.,  in   1908,     Herb.   N'.. 


194  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  (Jan. 

76,863,  probably  near  where  Lyall  found  it,  as  he  travelled  along 
the  same  trail. 

Antennaria  neodioica.  Greene  var.   Gaspensis,  Fernald. 

Ottawa  Naturalist   XIX:  p.    156. 

When  this  plant  was  described  by  Mr.  Fernald  it  was  known 
from  the  Bay  of  Chaleurs  and  the  upper  part  of  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence.  Specimens  collected  by  Prof.  Macoun  at  Jupiter 
River,  Anticosti,  August  20th,  1883,  No.  70,448,  have  recently 
been  determined  as  this  varietv  bv  Mr.  Fernald. 


BIRDS  OBSERVED  AT  COBOCONK,  ONT. 


By  J.  A.  MiTNRo,  Toronto. 


May  22nd,  23rd  and  24th  of  1909  were  spent  by  the 
writer  in  the  vicinitv  of  Coboconk,  Victoria  County,  and  the 
following  notes  were  made  on  the  birds  of  the  district : — 

Observations  were  confined  to  a  tract  of  about  400  acres, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  covered  with  original  forest,  maple, 
elm,  Initternut,  birch  and  a  few  hemlock,  spruce  and  balsam. 
The  second  growth  is  chiefly  oak,  black  ash,  iron  wood,  birch 
and  poplar.  Between  the  wooded  portion  of  the  farm  and  the 
lake  there  are  60  acres  of  cleared  ground,  on  which  the  stumps 
of  the  old  pine  forest,  cut  40  years  ago,  are  still  standing.  Some 
of  these  fire  blackened  stubs  are  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high  and 
afford  excellent  nesting  places  for  Robins,  Bluebirds  and 
Bronzed  Grackles.  Within  the  last  few  years  a  number  of  the 
stumps  have  been  removed  and  piled  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing. 
The  deep  cavities  between  the  roots  were  used  as  nesting  sites 
by  Robins  and  Song  Sparrows. 
Spotted  Sandpiper — Two  seen. 
Ruffed  Grouse — Slightlv  on  the  increase ;  one  nest  containing  ten 

eggs  was  found  within  500  yards  of  the  farm  house. 
Sparrow  Hawk — One  seen. 
Arctic  Three-toed  Woodpecker — One  seen. 
Red-headed  Woodpecker-^One  seen. 

Northern  Flicker — Common  ;  one  pair  nesting  in  a  hemlock  stub. 
Whip-poor-will — Common. 
Nighthawk — Common. 
Kingbird — Common;  they  frequently  build  on  top  of  the  pine 

stumps  near  the  water. 
Crested  Flycatcher — Common. 
Phoebe — Common. 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  195 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher — Two  seen,  one  of  which  was  collected. 

Wood  Peewee — Two  seen. 

Least  Flycatcher — Very  common. 

Blue  Jay — Common. 

American  Crow — Five  seen. 

Co  wbird — Common . 

Meadowlark — Common. 

Bronzed  Grackle — Very  common ;  two  nests  each  containini^  five 
eggs  were  found.  The  first  was  a  bulky  nest,  made  of  roots, 
weed  stalks,  cedar  bark  and  dry  grass,  lined  with  fine  roots 
and  wiry  grass.  The  botto-n  was  reinforced  with  clay.  It 
was  placed  in  a  depression  at  the  top  of  a  fifteen  foot  pine 
stub.  The  second  nest  consistcfi  of  a  few  pieces  of  dry  grass 
and  twigs,  lining  the  bottom  of  a  deserted  woodpecker's 
liole,  twelve  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  pine  stub. 

American  Crossbill — One  pair  seen. 

American  Goldfinch — Common. 

Vesper  Sparraw — Common. 

White-throated  Sparrow — Common. 

Chipping  Sparrow — Common;  one  empty  nest  found. 

Slate-colored  Junco — Six  seen ;  one  nest  containing  3  eggs  was 
found. 

Song  Sparrow — Common;  one  nest,  built  between  the  roots  of 
an  overturned  pine  stump  and  containing  four  eggs.  One 
nest,  five  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  birch  and  containing  4 
eggs. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak — Common. 

Cliff  Swallow — Common. 

Barn  Swallow — Common. 

Tree  Swallow — Common ;  in  this  locality  the}-  invariably  select 

for  nesting  sites  the  cavities  in  the  manv  stumps  which  stand 

in  the  water  close  to  shore. 
Cedar  Waxwing — Common. 
Red-eyed  Vireo — Common. 
Black  and  White  Warbler — Three  seen. 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler — Five  seen. 
Myrtle  Warbler — Four  seen. 
Magnolia  Warbler — Common. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler — Ver}^  common. 
Blackburnian  Warbler — Two  seen. 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler — One  seen. 
American  Redstart — Two  seen. 
Catbird — Common. 
Brown    Thrasher — Common:  one    nest    containinu    4    eggs    w  a> 

found. 


SOIREES. 

The  first  lecture  of  the  winter  series  was  held  on  Tuesday. 
November  the  9th,  1909,  the  lecturer  of  the  evening  being  our 
esteemed  member,  Mr.  W.  E.  Saunders  of  London,  Ont.  "Home 
Birds  and  Wanderers"  was  the  subject  chosen  by  the  speaker, 
and  it  proved  a  most  interesting  one  to  the  large  audience  which 
filled  the  Assembly  Hall  of  the  Normal  School.  Mr.  Saunders 
spoke  in  a  delightfully  interesting  manner,  and  illustrated  many 
of  his  remarks  with  the  calls  and  songs  of  the  birds  he  loved 
and  described.  Preserved  specimem^of rtO-anv  of  the  birds 
referred  to  were  exhibited.  ^^^TO' 


<* 


196  The  Ott.a.w.\  N.\tur.\list.  [Jax. 

House  Wren — Common  ;  a  pair  were  nesting  in  a  cavity  in  the 
top  rail  of  a  snake  fence. 

Chickadee — Common. 

Wilson's  Thrush — Common. 

Olive-backed  Thrush — One  seen. 

Hermit  Thrush — Common.  M 

American  Robin — Seven  nests  were  found  within  the  radius  of  " 

400  vards:  one  in  a  small  spruce,  one  in  a  white  pine,  two  ■!■{ 

oh  the  tops  of  pine  stumps  and  three  between  the  roots  of  ^ 

upturned  pine  stumps.  ^^ 

Bluebird — Common;  one   nest    containing   6    eggs,    in   a   wood-  ^ 

pecker's  hole,  20  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  hemlock  stub. 


FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 

The  Committee  in  charge  of  this  Fund  recently  met  in  the 
Carnegie  Library,  and  a  further  circular  was  drafted  to  be  sent 
to  mem.bers  of  the  Club  and  friends  of  the  late  Dr.  Fletcher  who 
had  subscribed  to  the  Fund  but  had  not  remitted  to  the 
Secretarv-Treasurer,  (Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  Central  Experimental 
Farm)  the  amount  of  their  subscription.  Another  circular  was 
also  prepared,  to  be  miailed  to  those  who  had  received  the  first 
circular,  but  who  had  net  responded.  Both  of  these  circulars 
were  sent  out  in  December,  and  the  Committee  are  so  far  much 
gratified  at  the  results.  There  still,  however,  are  many  mem- 
bers of  the  Club,  v/hom  the  Committee  feel  sure  desire  to  con- 
tribute, and  these  and  others  who  have  not  as  yet  sent  in  their 
subscription  to  the  Secretary-Treasurer,  are  requested  to  attend 
to  this  matter  as  soon  as  possible,  in  order  that   the   Committee  5 

may  make  final  arrangements  for  the  work  m  connection  Vv^ith 
the  Memorial,  which,  as  our  readers  are  aware,  is  to  take  the 
form   of  a  drinking  fountain  at  the  Central  Experimental  Farm. 


*,; 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.         OTTAWA,   FEBRUARY,   1910  No.   11 


EVERYDAY  ORNITHOLOGY. 


By  Normax  Criddle,  Treesbank,  Man. 


The  following  notes  are  made  up  simply  of  observations 
recorded  in  my  note  book  at  Aweme,  Man.,  supplemented  with 
additional  remarks  to  make  the  whole  appear  less  disjointed 
and  more  complete  in  detail.  They  are  mere  extracts'  from  a 
mass  of  material  covering  a  period  of  four  years,  commencing  in 
1906.  They  are  given  in  the  original  form,  not  only  because 
that  saves  labor,  but  chiefly  because  it  gives  them  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  made  in  the  field,  which  is  indeed  the  case. 

1906. 

January  10. — It  seems  remarkable  that  |5artridges  (Ruffed 
Grouse)  should  have  a  preference  for  certain  clumps  of  trees 
upon  which  they  make  their  evening  meal  by  eating  the  buds, 
but  such  is  the  case.  Not  only  do  they  return  to  the  same  locality 
week  after  week  throughout  the  winter  months,  but  the  same 
clumps  seem  to  be  selected  year  after  year. 

About  one  hundred  yards  from  the  farm  buildings  there 
is  a  bluff  which  contains  a  few  hundred  trees,  all  aspens  of 
medium  size,  with  smaller  ones  and  hazel  brush  beneath. 
The  larger  trees  are  those  selected,  and  every  evening  shortly 
after  sunset  five  or  six  partridges  appear,  sometimes  flying  from 
a  considerable  distance.  About  the  same  number  turned  up 
last  year,  and  also  the  previous  winter.  That  they  are  gradually 
stripping  the  trees  of  their  buds  and  consequently  preventing 
the  grov/th  of  leaves  there  is  no  doubt,  but  fortunately  they 
confine  themselves  largely  to  those  buds  that  in  the  course  of 
time  would  produce  catkins,  so  that  the  injury  is  not  as  great  as 
might  be  suspected,  though  it  is  very  evident  when  the  leaves 
appear.  During  the  day  these  birds  content  themselves  with 
eating  hazel  catkins,  rose-berries  and  such  other  fruits  as  appear 
above  the  snow.  Consequently  aspens  and  other  poplars  only 
suffer  once  in  24  hours. 


198  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Feb.  .|. 

February    19. — About    a   week   ago   we   found   a    Redpoll  W 

unable  to  fly  though  in  apparently  excellent  condition.     It  was  '■;■ 

taken  into  the  house  and  ate  well  for  two  days,  at  the  end  of  ',•;; 

which  period  it  died.     I  found  another  to-day  that  went  off  in  m 

the  same  way.     Both  of  these  were  in  dull  plumage.  " 

March    4. — Another    Redpoll    was    discovered    dead    this  ^* 

morning,  a  male,  in  perfect  plumage.     This  had  been  observed  ';;. 

to  be  weakening  for  some  days  past,  though  like  the  others  it  M 
fed  to  within  a  short  time  of  its  death.  An  examination  showed  Ifc 
it  to  be  rather  thin,  but  the  cause  of  death  appeared  to  have  ^ 

been  due  to  a  large  clot  of  blood  on  the  back  portion  of  its  skull. 
These  birds  all  died  slowly,  and  when  found  were  in  a  sitting         ^ 
position,  as  if  thev  had  gone  to  sleep  and  so  died. 

Redpolls  have  been  very  plentiful  throughout  the  winter, 
and  as  the  snow  was  deep  were  attracted  in  large  numbers  to 
seeds  placed  for  their  use,  and  consisting  chieflv  of  lambs- 
quarters,  with  a  small  quantity  of  wild  buckwheat  mixed  in. 
Is  it  this  abundance  of  food  without  the  customary  exercise  in 
procuring  it  that  has  been  responsible  for  this  mortality  by  a  form 
o6  apoplexy' 

March  17. — Watched  a  full  plumaged  Redpoll  courting  a 
female.    She  sat  quietly  on  a  bough  some  20  feet  from  the  ground  -^ 

while  he  displaying  his  bright  colours  to  full  advantage  remained         ^i 
almost  stationary  before  her  by  means  of  a  rapid  movement  of         ■■^, 
his  wings.     While  thus  occupied  he  indulged  in  incessant  song  of 
a  decidedly  more  variable  nature  than  is  usually  heard  at  this 
time  of  the  year.    After  continuing  this  arduous  love-making  for 
some  twenty  seconds  he  flew  to  a  neighbouring  tree  where  he  H 

was  quickly  joined  by  his  lady  love,    and  eventually  they  flew 
off  in  company  apparently  mutually  satisfied. 

These  birds  are  supposed  to  leave  us  in  summer  time  to 
breed  farther  north,  and  according  to  Macoun's  Catalogue  their 
nests  have  been  found  in  some  numbers  both  in  Labrador  and 
Hudson's  Bay  during  May  and  June.  Now,  as  they  seldom  all 
leave  us  before  the  middle  of  May,  and  as  both  males  and  females 
were  observed  in  the  hills  among  spruce  woods  on  June  11th, 
1909,  there  seems  to  be  reasonable  grounds  for  suspecting  them 
of  breeding  in  the  province. 

May  10. — On  a  newly  ploughed  field  that  had  not  been  under 
cultivation  for  two  years,  White  Grubs  (Lachnosterna  sp.)  were 
very  plentiful,  but  everyone  exposed  by  the  plough  was  eagerly 
picked  up  l)y  crows,  a  large  number  of  which  were  breeding  close 
at  hand.  A  rough  estimate  places  the  number  of  larvae  eaten  at 
fully  2,000  to  the  acre,  but  the  full  number  consumed  probably 
far  exceeds  that  amount. 


•».- 


1910|  The  Ottawa   Naturalisi.  199 

May  U. — Among  the  male  birds  that  habitually  feed  the 
females  while  they  are  nesting,  Crows  and  Chickadees  are  notable 
examples.  The  former  does  so  throughout  the  brooding  period, 
and  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  the  hen  bird  reverts  to  that  method 
of  calling  for  food  so  characteristic  of  the  young,  with  the  same 
excitement  and  fluttering  of  wings  vrhen  food  is  brought  within 
viev/.  The  Chickadee  goes  still  further  and  feeds  his  mate  with 
nice  juicy  caterpillars  weeks  before  she  commences  to  lay.  He, 
also,  like  the  Crow,  takes  an  active  share  in  nest  building. 
Blue  Jays  likev/ise  become  very  polite  to  the  females  by  procuring 
food  before  and  when  she  is  brooding.  They  make  an  extremel}' 
affectionate  couple  at  this  time  of  year  and  can  constantly  be 
heard  talking  softly  together.  I  believe  there  are  few,  if  any, 
Canadian  birds  that  have  such  a  complete  code  of  signals. 

May  30. — The  Redbacked  Cutworm  is  doing  an  immense 
amount  of  damage  to  growing  grain,  and  our  friends  the  Crows 
are  once  more  at  work  for  their  own  benefit  and  incidentally  ours. 
From  18  to  32  v/ere  counted  together  at  different  times  to-day 
on  an  infested  field,  and  close  inspection  shows  where  they  have 
dug  the  Cutworms  out,  while  watching  detects  many  a  beak  full 
being  taken  to  the  nests. 

Crows  have  by  no  means  a  good  reputation,  especially  in 
corn  belts,  or  among  sportsmen,  who  accuse  them  of  much 
damage  to  winged  game  through  eating  eggs  and  young,  but  the 
injury  is  much  exaggerated.  We  are  apt  to  overlook  the  good 
deeds,  as  the  picking  up  of  small  objects,  such  as  noxious  insects; 
whereas,  to  see  a  Crow  fly  off  v.nth  a  young  bird  is  much  more 
likely  to  attract  attention,  espec  lally  if  the  parents  are  attempt- 
ing some  sort  of  defence.  As  to  the  destruction  of  eggs  of  Grouse 
by  Crov.'s,  these  birds  are  so  admirably  suited  in  colour  fo- 
concealment  that  it  is  onlv  on  very  rare  occasions,  provided  the 
birds  are  not  otherwise  disturbed,  that  their  nests  are  discovereo. 

July  14. — Found  the  nest  of  an  Ovenbird  in  woods  near 
some  large  aspens.  It  was  of  a  dome  shape,  rather  elliptical  in 
outline,  and  so  remarkably  well  const rudcd  outside  with  dead 
leaves  and  grass,  that  it  would  almost  surely  have  passed  for  a 
slight  rise  in  the  ground  had  I  not  flushed  the  bird.  Inside  the 
nest  were  four  voung,  .surrounded  by  a  lining  of  fine  grass  and 
horsehair. 

July  15.— Several  Crows  have  been  found  dead  recently, 
apparentlv  in  good  condition.  They  seem  to  have  died  suddenly. 
sometimes  while  flying,  but  I  could  discover  no  cause  for  this. 
If  the  death  role  has  been  as  high  in  other  parts,  many  thousands 
must  have  perished. 

July  27.— Three  more  Crows  found  dead,     two  full  grown 


200  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [Feb 

young  and  an  adult.  A  3-oung  bird  fuUy^fledged  was  also  dis- 
covered in  a  weak  condition,  though  nothing  could  V:e  fovmd  to 
account  for  its  skiggishness. 

1907. 

February  6. — A  small  band  of  Chickadees  have  been  with 
us  since  the  winter  commenced,  feeding  upon  pieces  of  suet 
placed  for  their  convenience.  Recently  this  has  become  scarce 
and  the  Chickadees  are  now  subsisting  to  quite  a  large  extent  on 
waste  oats.  These  they  carry  to  the  sunny  side  of  a  log  building 
and  holding  the  oat  with  one  foot  extract  the  kernel  from  the 
husk  with  their  beak.  This  is  quite  a  new  departure  for 
Chickadees. 

April  28. — Found  two  Western-horned  Owls  in  possession 
of  a  nest  built  by  a  pair  of  Goshawks  last  year.  There  were  two 
or  three  voung  of  different  ages  in  the  nest  and  an  old  bird  made 
several  queer  noises  at  me,  one  of  which  resembled  the  barking 
of  a  dog.  There  was  a  recently  killed  field  mouse  at  the  bottom 
of  the  tree. 

Ma.y    26. — Examined    around    the    Owl's    nest    mentioned  i/: 

al)o\e  and  found  several  pellets,  which  were  made  up  chiefly  of 
the  hair  of  mice  and  rabbits,  with  the  broken  bones  of  those 
mammals  and  one  bird  bone. 

July  26. — There  are  two  Ravens  a  few  miles  northwest  of 
here  which  have  discovered  a  voung  calf  and  dog  recently 
deceased.  This  is  the  first  occasion  that  Ravens  have  been  ob- 
served at  Aweme  in  summer  time  and  might  lead  one  to  .suspect 
them  of  breeding  in  the  neighbourhood. 

August  11. — Visited  the  nest  of  a  Vesper  Sparrow  to  see 
what  effect  the  heavv  rain  had  had  upon  the  young.  Found  one 
stretched  out  very, much  overcome,  but  later  in  the  morning 
both  were  perfectly  well.     They  are  almost  fully  fledged. 

November  16. — I  have  for  the  last  week  been  cutting  down 
trees  close  to  a  Chickadee's  sleeping  place,  a  hole  some  18  feet 
from  the  ground  in  an  old  tree,  evidently  the  work  of  a  Wood- 
pecker. The  Chickadee  appears  regularly  and  enters  its  home  at 
about  ten  minutes  after  sunset,  there  being  a  slight  variation, 
according  to  the  brightness  of  the  evening.  At  first  the  stump 
was  surrounded  by  trees,  but  though  these  have  now  all  been  cut 
aAvay  and  the  only  branch  upon  which  the  bird  perched  before 
entering  its  nest  broken,  it  entered  its  hole  as  usual  after  showing 
but  momentary  surprise  at  the  change.  This  Chickadee  is  often 
accompanied  by  others,  but  they  have  separate  homes  and  soon 
vanish  to  meet  together  again  next  morning. 


I^IO]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  201 

1908. 

March  10. — Two  White-throated  Sparrows  have  managed 
to  survive  the  winter  and  are  now  quite  active.  The  only 
shelter  they  had  was  a  wood  pile  at  night  and  round  about  the 
farm  yard  during  the  day.  They  suffered  but  little,  excepting 
during  the  most  severe  weather,  showing  that  it  is  more  a  question 
of  food  than  cold  that  is  responsible  for  the  southward  migration. 
Doves,  Blackbirds,  Juncoes  and  Robins  have  also  been  known 
to  come  through  the  winter  when  provided  with  sufficient  food. 

November  6. — -There  are  an  exceptional  number  of  Canada 
Javs  about  this  autumn,  and  fanners  south  of  here,  who  have 
been  killing  cattle  for  beef,  say  that  these  birds  at  once  attack 
the  carcasses,  damaging  them  for  the  market.  They  are  also 
at  times  a  perfect  nuisance  to  trappers  by  stealing  the  bait  from 
traps.  Meat,  skins,  bread,  potato  peelings,  grain  and  indeed 
anything  else  that  can  be  eaten,  is  carried  off.  In  fact,  when 
these  birds  once  discover  something  palatable,  it  is  practically 
impossible  to  make  them  leave 'the  vicinity. 

1909. 

January  12. — During  an  exceptionalh^  cold  spell,  a  Northern 
Shrike  has  made  its  headquarters  here,  and  subsists  very  largely 
upon  House  Sparrows  rendered  sluggish  by  the  cold.  At  least 
a  dozen  of  these  birds  have  been  taken,  and  also  some  Chickadees, 
that  habitually  come  up  to  partake  of  suet.  The  Shrike  seems 
to  -withstand  the  cold  easily  and  has  been  seen  to  carry  off 
Sparrows  without  much  difficulty. 

January  24. — The  little  group,  of  birds  that  come  up  daily 
to  eat  of  the  fat,  now  consists  of  Northern  Hairy  Woodpeckers, 
Blue  and  Canada  Jays  and  Chickadees.  The  Canada  Jays  have 
also  been  seen  to  eat  a  few  asparagus  berries,  but  not  with 
particular  relish. 

February  9. — Discoverd  a  Goshawk  with  a  Ruffed  Grouse 
which  he  had  just  captured  and  eaten  a  small  hole  in  its  side. 
The  unfortunate  bird  was  still  living,  though  mortally  wounded, 
and  seemed  to  have  lost  much  blood.  From  the  fact  that  there 
was  no  sign  of  this  on  the  snow,  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that 
the  hawk  drank  it  from  the  hole  in  the  partridge's  side._  As  there 
was  no  hope  for  its  recover}^  I  ended  its  further  suffering.  This 
Goshawk  has  been  about  for  some  wrecks  past  and  during  that 
time  has  caused  the  death  of  numerous  grouse  and  some  rabbits. 

These  hawks  are  undoubtedlv  the  most  destructive  to 
grouse  of  all  the  haw^ks  found  in  Manitoba.  They  are  not  only 
more  numerous  than  other  injurious  species,  but  they  seem  to 
have  a  decided  preference  for  feathered  game.     On  the  other 


4< 


202  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Feb.  ^ 

hand  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  they  compensate  to  some 
extent,  at  least,  by  destroying  bush  rabbits,  and  therefore,  while 
the  sportsman  would  assuredly  look  upon  them  as  an  enemy, 
the  fruit  grower,  and  those  having  an  interest  in  forestry,  might 
well  class  them  equally  as  a  useful  ally. 

February  12. — There  was  a  Richardson's  Owl  in  the  straw- 
shed  this  morning.  Later  in  the  day  we  tried  to  feed  it  with  raw 
meat,  but  our  efforts  were  unavailable,  though  it  allowed  a  very 
close  approach,  and  in  fact  sat  among  the  meat. 

February  19. — Several  Eagles,  both  Golden  and  Bald-,  are 
living  upon  rabbits  along  the  Souris  River.  They  are  seen 
almost  daily  and  undoubtedly  do  much  good  by  destroying  a 
pest  which  has  no  competitor  among  mammals  injurious  to 
trees.  Further  up  the  river  both  species  breed,  according  to 
Mr.  W.  D.  Black,  of  Margaret,  Man.,  who  says  they  are  not 
uncommon  in  that  neighbourhood. 

It  is  indeed  unfortunate  that  these  fine  birds,  together  wnth 
several  large  hawks  and  owls,  should  be  continually  shot.  Many 
people  seem  to  think  they  have  done  something  exceptionally 
meritorious  when  they  relate  the  destruction  of  one  of  these 
useful  birds.  But,  it  is  time  such  deeds  were  painted  in  their  true 
colour,  otherwise  extermination  will  follow  ignorance  and  the 
country  will  suffer  from  the  increase  of  numerous  rodents  such 
as  mice,  rats,  rabbits,  etc.,  which  in  the  past  have  been  kept 
within  reasonable  bounds. 

February  20. — The  Richardson's  Owl  mentioned  above  has 
twice  been  up  since  that  date.  This  morning  it  was  found,  as 
usual,  in  the  straw  shed,  and,  ar  is  customary  with  these  birds, 
allowed  me  to  approach  within  a  tew  feet.  Later  on  I  discovered 
it  with  a  house  mouse  in  its  claws,  which  it  ate  and  then  disap- 
peared into  the  woods  to  sleep. 

March  18. — The  Canada  Jays  are  now  very  much  together. 
They  are  apparently  in  search  of  a  nesting  site  and  go  about  very 
quietly.  Sometimes  one,  presumably  the  male,  sings  softly  from 
some  low  bush,  and  when  they  become  separated  both  utter  loud 
cries. 

March  30. — The  Northern  Shrike  that  has  been  about  here 
throughout  the  winter  was  shot  to-day.  It  has  on  more  than 
one  occasion  made  itself  obnoxious  by  killing  Chickadees,  Red- 
polls, and  other  small  birds.  As  these  had  been  specially 
attracted  by  food,  it  was  impossible  to  stand  by  and  watch  their 
destruction;  and  so,  after  much  threatening,  the  shrike  has  met 
the  fate  he  meted  out  for  so  many  others. 

The  economic  value  of  these  birds  is  questionable,  for  though 
they  destroy  many  mice  and    House    Sparrows,    they    are  most 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  203 

plentiful  during  the  migration  of  small  liirds,  particularly 
Tree  Sparrows  and  Juncoes,  upon  which  rliey  prey  with  much 
persistency.  They  should  not  be  confused,  however,  with  the 
White-rumped  Shrike,  which  takes  their  place  during  the 
summer  months.  These  latter  birds  are  probably  much  more 
useful,  as  their  food  is  made  up  largely  of  grasshoppers. 

April  18. — Examined  pellets  of  a  Western-horned  Owl  of 
last  summer  and  found  them  to  contain  fur  of  a  striped  gopher 
(unusual  food),  rabbit  and  mouse  hair,  and  also  broken  bones 
of  several  small  mammals. 

June  10. — Saw  a  ma  l-  Marsh  Hawk  capture  a  Cowbird. 
He  appeared  suddenly  o\er  some  bushes  and  made  his  capture 
almost  before  the  small  bird  was  aware  of  his  presence. 

Only  a  farmer  can  fully  appreciate  Cowbirds.  You  must  be 
following  the  plough  or  tending  cattle  to  note  the  habits  which 
can  be  observed  nowhere  else.  They  will  be  seen  at  one  time 
running  about  on  the  back  of  a  cow,  catching  flies;  at  another, 
being  shoved  out  of  the  way  by  the  nozzel  of  a  feeding  horse. 
A  small  band  are  nearly  always  in  attendance  of  the  ploughman 
picking  up  noxious  larvae,  such  as  White  Grubs,  etc.,  and  when 
they  become  less  hungry  they  content  themselves  with  pinching 
the  heads  of  large  grubs,  only  eating  the  smaller.  It  is  interesting 
to  watch  them  running  along  with  their  beaks  pointing  upwards 
making  a  careful  scrutiny  above  for  a  possible  hawk.  To  see 
the  males,  v/hich  greatly  predominate,  showing  off  and  being 
chased  by  the  females;  to  sit  still  and  have  full  grown  young 
walk  over  one  and  fearlessly  take  food  offered,  besides  many 
other  little  acts,tendsto  make  us  forget  the  habits  of  parasitism 
for  which  they  are  condemned,  for  with  all  their  faults  they  still 
do  much  good;  and,  for  the  old-fashioned  naturalist,  who  cares 
less  for  the  dollars  and  cents,  and  more  for  Nature,  because  it  is 
Nature,  the  Cowbird,  when  properly  known,  will  always  be 
looked  upon  with  warm  regard. 

June  11.— Noticed  several  Red  Crossbills  in  the  spruce 
woods  feeding  on  old  cones  on  the  tops  of  the  trees,  which 
indicates  that  perhaps  they  breed  here. 

Tune  18.— A  nest  of  a  Red-tailed  Hawk  examined  to-day. 
contained  three  young  that  could  almost  fly.  and  a  striped 
gopher. 

June  24. — Found  the  nest  of  a  Swainson's  Hawk  m  an 
aspen  tree.  There  were  three  young  in  it  about  two  weeks  old. 
also  three  striped  gophers  and  a  Meadow  Lark. 

I  have  examined  numerous  nests  of  these  hawks  at  cifferent 
times,  and  when  there  were  voung  present,  have  never  failed  to 
find  gophers  also,  showing  that  the  nestlings  are  supplied  with 


204  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Feb. 

all  they  require.     To  find  dead  birds  in  the  nest  is  quite  an  ex- 
ception. 

Owls  also  keep  their  larders  well  stocked  with  fresh  meat, 
and  it  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  thing  to  find  several  un- 
touched mice  in  nests  containing  young  of  Long-eared  Owls. 
I  have  twice  found  those  rodents  present  a  day  previous  to  the 
first  egg-hatching,  but  whether  these  were  for  the  expected 
young,  or  had  merely  been  supplied  by  the  male  for  his  mate's 
use,  I  am  unable  to  tell. 

August    5. — I    have    Vjeen    taking    special    observation    of 
House  Sparrows  feeding  their  young  within  the  last  two  weeks,         '* 
and  find  that  the  food  consists  largely  of  grasshoppers,  which  at         .^^| 
present  are  more  plentiful  than  usual.     Both  parents  go  out  in 
search  of  these  insects,  sometimes  as  far  as  half  a  mile  away. 

November  12. — About  thirty  House  Sparrows  arrived  from 
the  north  this  morning   and  left  in  a  southerlv  direction  before         'Jv 


'^to 


evening. 


MEETINGS  OF  THE  BOTANICAL  BRANCH. 

On  the  evening  of  November  13th,  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Botanical  Branch  for  the  season  was  held  at  the  residence 
of  Mr.  G.  H.  Clark.  The  following  members  were  in  attendance: 
Messrs.  J.  Macoun,  R.  B.  Whvte,  W.  T.  Macoun,  T.  E.  Clarke, 
D.  A.  Campbell,  G.  H.  Clark,' L.  H.  Newman,  A.  E.  Attwood, 
H.  Groh,  Geo.  Michaud,  Dr.  Blackader,  T.  H.  Binnie,  W.  H. 
Harrington  and  E.  D.  Eddy. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson  was  the  leader  for  the  evening  and  chose 
as  the  topic  for  discussion  "The  adaptation  of  plants  to  their 
environment  as  shown  by  their  internal  structure."  The  different 
evidences  of  adaptation  in  the  plant  tissues  were  demonstrated 
by  means  of  microscopes  and  a  carefully  selected  collection  of 
microscopic  sHdes,  some  of  which  had  been  loaned  for  the  occasion 
by  Prof.  W.  T.  McClement  and  his  assistant,  Mr.  A.  B.  Klugh, 
of  Queen's  University. 

The  leader  introduced  the  subject  by  first  pointing  out  the 


y<'. 


4 


November  20. — A  Northern  Shrike  has  been  up  several 
times  recently  and  at  present  is  devoting  its  attention  to  captur- 
ing Juncoes.  The  House  Sparrows  have  grown  wise  and  as  a 
rule  are  much  too  quick  having  learned  that  safety  lies  in  rapid 
entrance  into  a  building.  The  smaller  birds  are  not  so  sagacious 
and  attempt  to  escape  by  flying  upwards,  which  almost  invariably  '^} 
proves  fatal,  as  the  shrike  follows  like  a  bloodhound,  and  by 
sheer  persistency  more  than  rapidity  of  flight,  accomplishes  its 
ob  j  ect . 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  205 

main  problems  that  confront  the  student  of  plant  ecology  and 
also  the  practical  value  of  the  study  over  and  above  its  mere 
scientific  interest.  He  then  proceeded  to  demonstrate  the  fact 
that  the  minute  structure  of  the  internal  parts  of  plants  may 
reveal  an  adaptation  to  their  environment  no  less  marked  than 
does  their  external  form  or  habit  of  growth.  The  ability  of 
plants  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  a  new  environment  by  a  modifica- 
tion of  their  internal  structure  was  clearh^  shown  as  in  the  case 
of  Ranunculus  aquatilis  and  Proserpinaca  palustris  (Mermaid 
Weed)  which  were  grown  in  air,  although  habitually  they  are 
aquatic.  The  difference  in  internal  structure  of  leaves  grown  in 
bright  sunlight  and  in  shade  was  also  demonstrated. 

The  question  as  to  whether  or  not  living  plants  absorb 
moisture  otherwise  than  by  their  roots  gave  rise  to  some  dis- 
cussion on  account  of  a  divergence  of  views  held  by  the  different 
members  of  the  Club.  The  discussion  will  probably  be  resumed 
at  some  future  date  when  more  experimental  evidence  will  be 
presented.  The  value  of  dew  to  growing  plants  and  the  effect  on 
transpiration  of  relative  humidity  of  atmosphere  were  also  dis- 
cussed at  some  length.  The  view  presented  by  the  leader  that 
excepting  in  the  case  of  a  few  epiphytic  plants  which  have 
specialized  organs  for  the  absorption  of  water,  dew  is  only  in- 
directly beneficial  to  plants  i.e.  in  so  far  as  it  depresses  trans- 
piration, was  challenged  and  rather  discredited. 

It  was  also  pointed  out  that  the  main  causes  of  internal 
modification  of  plant  tisssues  were  variations  in  the  intensity  of 
light  and  heat  and  also  in  available  water  supply.  Of  these 
three  important  ecological  factors  the  last  mentioned  was  con- 
sidered most  important,  although  a  few  of  the  members  held  the 
view  that  variations  in  heat  are  of  even  greater  importance  in 
modifying  plant  structures.  The  main  characteristics  of  three 
great  classes  of  plants  were  pointed  out  and  discussed,  viz.: 
Mesophytes,  or  the  normal  plants  of  a  locality  not  given  to 
extremes  or  excesses;  Hydrophytes,  or  those  plants  that  are 
surrounded  by  excess  of  moisture  and  have  to  provide  against 
"drowning"  by  the  development  of  an  abundance  of  aeration 
tissue;  Xerophytes,  which  endure  great  privation  from  lack  of 
moisture  and  excess  of  heat,  and  which  therefore  must  adapt 
themselves  to  such  conditions  by  developing  an  abundance  of 
cells  for  storing  up  water,  by  throwing  out  protective  coverings 
and  by  lessening  transpiration  through  sunken  and  ]-irotected 
stomata. 

Several  miscellaneous  slides  were  also  exhibited  illustrating 
Halophytes  (plants  belonging  to  saline  or  alkah  lands),  Isophytes 
(plants  whose  leaves  are  the  same  on  both  sides)^,  Carnivorous 
and  parasitic  plants.  J-    '^^ ■  ^- 


•■^■' 


206  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [Feb. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  Botanical  Branch  was  held  at 
the  home  of  Mr.  R.  B.  Whyte  on  Saturday  evening,  November 
27th,  1909  There  were  present,  in  addition  to  the  Chairman, 
Messrs.  Geo.  H.  Clark,  Groh,  Michaud,  Blackader,  Attwood, 
Newman,  Campbell,  Prof.  J.  Macoun,  W.  T.  Macoun. 

There  was  no  special  subject  for  discussion,  the  arrange- 
ment being  that  each  person  present  was  to  say  something 
about  what  he  had  been  doing  during  the  summer.  The  dis- 
cussion, however,  proved  so  interesting  that  few  men  had  an 
opportunity  of  telling  of  their  work.  Mr.  Whyte  told  of  what  he 
was  doing  in  raising  seedling  gooseberries.  His  object  was  to 
obtain  a  variety  that  would  be  as  good,  or  better  in  quality,  than 
any  other,  and  which  would  be  hardy  and  free  from  mildew. 
He  showed  specimens  of  a  fine  large  seedling  of  the  English 
gooseberry  which  he  said  was  of  very  good  quality.  A  discussion 
arose  as '  to  Mr.  Whyte's  methods,  some  claiming  that  there 
would  be  no  marked  increase  in  hardiness  without  the  introduc- 
tion of  blood  of  a  hardier  gooseberry.  The  reason  why  the 
English  gooseberries  are  susceptible  to  mildew  in  this  country 
was  thought  by  some  of  those  present  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  English  gooseberry  was  a  native  of  a  moist  climate  and  when 
grown  where  the  conditions  were  drier  the  leaves  and  fruit  were 
affected  by  the  mildew,  as  occasionally  occurs  in  the  drier  parts 
of  England.  This  brought  out  the  interesting  fact  that  some 
species  of  mildew  thrive  best  in  dry  air,  while  some  do  best  under 
moist  conditions,  as  do  the  higher  plan's. 

Mr.  Michaud  gave  an  interesting  account  of  his  work  in  the 
testing  of  vegetable  seeds  during  the  past  summer.  He  found 
that,  on  the  whole,  seeds  germinated  better  in  diffused  light 
than  in  total  darkness.  For  instance,  lettuce  seed  germinated 
better  on  the  surface  of  blotting  paper  than  between  folds  of 
this  paper.    The  fact  was  brought  out  that  in  Nature  most  seeds  ^ 

germinate  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  As,  however,  it  is 
impossible  to  control  the  conditions  of  moisture  in  the  growing 
of  crops  outside  it  is  necessary  to  plant  the  seeds  in  order  to 
ensure  their  receiving  sufficient  moisture  to  germinate. 

After  Mr.  Michaud  had  told  of  his  germinating  tests  there 
was  considerable  discussion  on  the  growth  of  plants  and  as  to 
what  proportion  of  the  growth  took  place  at  night.  One  member 
claimed  that  there  was  more  growth  at  night  than  in  the  day-  M 

time,  but  the  general  opinion  was  that  this  was  not  so.     Growth  5, 

takes  place  in  darkness  as  well  as  in  light,  but  elaboration  of 
plant  food  takes  place  only  in  light.  For  instance,  a  potato 
may  grow  in  a  dark  cellar  by  using  up  the  food  in  the  tubers  t' 

which  has  been  previously  elaborated  in  the  light. 


:iW 


1910]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  207 

Mr.  Groh  told  of  his  study  of  the  local  hawthorns  during 
the  past  summer.  He  examined  fifty  trees  in  different  localities 
and  collected  flowering  specimens  of  them,  and  later  in  the  season 
obtained  fruit  as  well.  He  found  a  marked  difference  in  the 
number  of  stamens,  styles  and  colour  of  the  anthers  of  the  flowers, 
and  the  number  of  flowers  to  a  corj^mb,  on  different  trees.  The 
specimens,  together  with  those  collected  by  Prof.  Macoun,  have 
been  sent  to  a  specialist  on  Crataegus.  Prof.  Macoun  stated  that 
when  collecting  in  western  Ontario  some  years  ago  he  had 
found  that  there  was  a  month's  difference  between  the  time  when 
the  earliest  blooming  species  of  Crataegus  flowered,  and  the  latest. 
At  Ottawa  he  had  found  in  1903  that  the  earliest  bloomed  on 
May  21st  and  the  latest  on  June  3rd.  He  reported  that  he  had 
completed  the  List  of  the  Ottawa  Flora  from  the  lower  forms 
up  to  the  Caryophyllaceae. — W.  T.  M. 


SOIREES. 


The  opening  soiree  of  the  Club  for  the  season  of  1909-10 
held  on  the  14th  of  December,  was  of  the  nature  of  a  con- 
versazione. The  first  hour  was  devoted  to  a  display  of  objects 
under  the  microscope  and  of  natural  history  specimens.  After- 
wards short  addresses  were  delivered  by  the  President,  Mr.  A.  E. 
Attwood,  Mr.  G.  H.  Clark  and  Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Besides  these  a 
short  talk,  illustrated  with  lantern  slides,  showing  the  develop- 
ment and  structure  of  the  cell,  was  given  by  Mr.  A.  H.  W.  Cleave. 

Several  microscopes  were  very  kindlv  loaned  for  the  evening 
by  Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  of  the  Normal  'School.  Besides  these 
Messrs.  Cleave  and  Odell  each  had  their  own  microscopes  present 
and  showed  interesting  objects  to  those  attending  the  meeting. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Wilson  also  took  charge  of  one  of  the  microscopes  and 
entertained  many. 

The  following  exhibits  were  of  much  interest  :— 

Mr.  Geo.  Michaud,  of  the  Seed  Branch  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  showed 

1.  A  set  of  old  coloured  plates  of  plants,  taken  from  a  bot- 
anical magazine  pubHshed  in  London  in  the  year  1790.  These 
plates  are  remarkable  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  colour,  which 
is  all  made  by  hand.  Each  plate  is  accompanied  by  a  botanical 
description  of  the  plant.  The  sets  contain  three  or  four  plates 
with  the  text  and  were  sold  for  one  shilling  each. 

2.  A  set  of  the  lithographic  plates  of  "  Farm  Weeds,"  pub- 
lished bv  the  Seed  Branch  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture, 
1906  and  1909.    These  plates,  which  were  painted  by  Mr.  Norman 


208  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  '  [Feb. 

Criddle,   both   from  the   artistic   and  botanical   point   of   view, 
deserve  much  praise. 

3.  One  collection  of  economic  seeds  and  weed  seeds,  put  up 
by  the  Seed  Branch,  Department  of  Agriculture,  containing  the 
seeds  of  the  most  common  forage  plants  and  weeds. 

4.  One  pocket  collection,  containing  seeds  of  the  worst 
weeds  of  the  country,  all  mentioned  in  the  Seed  Control  Act,  1905. 

Several  cases  containing  insects  of  many  kinds  were  exhibited 
by  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Those  brought  by  Mr.  Gibson  were  from  the  collection  of  the 
Division  of  Entomology  at  the  Central  Experimental  Farm. 
They  represented  a  collection  mostly  of  local  butterflies  and 
hymenopterous  insects.  Mr.  Young's  cases  contained  chiefly 
a  collection  of  microlepidoptera  taken  in  the  Ottawa  District. 
These  were  beautifullv  mounted  and  were  much  admired. 
Mr.  Baldwin's  specimens  were  in  two  oases,  one  of  which  con- 
tained 92  specimens,  representing  60  species  of  moths  collected 
at  Ottawa.  In  this  case  were  some  rare  forms.  In  the  other  case 
an  interesting  series  of  the  genus  Catocala  was  shown.  Dr.  C. 
Gordon  Hewitt  sent  in  a  small  but  interesting  exhibit  of 
coleoptera  and  diptera  fossilized  in  gum  anime,  obtained  for 
commercial  purposes  from  Zanzibar,  from  areas  where  no  trees 
are  now  visible.  The  gum  is  the  product  of  Trachylobiiim 
hornemannianum . 

Mr.  Young  also  showed  some  cases  containing  a  valuable 
collection  of  specially  well  prepared  star  fishes  and  crabs,  all  of 
which  had  been  collected  by  him  in  British  Columbia  during  the 
past  3^ear. 

Mr.  H.  Groh,  Assistant  Botanist,  Experiinental  Farm, 
exhibited  a  number  of  botanical  sheets  r^  native  parasitic  flower- 
ing plants  which  are  destitute  of  greci.  foliage.  The  following 
are  some  of  those  which  were  noticed. — 

CuscutaEpithymum,  Clover  dodder;  CuscutaGronovit,  Love- 
vine;  Monotropa  unifora,  Indian  Pipe;  Monoiropa  Hypopitys, 
Pine-sap ;  Pterospora  andromedea.  Pine-drops ;  Epijagus  virginiana, 
Beech-drops;  Conopholis  americana,  Squaw-root;  Orohanche 
uni flora,  One-flowered  Cancer- root ;  Orobanchp  jasciculata.  Broom- 
rape. 

Mr.  Groh  also  showed  a  stem  of  Juueberry  (Amclanchier), 
which,  according  to  him,  "had  been  virtually  choked  to  death 
by  a  vine  of  Climbing  Bitter-sweet  (Celastrus  scandens).  The 
stem  had  continued  to  increase  in  diameter  until  the  coils  of 
the  vine  were  almost  buried  in  the  wood,  but  finally  last  June 
the  obstruction  of  the  passage  of  food  had  become  so  serious  that 
the  leaves  turned  yellow  and  dropped." 


■  1-  \i 


1910]  The   Ottawa  Naturalist.  209 

A  very  interesting  feature  was  an  exhibit,  by  Mr.  Ernest 
LeSueur,  of  living  turtles  (some  of  which  were  exotic),  sala- 
manders and  tree-toads.  There  were  four  of  the  last  mentioned, 
and  two  of  them  (probably  females)  took  on,  early  in  the  evening, 
the  green  colour  of  the  electric-light  shade. 

Mr.  Halkett  showed  a  number  of  specimens  of  various  fishes 
preserved  in  museum  jars. — A.  H. 


INSTINCT  AND  EDUCATION. 


An  abstract  of  an  Address  read  before  the  Ottawa  Field 
Naturalists'  Club,  Januarv  4th,  1910,  by 
Mr.  A.  R.Attwood,  M.A. 


Foreshadowings  of  Instinct  in  its  mechanical  manifesta- 
tions are  observable  in  inorganic  nature  in  the  phenomena  of 
gravitation,  magnetism  and  crvstallization.  The  movements  and 
behavior  of  plants  resemble  the  instinctive  actions  of  animals. 
Plants  are  animate  objects,  i.e.  objects  with  mind.  Heredity,  a 
distinctive  characteristic  of  instinct,  is  also  a  characteristic  of 
plants      Vitality  implies  mentality. 

Reflex  action  so  closely  resembles  instinctive  action  that 
Herbert  Spencer  defines  instinct  as  complex  reflex  action. 
Instinct  is,  however,  a  broader  term  as  it  is  observable  in  the 
lowest  of  animals,  v,'hereas  reflex  action  implies  a  more  or  less 
developed  nervous  system. 

Instinct  is  racial  memory;  it  is  inherited  habit;  it  is  com- 
plex reflex  action;  it  is  capitalized  experience.  A  series:  an 
action,  a  repeated  action,  a  habit,  an  inherited  habit  or  an  in- 
stinct, an  intuition.  Instincts  are  faculties  which  are  innate, 
hereditary,  semi-automatic  and  semi-conscious.  They  attain 
results  without  the  necessity  of  previous  individual  instruction, 
reason,  or  experience. 

There  are  two  classes  of  instincts:  primary  or  congenital 
instincts,  and  secondary  or  acquired  instincts.  The  latter  are 
evolved  from  the  exercise  of  a  rational  intelligence.  The  brain 
is  the  organ  of  reason.  The  evolution  of  instincts  was  promoted 
by  the  development  of  a  brain  in  the  animal  kingdom.  Tlie 
brain  is  the  school-master  in  the  work  of  evolving  instincts,  it  is 
a  short-cutting  device  for  the  development  of  the  race. 

The  progress  of  the  race  depends  upon  the  constant  accretion 
of  secondarv  instincts.  The  work  of  education  should  be  to 
develop  desirable  habits  which  shall  be  tran.smitted  as  instincts 
to  subsequent  generations.  We  should  begin  the  training  of  a 
child  manv  generations  before  he  is  born. 


210  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Feb 

Just  as  there  are  vibrations  in  the  solar  spectrum  below  the 
visible  red  rays  and  above  the  visible  violet  rays,  there  are 
evidences  of  the  working  of  mind  outside  of  the  range  of  con- 
sciousness. These  extensions  of  the  mental  spectrum  have  been 
called  the  subliminal  mind.  Is  not  this  subconscious  mind 
identical  with  the  instinctive  mind? 

The  brain  is  the  organ  of  the  conscious  or  objective  inind. 
The  instinctive  mind  has  no  special  organ,  but  is  the  federal 
head  of  the  aggregated  minds  of  the  cells  which  constitute  the 
whole  organism.  The  brain,  or  imperial  mind,  exerts  its  influence 
on  the  instinctive  or  colonial  mind  by  the  powder  of  suggestion. 
"Every  suggestion  is  a  nascent  instinct.  Original  sin  is  a  kind 
of  suggestion  instilled  from  childhood  and  producing  real 
hereditary  sin." — (Guyau). 

Conscience  is  a  peculiarly  human  emotion.  It  is  certain  of 
action  only  when  it  has  become  instinctive.  A  gcjod  conscience 
is  the  fruit  of  good  seed  sown  by  the  rational  intelligence  in  the 
soil  of  the  instinctive  mind.  The  voice  of  conscience  is  the  voice 
of  our  distant  progenitors  transmitted  along  the  lines  of  heredity. 

Patriotism  is  an  altruistic  instinct.  Kipling's  "Absent- 
Minded  Beggar"  acts,  not  rationally,  but  instinctively  when  he 
enlists  in  defence  of  the  Empire.  When  a  nation  finds  it  necessary 
to  assert  its  patriotism  by  noisy  and  dangerous  demonstrations, 
it  may  be  assumed  that  such  patriotism  has  not  yet  developed 
into  an  instinct. 

The  sting  of  death  is  withdrawn  when  it  is  recognized  that 
like  sleep,  it  is  instinctive.  The  great  majority  of  deaths  are 
peaceful  because  they  are  instinctive. 

What  has  been  called  an  instinctive  aversion  to  snakes, 
seems  to  be  disappearing  in  the  civilized  human  race  in  the  light 
of  the  fact  that  most  of  our  snakes  are  harmless.  The  rivalry 
of  the  rat  for  the  possession  of  the  earth  may  in  time  develop  a 
similarly  strong  instinct  in  the  human  mind  against  that  animal. 

Instinct,  Intuition,  Omniscience,  are  words  embodying 
ideas  of  the  same  category.  Intuition  is  a  high  grade  of  in- 
stinctive human  intelligence,  the  faculty  of  knowing  without  the 
labor  of -inductive  reasoning.  Genius  is  habitual  intuition.  The 
genius  is  "in  tune  with  the  Infinite:"  his  instinc  ive  n;ind 
vibrates  in  unison  with  the  mind  of  the  Omniscient 

Extend  instinct,  intuition,  genius  to  infinity  and  we  attain         ..;^j 
omniscience.     Divine  omniscience  and  human  intni'.i'm  are  the  ■■^' 

same  in  kind,  differing  onlv  in  degree,  differing  as  i  he  Father 
differs  from  the  son. 


1^10]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  211 

THE  FLETCHER  MEMORIAL  FUND. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Fletcher  Memorial  Committee  held  on 
the  7th  February,  it  was  decided  to  close  the  subscription  list 
to  the  above  fimd  on  the  20th  day  of  March  next.  The  expecta- 
tions of  the  Committee  have  almost  been  realized,  but  before 
the  list  is  finally  closed,  it  is  hoped  that  at  least  another  hundred 
dollars  will  be  subscribed,  so  as  to  bring  the  total  up  to  Si  ,800.  This 
is  the  last  appeal  which  the  Committee  intends  to  make,  and, 
therefore,  if  there  are  still  any  members  of  the  Club,  or  others, 
who  wish  to  contribute  to  the  Memorial  to  be  erected  at  the 
Central  Experimental  Farm,  it  is  important  that  they  should 
attend  to  this  matter  at  once.  This  will  be  the  first  memorial 
of  its  kind  in  Canada,  and  the  Committee  is  particularlv  anxious 
that  it  shall  be  worthy  of  him  to  whose  memory  it  is  to  be  erected. 
This,  of  course,  can  best  be  accomplished  with  the  help  of  as 
many  m.embers  of  the  Club,  and  friends,  as  can  conveniently 
subscribe  towards  the  cost  of  the  undertaking.  Arthur  Gibson, 
Secretary-Treasurer  of  Committee,  (Experimental  Farm,  Ottawa) 


NOTES. 

Bartonia  virginica  in  Quebec.  In  Mr.  James  M.  Macoun's 
"Contributions"  in  the  January  number  of  The  Naturalist, 
Bartonia  virginica  (L)  BSP.  is  recorded  from  one  Canadian 
locality,  near  Mahone  Bay  N.S.  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  add 
to  this  record  another  from  St.  Hubert,  near  Montreal.  In  190.^, 
shortly  before  his  death.  Dr.  Fletcher  received  specimens  of 
this  plant  collected  by  Father  Marie- Victorin,  in  June,  July  and 
August  of  that  year,  at  the  above  localitv.  They  were  stated  to 
be  growing  in  the  peat  bogs  of  that  place.     Herbert  Groh. 


Bonaparte's  Gull.  The  stomach  of  a  Bonaparte's  Gull 
taken  at  Point  Pelee  about  November  25th,  1909,  was  sent  to 
Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,  at  the  Experimental  Farm,  for  the  purpose 
of  having  the  contents  determined.  Over  fifty  noctuid  larvae 
were  found,  which  Mr.  Gibson  reports  to  be  of  a  species  of 
A  gratis,  or  Hadena. 

The  use  of  insects  as  food  for  gulls,  was  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Arthur  H.  Norton,  in  the  October  "Auk"  when  he  mentioned  the 
maggots  living  in  seaweed,  used  for  this  purpose,  but  the  cater- 
pillars eaten  by  the  Bonaparte's  Gull  are  terrestrial,  and  were 
probably  found  in  some  such  situation  as  a  Muskrat  house, 
which  consists  of  decayed  vegetable  matter,  such  as  rush  stems 
and  grasses.  Thev  must  have  been  in  considerable  abundance  to 
have  enabled  the  gull  to  find  so  many  of  them  at  one  lime. 
W.  E.  Saunders.  London,  Ont. 


212  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [Feb. 

A  RARE  WEASEL  AT  OTTAWA. 


By  W.  E.  Saunders,  London,  Ont. 

Exact  knowledge  regarding  weasels  is  not  a  part  of  the 
mental  equipment  of  most  nature  lovers,  and  the  capture  of 
what  was  to  me  a  rare  specimen,  may  afford  an  opportunity  for 
hanging  thereon  a  few  remarks. 

It  is,  of  course,  well  known  that  the  weasel, which  in  summer 
is  brown  above  and  yellowish  white  below,  turns  pure  white  in 
winter,  with  the  exception  of  the  tip  of  the  tail,  which  is  black  at 
all  seasons.  I  had  long  realized  that  there  were  two  sizes  of 
weasels  which  (naturally!)  were  of  two  species,  but  some  years 
ago  when  I  happened  to  study  them  a  little  I  found  that  all  the 
large  ones  were  males,  and  all  the  small  ones  were  females,  and 
the  authorities  state  this  is  the  normal  condition  of  affairs  in 
the  common  Putorius  novehoracensis.  There  is,  however,  a  small 
weasel  in  old  Ontario,  and  I  have  been  on  the  lookout  to  find  it 
for  a  long  time,  but  vainly,  until  November  11th.  at  Ottawa, 
when  I  shot  one  on  the  stone  ridge  thrown  out  of  the  pipe  ex- 
cavation leading  to  the  Tuberculosis  Hospital.  I  saw  before 
shooting  that  this  specimen  was  a  small  one,  and  when  I  found 
I  had  a  male,  I  was  delighted,  as  it  could  be  nothing  else  than 
the  long  sought  Bonaparte's  Weasel,  Putorius  cigonani.  When 
I  fired  I  was  delighted  to  see  him  fall  right  over,  apparently  dead, 
but  to  make  sure  I  ran  the  intervening  distance  and  was  disgusted 
to  see  a  flicker  of  white  disappearing  down  through  the  stone  pile, 
just  as  I  reached  him.  That,  of  course,  made  it  necessary  that 
the  stone  pile  should  be  removed,  which  was  promptly  done,  and, 
encouraged  by  an  occasional  drop  of  blood,  operations  proceeded 
as  far  as  the  ground  and  then  along  the  T,ile  in  the  direction 
indicated,  when  he  was  soon  found  stone   iuad. 

Doubtless  this  animal  covers  the  ( ■  niferous  parts  of  Ontario 
fairly  well,  but  in  my  district  around  London,  where  the  vegeta- 
tion is  largely  deciduous  and  where  balsams  are  entirely  absent, 
it  is  doubtful  if  there  are  any  of  these  remaining;  certainly  I 
have  never  been  able  to  learn  of  the  capture  of  one  of  them. 

The  normal  measurement  in  millimeters  of  male  and  female 
novehoracensis  and  the  measurement  of  this  specimen  of  cicognani, 
which  seems  to  be  normal,  are  given  below: 

Length     Tail   Hind  foot 

Noveboracensis — Male 418  150  50 

Female 298  92         26 

Cicognani.  .  .  .  ..••^v^^lj^y  .-^  .  .  .  .      290  80  35 


THE  OTTAWA  NATURALIST 


VOL.  XXIII.  OTTAWA,   MARCH,   1910  No.    12 


SOME  WESTERN  SPECIES  OF  ARNICA. 


By  Edward  L.  Greene. 


The  names  and  descriptions  subjoined  are  of  species  of 
Arnica,  apparently  undescribed  hitherto.  Those  placed  first  in 
the  series,  it  will  be  seen,  are  from  within  the  Canadian  boundary, 
while  others  are  from  those  parts  of  the  Pacific  United  States 
which  lie  contiguous  to  Canada.  It  would  not  be  remarkable  if 
any  of  these  should  by  and  by  be  found  also  in  some  one  part  or 
another  of  the  extensive  and  varied  Province  of  British  Columbia. 

A.  sororia.  Stem  solitary,  a  foot  high  or  more,  erect, 
slender,  firm,  scarcely  leafy,  the  whole  plant  with  a  velvety 
appearance,  but  the  close  pubescence  somewhat  harsh  rather 
than  soft:  even  the  basal  leaves  not  forming  a  rosette,  but  op- 
posite, or  in  threes,  narrowly  elliptic-lanceolate,  2A  to  3  inches 
long,  including  the  petiole,  this  long  or  short,  both  faces  some- 
what plushv-pubescent,  margins  obscurely  and  remotely  serrate- 
toothed  ;  proper  stem-leaves  in  2  remote  pairs  and  much  reduced, 
entire,  sessile;  heads  mostly  2  or  3  on  peduncles  3  to  5  inches 
long;  involucre  broad-campanulate,  of  16  to  20  linear-lanceolate 
glandular-hirsutulous  bracts;  ray-corollas  deep-yellow,  not  short, 
abruptly  3-toothed  at  the  rounded  apex;  disk-corollas  with 
slender  glandtilar-hirtellous  tube  twice  as  long  as  the  somewhat 
clavellate  throat;  achenes  remarkably  short,  strigose-hispid ; 
pappus  dull-white,  scarcely  barbellate. 

Cascade,  British  Cokimlna.  30th  June,  1902,  J.  M.  Macoun. 
No.  64987  of  Canad.  Geol.  vSurv.  Related  to  A.  lonchophylhi. 
Greene,which  Mr.  Macoun  sent  from  the  Athabasca  River  country, 
as  collected  by  Mr.  Spreadborough  in  1898;  but  this  present 
species  has  also  certain  points  of  seeming  contact  with  A.  pednn- 
culafa,  Rydb.  of  Montana;  but  this  last  is  a  stout  comparati\-ely 
coarse  plant,  alwavs  monocephalous. 

A.  RUBRiCAULis.  Base  of  stem  and  its  foliage  not  seen.but 
plant  large,  the  stem  copiously  leafy  with  an  ample  and  thin 
spreading  foliage,  the  internodes  dark  red-purple  and   slightly 


214  Thk   Ottawa   Naturalist.  [March 

clothed  with  whitish  hirsute  hairs  mostly  deflexed;  leaves  lance- 
oblong,  5  to  7  inches  long,  including  the  winged  petiole,  but  the 
uppermost  pairs  quite  sessile,  all  very  thin,  triple-nerved,  re- 
motely and  not  prominently  dentate,  nearly  glabrous  on  both 
faces;  heads  small,  many,  somewhat  pa'nicled  and  the  panicle 
leafv-bracted;  involucre  broadly  campanulate,  the  16  to  20  bracts 
lanceolate,  ol)tusish,  thin,  sparsely  hirsute  below  the  middle; 
ravs  many,  narrow  and  not  long;  disk-corollas  with  soft-villous 
tube  longer  than  the  subcylindric  throat ;  achenes  hirtellous  with 
short  bristlv  hairs;  pappus  brownish,  delicate,  scaberulous.  ^ 

Trail,  British  Columbia,  J.  M.  Macoun,  22nd  June,  1902;  ^ 
Geol.  Surv.  No.  64985.  A  member  of  the  ^4.  foliosa  group;  ■'. 
evidentlv  verv  large.  y| 

A.  STRiCTA.  Erect  from  a  horizontal  rootstock,  nearly  2  feet 
high,  sparinglv  leafv,  v/ith  a  pair  of  branches  from  each  pair  of 
cauline  leaves,  these  very  erect,  pedunculiform,  nearly  parallel 
with  the  main  stem,  all  glandular-puberulent ;  basal  leaves  few, 
cuneate-oblong,  obtuse,  4  inches  long  or  more,  including  the  S 
indistinctly  petiolar  base,  3 -nerved,  very  remotelv  or  not  at  all 
dentate,  the  veins  and  margins  scaberulous,  otherwise  glabrous; 
heads  9  to  1 1  each  at  the  end  of  a  long  peduncle,  those  of  the 
branches  surpassing  the  terminal  one;  involucre  campanulate, 
3/^  inch  high,  of  about  12  lanceolate  thin  glandular,  but  scarcely 
hairy  bracts;  rays  8  or  10,  long,  deep-yellow;  disk-corollas  with 
long  slender  tut)e  hirtellous  with  strongly  gland-tipped  short 
hairs,  the  throat  rather  more  than  half  as  long  and  turbinate; 
achenes  strigose-hispid ;  pappus  fine,  whitish,  barbellulate. 

British  Columbia,  along  the  International  boundary, 
between  the  Columbia  and  Kettle  Rivers,  J.  M.  Macoun,  30th 
June,  1902.  A  fine  species  of  that  section  in  which  Pursh's 
A.  fulf^ens  is  tvpical,  all  the  others  of  which  section  are  mono- 
cephalous,  while  this  new  one  produces  a  flowering  peduncle 
from  each  leaf-axil,  yet  in  habit  the  plant  is  as  upright  and  strict 
as  a  plant  can  well  be  that  is  not  simple.  The  label  of  my  ^ 
specimen  bears  No.  64979  of  Canad.  Geol.  Surv. 

A.  LACTUCiNA.  Slender,  a  foot  high  or  less,  the  herbage  of  a 
vivid  green  and  almost  whollv  glabrous;  basal  leaves  not  seen, 
the  cauline  is  about  2  pairs,  sessile  and  divaricately  spreading, 
the  lower  pair  either  panduriform  or  else  contracted  very  near 
the  base  to  a  broad  and  short  winged  petiole,  the  upper  pair 
often  broadest  at  base  and  there  subhastately  dilated;  all  very 
acute  at  apex,  below  the  middle  more  or  less  prominently  and 
even  spinosely  toothed;  heads  small  and  -subcorymbose.  the 
involucres  campanulate,  of  about  10  narrow  bracts  slenderlv 
acuminate,  not  pubescent ,  but  granular-glandular;  rays  10  or  12, 


1910]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist  215 

long  and  showy,  deep  yellow;  disk-corollas  with  short  villous 
tube  and  much  larger  subclavate  throat;  achenes  small,  black, 
glabrous,  but  with  a  line  of  shortly  stipitate  glands  besetting  the 
4  or  5  prominent  angles;  pappus  short,  firm,  white,  liarbellate- 
scabrous. 

Plant  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  northward,  in  Alberta,  the 
type  in  U.  S.  Herb,  from  Vermillion  Movmtain,  near  Banif,  24th 
July,  1899,  W.  C.  McCalla,  the  specimens  in  flower  only;  but  the 
account  of  the  achenes  and  pappus  is  drawn  from  specimens  in 
my  own  herbarium,  also  from  the  vicinitv  of  Banff,  b\-  Miss 
Edith  M.  Farr,  who  gathered  them  at  Mt.  Fairview,  18th  August, 
1905. 

A.  falconaria.  Upright,  stout  and  siii:.ple,  10  to  16  inches 
high,  rather  pale  with  a  minute  but  sparse  viscidulous  pubescence, 
the  stems  and  petioles  somewhat  villous;  leaves  mainh-  sub- 
cordate-oval,  obtusish,  irregularly  and  coarsely  dentate,  \]4  to 
2%  inches  long,  tapering  very  abruptly  to  a  petiole  as  long,  the 
reduced  upper  cauline  pair  either  spatulate  and  sessile,  or  with 
short  broadly-winged  petiole;  heads  1  to  3,  large,  on  moderately 
long  peduncles;  involucre  campanulate,  of  about  10  rather  broad 
elliptic-lanceolate  thin  sparsely  villous  bracts;  rays,  none;  disk- 
corollas  ^vith  short  villous-hirtellous  tube  and  much  longer 
narrow  funnelform  throat,  the  segments  all  villous  at  tip; 
achenes  slender,  sparsely  short-setulose  and  as  sparsely  beset 
with  minute  sessile  glands;  pappus  white,  barbellate. 

Falcon  Valley,  Washington,  27th  June,  1892,  W.  N.  Suksdorf ; 
type  in  U.  S.  Herb,  under  No.  1617,  labelled  .4.  cordijolia,  var. 
eradiata,Gva.y;  but  the  plant  bears  no  intimate  relation  to  that 
particular  species. 

A.  EvERMANMi.  Low,  leafy  at  base,  the  peduncles  several, 
mostly  subscapiform,  the  wdiole  plant  5  to  7  inches  high;  leaves 
deep  green,  not  thin,  ovate-subcordate  to  ovate-lanceolate  with 
subtruncate  base,  about  2  inches  long,  the  petioles  about  as  long, 
the  single  cauline  pair  as  large  but  spatulate,  all  acutish,  remotel_\- 
and  saliently  dentate,  the  pubescence  very  scanty;  involucres 
turbinate-campanulate,  nearly  ^  inch  high,  bracts  9  to  11,  thin, 
subbiserial,  linear-lanceolate,  acuminate,  viscidly  villous;  rays 
of  medium  length  but  very  narro^v;  disk-corollas  with  short 
thinly  setulose  tube  and  longer  narrow-funnelform  throat : 
achenes  linear,  stirate,  minutely  short-setulose;  pappus  white, 
barbellate. 

Subalpine  species  of  Northern  Idaho  and  adjacent  Wash- 
ington, found  at  altitudes  of  7,000  to  10,000  feet;  the  type  by 
B.'  W.  Evermann,  from  shores  of  Pettit  Lake,  13th  August,  1895. 


i. 


216  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [March 

MEETING  OF  THE  ENTOMOLOGICAL  BRANCH. 

The  first   of  the  winter's  series  of  meetings  of  the   Ent*^ 
mological    Branch    was    held    at    the    residence    of    Mr.    Arthur 
Gibson,  on  the    evening    of   the    10th    February.      There    Vvere 
present:  Messrs.   Harrington,  Wilson.  Criddle,  Baldwin,  Young, 
Halkett  and  Nicholls,  in  addition  to  the  Chairman.  > 

Mr.  Gibson  had  on  exhibition  his  collection  of  arctiid  motlis  / 

of  the  genus  A  pantesis.     He  spoke  at  some  length  on  the  different  5 

species  and  varieties  represented  in  the  cases  and  told   of  his  *? 

work  in  studying  their  life-histories.     Specimens  of  the  inflated  i 

larvae  and  pupae  of  many  of  the  species  were  also  shown.  The 
range  of  variation  in  the  genus  is  remarkable,  and  has  been  the 
cause  of  much  confusion  by  some  of  the  earlier  writers  who  had 
but  few  specimens  to  study.  The  larger  number  of  the  specimens 
in  the  cases  exhibited  had  been  reared  from  eggs.  At  Ottawa 
the  following  species  of  this  genus  have  been  found:  virgo, 
parlhenice ,  virguncula,  figiirata,  ceiia,  arge  and  vittaia.  « 

Mr.  Norman  Criddle  showed  a  collection  of  Tiger  Beetles 
from  Manitoba.  Thirteen  species  were  represented  m  the  case, 
most  of  which  had  been  found   at    Avveme,   Man.      Mr.   Criddle  -,. 

spoke  particularly   of  the  burrov»'ing  habits   of  the  larvas    and  '^^ 

on   the  life-histories   of  the  insects  in  general.      He   has  found  'i% 

that  in  Manitoba  some  of  the  species  take  at  least  three  vears  *^ 

to   coiTiplete   their  life-cvcle,   whereas   at    Chicago,   it   has   been  -J'^, 

found   by   Prof.   Shelford,  that  the  same  species  onlv  required  -^i 

two  years  to  complete  their  growth.   The   habits  of  cicindelid  f'^- 

larvae  are  exceedinglv  interesting.  In  Manitoba  there  is  much 
difference  in  the  depth  to  which  the  larva?  burrow  for  hiber- 
nation. Some  species  such  as  limhata  and  repanda  only  go  down 
to  a  depth  of  six  or  eight  inches,  while  others,  as  manitoba  and 
lepida  go  much  deeper;  the  former  sometimes  being  found  six 
and  a  half  feet  below  the  surface,  and  the,.latter  six  feet. 

Mr.  A.  Nicholls  brought  two  specimens  for  determination. 
These  were  Thalessa  lunator  and  Corydalis  cornuia.  Mr.  Harring- 
ton spoke  of  the  habits  of  both  of  these  insects.  Referring  to 
the  latter  species  Mr.  Gibson  mentioned  that  both  he  and  the 
late  Dr.  Fletcher  had  found  it  "at  sugar"  commonly,  some  years 
ago.  It  is  unusual  for  a  neuropterous  insect  to  be  attracted 
at  night  to  trees  on  which  "sugar"  is  put  to  allure  noctuid 
moths.  Speaking  of  attracting  moths,  Mr.  Criddle  mentioned 
that  at  Aweme  the  males  of  the  Buck  Moth,  Hemileuca  maia, 
var.  lucina,  can  easily  be  attracted  by  smoke.  In  the  sand  hills 
near  Aweme,  where  the  moth  is  usually  abundant,  both  he  and 
his  brothers  had  frequently  made  smudges  of  leaves  and  grass 


(• 


1910]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  217 

to   attract   the  moths.      Almost   immediately   the  males   would 
appear,  some  being  seen  to  come  from  quite  a  long  distance. 

Mr.  Halkett  exhibited  a  small  miscellaneous  collection  of 
insects  which  he  had  gathered  at  random  in  Nova  Scotia  during 
the  past  summer.  The  most  interesting  species  was  Hydroecia 
yyikacea  of  which  two  specimens  had  been  collected.  This  is  an 
European  insect  recently  introduced  into  America,  and  an 
account  of  which  appears  in  the  annual  report  of  the  Ento- 
mological Society  of  Ontario  for  1908. 

Mr.  Baldwin  showed  a  box  of  noctuid  moths  which  he  had 
collected  in  190Q,  mostly  at  the  Electric  Railway  power  house 
near  Britannia.  Some  rare  species  were  represented,  viz.: 
Tapinosiola  variana,  Baileya  douhledayi,  Mamestra  uimbosa  and 
a  species  of  Sytieda,  the  first  taken  in  the  Ottawa  district. 

Sir  George  Hampson's  two  latest  volumes  on  Lepidoptera 
which  appeared  in  1909,  and  Dr.  J.  B.  Smith's  new  book  "Our 
Insect  Friends  and  Enemies"  were  shown  bv  Mr.  Gibson,  who 
also  spoke  of  a  paper  he  was  preparing  on  the  Butterflies  of  the 
Toronto  District.     In  this  article  eightv  one  species  are  listed. 

A.   G. 


A  SHREW  NEW  TO  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


By  Wm.   H.  Moore,  Scotch  Lake,  N.B. 


Last  autumn  a  shrew,  different  from  anything  hitherto 
observed  by  the  writer  in  this  locality,  was  secured.  The 
specimen  was  in  a  badly  damaged  condition,  having  been  killed 
and  mutilated  by  some  farm  poultry,  but  enough  of  it  was  left 
intact  to  serve  for  the  identification  of  the  animal,  which  was 
kindly  m5.de  by  Mr.  E.  A.  Preble,  of  the  Biological  Survey. 
Washington,  D.C.,  who  after  an  examination  was  assured  that 
it  was  Neosorex  albiharbis  (Cope).  The  upper  parts  are  blackish; 
underparts  grayish,  with  a  brownish  band  across  neck  and  chest. 
Tail  blackish  above  and  all  around  near  tip;  lighter  on  balance 
of  under  side.     Length  of  body  84  mm. ;   tail  75  mm. 

In  bulletin  No.  10  of  North  America  Fauna  the  range  of 
this  species  is  given  by  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  "from  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  northward  to  Labrador."  In 
the  same  bulletin  Mr.  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,  mentions  having  examined 
specimens  from  Nova  Scotia,  Quebec,  Maine  and  other  states. 

Dr.  Philip  Cox,  of  the  University  of  New^  Brunswick  tells 
me  that  it  is  a  new  mammal  to  record  for  the  province.  In  other 
parts  of  New  Brunswick  this  species  may  be  tolerably  common 
or  even  plentiful,  but  I  cannot  think  that  it  is' anything  but  rare 


218  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [March 

here,  for  no  such  animal  has  been  noticed,  either  dead  or  ahve, 
reseinbling  this  in  the  last  twenty  years.  Why  I  say  dead  or 
alive  is  because  dead  specimens  of  our  shrews  and  moles  are 
often  found  on  our  highways. 

Other  shrews  and  their  relatives  that  I  have  taken  here 
are  as  follows: — 

Common  mole,  Condylura  cristata.  Generally  distributed, 
it§  habitat  being  chiefly  wettish  places  where  it  burrows  in 
search  of  worms,  grubs,  etc.  Its  colour  ranges  from  sootv  to 
black,  according  to  season.  It  is  larger,  being  much  more  stoutly 
proportioned,  than  the  shrews.  Measurements  are  about  as 
follows:   body  130  mm.;   tail  60  mm.;   hind  foot  23  mm. 

Short -tailed  shrew,  Blarina  hrevicauda.  Generally  dis- 
tributed about  damp  woods  and  fields;  have  secured  some  in 
open  fields  and  in  the  same  runways  as  used  by  the  common 
meadow  mouse,  or  vole.  Its  colour  is  ashy,  slightly  paler  below, 
varies  with  the  seasons.  Measurements  are  about  as  follows: 
body  90  mm. ;   tail  23  mm. ;   hind  foot  14  mm. 

Smoky  shrew,  Sorex  jumeus.  This  species  is  without  doubt 
the  most  common  of  the  shrews  in  this  locality.  It  seems  to  be 
found  mostly  about  moist  woods  and  thickets.  The  general  size 
here  is,  body  68  mm.;  tail  44  mm.;  hind  foot  13  mm.  Colour 
grayish,  slightly  paler  below,  lightest  on  throat;  feet  and  tail 
lighter  than  body,  tip  of  tail  darkest. 

Little  shrew,  Sorex  personatus.  Found  about  moist  woods 
and  swampy  grassy  areas.  This  species  very  much  resembles 
5.  fumeus  but  is  much  smaller;  body  50  mm. ;  tail  43  mm. ;  hind 
foot  13  mm. 

These  constitute  the  species  found  at  Scotch  Lake.  There 
are  two  other  species  found  elsewhere  in  the  province,  viz. : 
5.  hoyi  taken  in  northern  New  Brunswick ;  (I  think  I  secured  a 
specimen  near  Nictor  Lake  in  Restigouche  County,  but  the  skin 
was  destroyed),  and  5.  richardsoni  reported  from  along  the  St. 
John  River  by  Dr.  Cox. 

As  mentioned  above  specimens  of  moles  and  shrews  are 
frequently  found  dead  along  roadways.  Upon  examination  I 
have  always  found  them  to  have  been  killed  by  some  preying 
mammal,  probably  the  work  of  a  weasel.  The  skulls  have  all 
been  more  or  less  broken,  and  at  times  the  skin  about  the  fore 
parts  punctured  or  baidlv  mutilated.  Cats  will  kill  shrews, 
probably  in  mistake  for  mice,  but  thev  do  not  eat  them  as  the 
shrews  have  a  pungent  musky  odor  obnoxious  to  carnivorous 
mammals. 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  219 

MEETING  OF  THE  BOTANICAL   BRANCH. 


The  third  meeting  of  the  Botanical  Branch  was  hehl  on 
December  11th,  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  George  Michaud.  There 
were  present:  Messrs.  G.  H.  Clark,  James  M.  Macoun,  Wm.  T. 
Macoun,  A.  E.  Attwood.  H.  Groh,  R.  MacMillan,  Norman 
Criddle,  R.  B.  White  and  the  Chairman. 

The  subject  for  the  evening  was  "The  \alue  of  the  seeds 
as  a  means  of  identifying  plants."  The  seeds  were  shown  bv 
Mr.  Michaud  to  be  very  important  in  identifying  plants  on 
account  of  their  more  constant  characters,  being  less  affected  bv 
environment  than  are  other  organs  such  as  leaves,  flowers,  etc. 
A  collection  of  specimens  mounted  on  slides  was  exhibited 
showing  the  generic  characteristics  of  the  most  important 
families  of  our  wild  and  cultivated  plants  in  their  normal  and 
different  conditions,  as  found  in  commercial  samples  of  seed 
grain.  Special  slides  showing  the  following  interesting  points 
were  also  shown: — 

1.  Similaritv  of  the  external  appearance  of  seeds  of  quite 
different  botanical  groups;  e.g.,  SHpa  spartea  vrs.  Erodiumcicu- 
tarium,  Saponaria  officinalis  vrs.  Astragalus  caryocarpus,  Sapo- 
naria  Vaccaria  vrs.  Brassica  Rapa,  Cynoglossum  officinale  vrs. 
Ranunculus  tnberculatus.  Euphorbia  Helioscopia  vrs.  Neslia  pani- 
culata,  Glycyrrhiza  lepidoia  YTS.  Xanthium  canadense,  and  others. 

2.  Apparent  dissimilarity  of  external  characters  of  seeds 
belonging  to  the  same  botanical  groups;  e.g.,  Corispermum 
hyssopifolium  vrs.  Atriplex  patula,  Poteniilla  monspeliensis  vrs. 
Rosa  acicularis .  Agrimonia gryposepalavrs.  Geum  album,  Tnfolium 
repens  vrs.  Glycyrrhiza  lepidota,  Geranium  Bicknellii  vrs.  Erodmm 
cicutarium,  Apium  graveolens  vrs.  Washingtonia  longistylis  vrs. 
Heracleum  lanatum,  Lithospermum  arvense  vrs.  L.  officinale,  Cyno- 
glossum officinale  \v&.  Myosotis  palusiris,  Mimulus  ringens  vrs. 
Linaria  indgaris,  Achillea  Millefolium  vrs.  Bidens  frondosa.  and 
others. 

Specimens  of  dead  leafless  plants,  collected  under  the  snow 
at  the  end  of  November,  which  had  been  identified  through 
single  seeds  still  found  on  them,  were   also   shown. 

The  purity  work  of  the  Seed  Laboratory  was  also  discussed 
and  shown  to  be  simply  an  identification  of  i)lantsby  the  seeds 
onlv. 

Those  who  were  present  at  this  meeting  were  much  interested 
in  seeing  the  specimens  of  seeds  of  certain  species  which,  without 
a  magnifving  glass  or  microscope,  appeared  identical  with  seeds 
of  other  species,  even  of  other  genera,  but  which  on  being  put 
under  the  glass  showed  striking  differences  in  the  marking  of 


220  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [March 

the  seed  coat  in  the  relative  roughness  or  smoothness  of  it,  and 
in  other  characteristics.  Those  who  had  previously  been 
sceptical  as  to  the  possibility  of  identifying  sppcies  of  plants  with 
certainty  from  their  seeds  alone,  were  convinced  before  the 
meeting  was  over  that  this  could  be  done,  and  that  in  many 
cases  when  the  specimens  of  dried  plants  were  so  bad  that  it 
was  impossible  to  identify  them,  a  single  seed  would  settle  the 
whole  matter.   G.  M. 


THE  CORRELATION  OF  CHARACTERS  IN  PLANTS  AND 
ITS   ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE  TO  THE  PLANT 

BREEDERS. 

(Synopsis  of  a  Talk  Given  at  a  Meeting  of  the  Botanical 

Branch  on  the  Evening  of  January  8th  by 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman.) 


It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  certain  characters  in  plants 
are  more  or  less  closely  related  and  that  any  modification  of 
the  one  is  simultq,neously  followed  by  a  modification  of  the 
other.  Darwin  considered  the  correlation  of  different  parts  of 
the  individual  to  be  an  important  factor  in  explaining  some  of 
the  laws  of  variation.  This  tendency  for  the  development  of 
certain  parts  to  follow  the  developement  of  certain  other  parts 
is  of  considerable  value  to  the  practical  plant  breeder  since 
his  efforts  to  effect  improvement  along  certain  lines  may  be 
either  offset  or  assisted  by  the  de\'elopment  of  other  charac- 
ters elsewhere  in  response  to  the  disturbance  within  the  organism. 
The  nature  of  this  bond  of  correlation  is  not  understood  al- 
though several  have  attempted  to  explain  it. 

Webber  has  classified  the  various  forms  of  correlations 
under  four  heads,  viz.:  (1)  Environmental,  (2)  Physiological, 
(3)    Coherital  and  (4)  Morphological. 

Environmental  correlation  implies  merelv  the  response  of  a 
plant  to  its  environment.  In  other  words,  .if  the  soil  be  poor 
there  will  be  a  correspondingly  poor  growth ;  increase  the 
fertility  and  the  plant  immediately  responds. 

De  Vreis  describes  this  class  of  variation  as  one  in  which 
two  characters  react  similarly  to  external  conditions.  Lieben- 
berg  claims  that  increase  in  length  of  stem  is  correlated  with 
increase  in  strength  of  stem,  length  of  head,  number  of  spikelets 
and  total  weight  of  kernel  produced. 

Grains  grown  under  conditions  characterized  by  a  super- 
abundance of  light,  heat,  food  or  moisture  produce  extra  long 
heads.      In  wheat  these  heads   seldom  produce  more  than   an 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  221 

extra  spikelet  and  sometimes  even  less,  but  the  distance  between 
the  spikelets  is  greatly  increased  while  the  kernel  is  Hkely  to  be 
starchy,  hence  environment  vrs.  quality  of  grain.  Selecting  these 
heads  is  therefore  a  useless  practice  and  is  always  discouraged. 

Physiological  Correlations: — Under  this  clags  of  correlations 
belong  those  variations  which  occur  in  the  functional  organs  of 
the  plant.  An  example  of  this  class  is  given  b}^  certain  breeders 
who  have  noticed  that  excessive  leaf  development  is  followed 
by  a  corresponding  reduction  in  the  production  of  seeds. 
Potatoes,  pease  and  other  crops  have  also  demonstrated  that 
an  excessive  growth  of  vine  or  stalk  is  usually  associated  with 
a  decreased  yield  of  tubers  or  seed  as  the  case  may  be.  East 
discusses  this  under  the  heading  of  "The  interrelation  of  parts 
not  homologous,"  or  "The  compensation  in  growth  of  plants." 
This  latter  law  was  propounded  almost  simultaneously  many 
years  ago  by  G.  St.  Hilaire  and  Goethe. 

Coherital  Correlations: — Under  this  heading  are  included 
those  characters  which  seem  to  be  inherited  as  a  single  unite 
character.  They  are  related  in  such  a  way  that  they  are 
"inherited  together,"  although  there  is  little  or  no  evidence  to 
show  that  this  relationship  is  of  any  functional  importance. 

Webber  cites  an  interesting  case  of  coherital  correlation 
which  came  to  his  notice  in  connection  with  an  attempt  to  cross 
Black  Mexican  and  Stowell's  Evergreen  Sweet  corn  with  a  view 
to  producing  a  hybrid  having  the  tenderness  and  sweetness  of 
the  Mexican  but  with  the  larger  and  more  suitable  ear  for  cann- 
ing purposes  peculiar  to  the  Stowells.  It  was  also  desired  to 
produce  a  hybrid  having  the  light  colored  kernel  of  the  Stowells 
when  in  the  milk  stage  with  a  light  blue  color  indicating  "some- 
thing new"  when  ripe.  In  the  fourth  generation  an  examination 
was  made  and  careful  notes  taken  on  the  color  of  the  silks, 
stamens  and  glumes  of  the  tassels.  In  the  pure  Mexican  these 
parts  are  light  in  color  while  in  the  Stowells  which  produces  a 
white  kernel,  these  organs  vary  from  dark  reddish-purple  to 
a  lighter  pink.  It  will  be  noted  here  that,  contrary  to  w-hat 
would  naturallv  be  expected,  the  black  kernel  produces  light 
colored  reproductive  organs  while  the  white  kernelled  variety 
bears  organs  which  are  dark  in  color.  We  often  find  the  same 
peculiarity  in  wheat. 

An  examination  of  the  ears  produced  in  the  fourth  and 
fifth  generations  showed  that  these  related  characters  still  cling 
together  despite  the  claims  of  some  authorities,  notably, 
johannsen,  that  hybridization  breaks  correlations— Webber 
found  that  only  in  about  one  case  out  of  50  or  100  was  the  corre- 
lation broken  through  hybridization. 


222  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [March 

This  correlation  of  colors  is  of  value  to  the  breeder  as  it 
enables  him  to  make  an  examination  of  organs  which  are  ex- 
posed and  still  growing  or  in  operation  and  thus  to  tell  what  the 
color  of  the  kernel  will  be.  If  it  be  desired  to  produce  a  hybrid 
of  a  uniform  color,  say  a  light  blue,  the  tassels  or  male  organs 
might  be  removed  from  those  plants  bearing  light  green  glumes, 
stamens  and  silks  before  the  pollen  is  shed  so  that  a  race  of  a 
pure  color  might  be  developed  much  more  quickly. 

Norton  cites  an  interesting  case  of  coherital  correlation  in 
oats.  In  hulled  oats  the  spikelet  produces  from  1  to  3  flowers 
while  naked  types  produce  from  3  to  7  flowers.  Hybrids  of  these 
two  have  been  effected  with  a  view  to  increasing  the  number 
of  flowers  to  a  spikelet  and  still  retain  the  hulled  character,  but 
it  was  found  that  where  as  many  as  four  flowers  were  produced 
to  a  spikelet  the  kernel  was  invariably  found  to  be  naked. 
The  difficulty  of  breaking  this  correlation  has  here  worked  to 
the  disadvantage  of  the  breeder  so  it  will  be  seen  that  these 
correlations  are  not  always  advantageous.  The  existence  of 
these  coherital  correlations  seems  to  strengthen  the  theory  of 
the  existence  of  unit  characters  in  plants  which  theory  is  being 
accepted  by  many  of  our  leading  biologists  and  breeders  of  the 
present  day.  East  has  recently  extended  Webber's  classifica- 
tion and  has  discussed  several  groups  not  included  in  the  above 
arrangement.  His  dissertation  on  "The  interrelation  of  parts 
not  homologous"  is  especially  interesting. 

Morphological  Correlafions :—Vnder  this  class  belong  those 
cases  "where  a  variation  in  one  character  is  the  primary  cause 
for  the  variation  in  another  character."  An  example  of  this 
class  is  illustrated  in  work  done  b}^  Dr.  Hopkins,  of  Illinois,  in 
improving  certain  characters  in  the  corn  kernel,  notably  the 
oil  and  protein  content. 

The  germ  of  the  corn  kernel  is  richest  in  oil,  therefore,  the 
larger  the  germ  in  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  kernel  the  higher  the 
oil  content;  the  hard  corneous  substance  of  the  kernel  is  richest 
in  protein,  hence  the  larger  the  proportion  of  this  substance  to 
the  rest  of  the  kernel  the  higher  the  protein  content. 

At  the  Nebraska  Station,  Lyon  conducted  some  tests  with  a 
large  number  of  samples  of  wheat  with  a  view  to  determining 
the  relationship  between  the  per  cent,  protein  and  the  weight  of 
kernel.  His  results  indicate  that  high  protein  kernels  are  smaller 
and  lighter  and  that  plants  producing  kernels  of  high  protein 
content  do  not  produce  such  high  yields  as  do  those  producing 
kernels  lower  in  protein.  This  suggests  to  the  breeder  the  futility 
of  breeding  for  high  protein  and  high  yields  at  the  same  time. 
Medium  yielding  heads  are  also  found  to  come  from  highest 
yielding  plants. 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  223 

There  is  said  to  be  a  relationship  between  the  per  cent- 
hull  in  oats  and  the  strength  of  straw.  Very  thick  or  very  thin 
hiilled  varieties  produce  weak  straw.  For  an  example  we 
have  the  Tartar  King  and  Joanette  varieties  respectively. 
Tartar  King  variety  seems  to  vary  considerably  as  regards  the 
manner  in  which  the  kernels  are  developed. 

At  the  Svalof  Station,  Sweden,  some  interesting  morpho- 
logical correlations  have  beers  discovered  in  barlev.  Barley  is 
normally  classified  under  two  main  types,  viz.,  the  hexastrichum 
or  six-rowed  (including  the  four-rowed)  and  the  districhum  or 
two-rowed  nodding  (nutans)  and  the  two-rowed  erect  (erect um). 
An  examination  of  grains  of  barley  will  show  that  some  have 
smooth  backs  while  some  have  indentations  on  the  edges. 
Again  at  the  base  of  the  ventral  portion  of  the  grain  we  will  find 
the  plumule,  in  some  cases,  made  up  of  comparatively  long  stiff 
hairs,  while  in  other  cases  it  consists  of  a  mass  of  short  curled 
hairs.  These  characters  have  been  found  to  have  a  great  per- 
manency and  to  correspond  to  certain  physiological  characters 
such  as  rate  of  maturing  and  brewing  qualities.  Types  of  barley 
which  ripen  evenly  and  have  a  thick  husk  with  short  woolly  hairs 
at  the  base  of  the  scales  are  better  brewers  than  are  those  not 
possessing  these  characters.  These  peculiarities  of  form  or 
structure  are  considered  very  useful  by  the  breeder  in  enabling 
him  to  isolate  superior  types  much  more  quickly  and  with 
much  less  work. 

In  our  own  corn  improvement  work  we  find  many  interest- 
ing correlations,  some  of  which  are  of  considerable  value  to  the 
breeder.     During  the  past  summer  the  writer  had  occasion  to 
examine  with  special  care  seventy-three  special  corn  plots  and 
succeeded  in  gathering  considerable  important   data.     Among 
our  breeders  of  Dent  corn  were  found  some  who,  in  their  desire 
to  develop  highly  productive  types,  were  selecting  large  deep 
kernelled  ears  having  at  least   20  rows  of  kernels.     Such  ears, 
however,  are  universally  later  since  depth  of  kernel  and  length 
of  time  it  requires  for  an  ear  of  corn  to  mature  are  very  closely 
related.     We  find  another  correlation  between  the  size  of  the 
ear  and  the  height  at  which  it  is  borne  on  the  stalk,  the  large 
late  ears  being  borne  higher  from  the  ground  than  are  those 
which  mature  earUer.     One  breeder  planted  ears  averaging  9^ — 
10  inches  long  bv  9  inches  in  circumference  with  the  result  that 
.  ears  averaging  20-22  rows  of  kernels  were  produced  and  these 
'  w^ere   borne   at    about    5'   from  the  ground.    Still  another  cor- 
relation is  found  between  the  character  of  the  dent  of  corn  and 
the  depth  of  kernel— the  smoother  the  dent   the  shallower  the 
kernel   and   vice  versa.     This  fact   is   useful  to  the  breeder  ni 


224  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [March 

that  he  can  be  guided  in  making  his  selections   by   observing 
the  character  of  the  dent  of  the  kernel. 

An  examination  of  the  plots  just  referred  to  showed  that 
where  the  average  size  of  the  ear  did  not  exceed  9 
inches  in  length  by  7  inches  in  circumference  the  larg- 
est proportion  of  good  mature  ears  were  found,  and 
therefore  the  largest  yield  was  realized.  This  proves  the  import- 
ance of  selecting  medium  sized  ears  of  good  type  which  will 
thoroughly  mature  before  frost.  In  ordinary  fields  of  corn  it  is 
very  common  to  find  a  mixture  of  many  different  types,  some 
of  which  are  deep  kernelled  while  others  are  shallower.  In  such 
cases  there  is  a  very  conspicuous  lack  in  the  uniformity  of  ma- 
turity of  the  crop,  and  as  a  consequence  its  value  is  greatly 
decreased  not  only  for  feeding  purposes  but  more  especially  for 
seed.  A  sufficient  number  of  cases  have  been  given  to  indicate 
that  the  correlation  of  different  characters  in  plants  is  not  only  of 
scientific  interest  but  is  of  considerable  practical  value  in  reveal- 
ing to  the  breeder  certain  hidden  qualities.  Care  should  be 
taken,  however,  to  avoid  concluding  too  hastily  that  any  two 
characters  are  correlated  sufficiently  to  warrant  a  selection 
being  made  because  of  its  existence.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
general  ratio  in  which  each  is  found  in  the  general  population 
should  decide  the  issue. 


THE  PASSEN.GER  PIGEON. 


By  W.  Lochhead. 


Not  many  years  ago  the  passenger  pigeon  was  a  very 
common  bird,  and  great  flocks,  comprising  hundreds  of  thous- 
ands, were  often  observed  during  their  periods  of  flight.  Its 
range  extended  along  eastern  North  America,  as  far  west  as  the 
Mississippi  valley  and  northward  to  Hudson  Bay.  It  nested  in  the 
northern  portions  of  its  range.  Now,  however,  it  is  so  rare  that 
there  are  doubts  as  to  its  very  existence  in  America. 

The  cause  of  the  disappearance  of  such  useful,  beautiful, 
tender-voiced  birds  in  the  course  of  a  single  generation  is  not 
far  to  seek.  They  were  thoughtlessly  slaughtered  by  the 
thousands,  in  order  to  provide  sport  and  food  for  a  few  days. 
It  is  stated  by  a  trustworthy  eye-witness  that  "people  would 
come  from  all  parts  of  the  country  with  wagons,  axes,  beds  and 
cooking  utensils,  camping  on  the  ground  with  their  families  for 
days,  Vv'here  they  could  plunder  the  nests  of  the  roosts,  of  the 
vast  army  of  passenger  pigeons."  Accordingly,  the  passenger 
pigeon  has  gone  the  way  of  the  buffalo  which  existed  once  in 
countless  numbers  on  the  prairies  of  the  West — awful  examples 


1910]  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  225 

of  the  work  of  destruction  of  people  who  had  no  thought  of 
to-morrow. 

An  effort  is  now  being  made  by  persons  interested  m  the 
preservation  of  such  a  fine  bird  to  save  it  from  utter  extinction 
if  there  be  any  alive.  At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  American 
Ornithologists'  Union  the  matter  was  brought  up  by  Prof.  C.  F. 
Hodge,  of  Clark  University.  Worcester,  Mass.,  and"  as  a  result 
of  the  discussion  that  followed  Colonel  Kuser  offered  an  award 
of  $300  for  the  first  information  of  a  nesting  pair  of  wild  pass- 
enger pigeons  uiuUstitrbed.  Before  this  award  will  be  paid, 
such  information  exclusive  and  confidential,  must  be  furnished 
as  will  enable  a  committee  of  expert  ornithologists  to  visit  the 
nest  and  confirm  the  finding.  If  the  nest  and  parent  birds  are 
found  undisturbed  the  award  will  be  promptly  paid,  through 
Prof.  Hodge.  The  object  of  this  generous  award  is  to  induce  a 
search  for  nesting  passenger  pigeons  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  Canada  and  the  United  States;  and  when  thev  are 
found  to  organize  adequate  protective  work  through  legislation 
and  warden  service,  so  that  the  birds  may  be  permitted  to  feed 
in  absolute  safety  and  be  accorded  the  freedom  of  the  American 
continent. 

All  lovers  of  birds,  it  is  felt,  will  join  heartily  in  the  plan 
proposed  for  the  preservation  of  this  ill-fated  pigeon.  In  order, 
however,  that  a  wide-spread  interest  mav  be  aroused  in  the 
effort  to  locate  nesting  pairs,  there  should  also  be  local  volunteer 
awards  for  the  first  undisturbed  nest  in  each  province;  and  a 
call  is  here  made  to  our  liberal-minded  citizens  for  such  local 
awards.  Teachers  throughout  Canada  should  call  the  attention 
of  the  boys  and  girls  to  the  plan  and  ask  them  to  join  in  the 
search.  The  first  nest  discovered  will  draw  Colonel  Kuser's 
award  of  $300  and  the  local  award  as  well.  That  first  nest  is 
likely  to  be  found  in  Canada. 


BOOK  REVIEW. 


Catalogue  of  Canadl\n  Birds.  By  John  Macoun,  Naturalist 
to  the  Geological  Survey,  Canada,  and  James  M.  Macoun, 
Assistant  Naturalist  to  the  Geological  Survey,  Canada. 
Department  of  Mines,  Geological  Survey  Branch,  Ottawa. 
1909. 
Bird  lovers  and  Canadians  generally  will  join  in  felicitations 

to  Prof.  John  Macoun  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun  on  the  successful 

completion  of  their  revision  of  the  Catalogue  of  Canadian  Birds. 

which  is  just  out,  bringing  Canadian  ornithological  records  as 

nearly  as  possible  up  to  date. 


226  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  [March 

Prof.  Macoun  has  been  fortunate  in  having  tlie  assistance 
of  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun  in  these  labors,  which  have  produced  a 
volumn  of  761  pages,  exceeding  its  predecessor  bv  28  pages,  and 
appearing  in  one  volume  instead  of  three  parts  as  before. 

Five  additional  species  appear  in  the  list,  four  of  them  by 
the  taking  of  specimens,  namely: — 

The  Fulvous  Tree  Duck,  an  old  record  of  which  has  been 
turned  up,  and  in  addition,  a  specimen  taken  from  a  flock  of 
eleven  of  the  same  species  near  New  Alberni,  Vancouver  Island  ^ 
September,  1905. 

The  Dotterel,  taken  at  King  Island,  Alaska,  July  23,  1897. 

The  Chuck-Will's- Widow,  taken  at  Point  Pelee,  May  19, 
1906,  and  one  near  Picton,  N.S.,  date  not  given. 

The  European  Linnet,  taken  at  Toronto,  January,'  1890,  by 
Mr.  Wm.  Loan. 

In  addition  to  these,  the  Green  Crested  Flycatcher  has 
been  added  to  the  list  on  a  surmise  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Fleming  that 
a  specimen  which  he  took  years  ago  at  Toronto  was  of  this 
species;  while  the  surmise  is  probably  correct,  the  specimen 
was  never  preserved.  Since  the  list  was  in  type,  however,  there 
have  been  two  satisfactory  records  of  the  occurrence  of  this 
species  in  Ontario. 

The  activities  of  the  closet  naturalist  are  well  illustrated 
by  the  addition  of  twenty,  and  the  elimination  of  five  varieties, 
which  make  a  net  addition  of  twenty  titles  to  the  present  edition, 
the  contents  of  the  book  being  enlarged  at  the  same  time  from 
738  to  761  pages.  The  elimination  of  the  lists  of  specimens  in 
the  Government  Museum  also  left  space  for  the  inclusion  of  much 
new  matter.  The  arrangement  of  the  matter  and  the  type 
used,  and  the  proof-reading,  are  eminenth'  satisfactory-,  so  also 
is  the  index.  In  these  respects  there  was  no  fault  to  find  with 
the  previous  editions,  but  other  publications  have  sometimes 
been  sadly  lacking  in  this  regard.  The  index  is  so  printed  that 
one's  eye  passes  very  rapidlv  over  the  titles  until  the  item 
desired  is  reached. 

In  the  reception  and  arrangement  of  such  a  vast  amount  of 
material  as  is  here  published,  it  is  inevitable  that  errors  should 
creep  in;  but  the  authors  have  characteristically  preferred  to 
err  on  the  side  of  generosity,  rather  than  to  exclude  entries 
which  may  probably  be  incorrect.  There  are,  however,  items 
to  which  perhaps  exception  may  reasonably  be  taken,  and  which 
it  would  appear,  ought  to  be  noticed  in  greater  detail,  as  for 
instance  the  Yellow-green  Vireo,  which  is  reported  as  taken  at 
Godbout  in  May,  1883.  This  species  is  of  only  casual  occurrence 
n  North  America  and  the  validitv  of  this  record  when  published 


1910]  The  Ottawa   Naturalist.  227 

without  circumstantial  detail  is  open  to  question.  So  rare  a 
specimen  should  be  located  and  verified  bv  the  highest 
authorities. 

The  record  of  the  Wilson's  Plover  is  open  to  similar  criticism, 
and  for  a  Canadian  list  it  would  seem  as  thoui^di  the  basis  of  the 
published  habitat  should  l)e  stated. 

Again  with  regard  to  the  Black  Rail,  the  three  records  given 
are  none  of  them  thoroughly  reliable;  one  was  a  bird  seen  in 
flight ;  another  refers  to  the  taking  of  a  number  of  specimens 
in  the  Dundas  Marsh,  which  ha\'e  since  proved  to  be  the  Virginia 
Rail;  and  the  third  depends  upon  the  ability  of  a  gentleman, 
the  honesty  of  v\'hose  intentions  is  not  open  to  question,  but 
who  may  have  fallen  into  the  same  error  as  did  Mr.  Nash  re- 
garding the  Virginia  Rail. 

The  record  of  the  White-winged  Black  Tern,  which  is  also 
a  sight  record  of  birds  seen  on  the  wing,  is  another  fair  mark  for 
criticism.  The  fact  that  Black  Terns,  as  well  as  other  species 
of  the  family,  are  known  to  carry  over  into  the  second  year 
parts  of  the  juvenal  plumage,  and  that  the  bend  of  the  wing 
appears  white  in  flight  renders  sight  records  of  these  species 
more  liable  to  error  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 

The  authors  are  to  be  congratulated  on  having  preferred 
the  long  used  English  names,  instead  of  following  the  changes 
which  the  A.O.U.  Committee  of  Revision  are  attempting  to 
foist  upon  the  ornithological  world.  Alterations  in  scientific 
names  have  been  so  frequent  and  widespread  that  there  is  a 
tendency  to  cease  referring  to  them,  and  to  use  only  the  English 
names  which  have  been  so  far  perfectly  stable,  bvit  when  the 
Committee  endeavors  to  attach  to  the  English  names  that 
changeableness  which  ha.'^  so  long  been  characteristic  of  the 
scientific  names,  it  is  time  for  the  rank  and  file  of  ornithologists 
to  refuse  to  follow  their  lead.  The  laws  which  have  been  made 
to  govern  the  application  of  scientific  names,  have  doubtless 
required  the  making  of  the  changes  that  have  occurred,  but 
these  laws  do  not  govern  the  English  names,  nor  is  it  likely  that 
they  will  be  followed  by  the  bulk  of  students.  Furthermore 
manv  students  will  prefer,  and  will  use,  the  old  style  of  possessive 
names  for  such  birds,  as  Wilson's  Thrush.  The  present  catalogue 
follows  the  newly  suggested  method  of  omitting  the  possessive 
which  would  sometimes  lead  us  into  serious  trouble;  for  instance, 
if  a  thrush  were  named  for  James  Brown  and  the  name  were 
spelt  after  the  newlv  suggested  manner,  it  would  l)e  the  "Brown 
Thrush,"  which  would  certainly  lead  to  confusion.'^W^'"^^^^  ?^ 

It  would  appear  that  in  publishing  the  present  edition, 
current  literature  has  not  been  scanned  as  closelv  as  it  might 


228  The  Ottawa  Naturalist.  [March 

have  been  in  the  scrutinizing  and  addition  of  records.  For 
instance,  the  Prairie  Warbler,  Carohna  Wren  and  others  have 
had  notable  additions  to  their  Canadian  status  since  the  last 
edition;  the  Blue-wing  Warbler  and  the  Worm-eating  Warbler 
have  been  added  to  the  Canadian  list,  by  the  taking  of  specimens, 
and  were  recorded  in  the  Auk  for  July,  1908;  but  when  such 
criticism  is  offered,  one  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  list  has  been 
in  type  for  a  long  time,  and  it  niay  not  have  been  possible  to 
make  these  additions  since  it  passed  out  of  the  authors'  hands. 
Certainly  it  is  a  fact  that  there  is  less  elasticity  in  the  issuance 
of  Government  publications  than  is  usual  in  the  commercial 
world. 

It  is  understood  that  the  authors  intend  to  issue  an 
addendum  to  this  list  in  the  present  year  with  the  idea  of  making 
any  corrections  and  additions  that  may  be  necessary  to  bring 
the  matter  thoroughly  up  to  date.  If  all  bird  students  will  keep 
this  matter  in  view  while  reading  the  work,  and  will  make 
notes  on  such  matters  as  deserve  remarks  and  later  on  report 
these  notes  to  the  authors,  they  will  materially  assist  the  work 
of  these  gentlemen  who  have  done  so  much  for  this  branch  of 
natural  hist  or  v. 

W.  E.  S. 


The  Smoky  Shrew.  Sorex  fumeus,  the  Smoky  Shrew,  is  a 
small  animal  that  is  practically  unknown  from  Ontario.  Skilled 
collectors  have  taken  and  recorded  a  few  speciinens  to  the  north 
and  west  of  Muskoka,  and  now  I  wish  to  record  the  only  two 
specimens  that  have  been  taken  in  the  older  part  of  the  province. 
These  were  both  taken  by  Mr.  John  A.  Morden,  near  Hyde  Park. 
One,  a  female,  was  trapped  on  December  9th,  1907,  in  a  sphagnum 
and  spruce  swamp,  4  miles  west  of  London.  Mr.  Morden  recogniz- 
ed the  tracks  on  the  snow  as  being  made  by  an  animal  new  to 
him . 

The  second  one  was  caught  by  Mr.  Morden's  cat  and  dis- 
carded by  that  animal,  as  being  useless  for  her  piirpose.  The 
date  was  April  7th,  1909.  and  the  specimen  is  a  male. 

Both  individuals  are  now  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  J.  E. 
Keays,  of  this  city.  He  and  I  have  trapped  considerably  on  the 
very  ground  on  which  Mr.  Morden's  first  specimen  was  taken. 
This  locality  is  the  only  place  where  we  have  been  able  to  find 
Synaptomys  near  London,  but  we  have  never  succeeded  in  taking 
fume  us  there,  although  Sorer  personatus  is  usually  found  in  fair 
numbers,  and  sometimes  appears  to  be  quite  common,  whereas, 
through  the  country  generally,  it  is  rare.  W.  E.  Saunders, 
London,  Ont. 


1910] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


229 


INDEX 

TO    THE 

OTTAWA  NATURALIST,   VOL     XXllI,  1909-10. 


PAGE 

Abronia  latifolia 149 

umbdlata 148,  193 

Acanthis  linaria 1 1  .'^ 

Algonkin    and    Huron    occu- 
pation     of      the      Ottawa 

Valley.. 61,  92 

Alsia  calif  arnica 137 

Althcca  officinalis 193 

Amsinckia  lycopsoides 193 

Anacolia  Baitcri 188 

Antelope,  Prong-hoi'n 41 

Antennaria     ncodioica,     var. 

Gaspcnsis 1  94 

Antilocapra  americana 41 

Ant  Roads 15t) 

Ants,     Tent-building    habits 

of..  ....... 168 

Arabis  Whitedii 121 

Arnica,  some  Western  species 

of 213 

Arnica  sororia 213 

"       rubricaulis 213 

"       stricia 214 

lactucina 214 

jalconaria 215 

Everinannii 215 

Attwood,  A.  E.,  Abstract  of 

an  address  by 209 

Bartonia  virginica 193,  21 1 

Bartramia  circinnulata 190 

Barbuia  inclinata 182 

"       subandrea'oidcs 182 

subcylindrica 181 

"       andrccuoides 181 

Bald  Eagle, Rapid  extermina- 
tion of. 116 

Bird  Life,  Tragic  side  of 131 

Bird   Migration,    1908.   Sable 

Island 149 

Birds  observed  at  Coboconk, 

Ont 1 94 

Birds,  rare,  at  Point  Pelee.. .  .  160 

Bird  Notes 59 

Birds  of  Durham,  Ont 132 


i'a<;b 

Birds  ot  Stony  Plain,  Alta...  .  125 

Birds,  Winter,  at  Point  Pelee.  46 
Biological    Princi])lcs    and 
their  practical  application 
in     the     improvement     of 

Field  Crops 85,  105 

Book  Reviews  .  .31,  117,  134,  170, 

225 
Botanical    Branch,    ineetings 

of 20,  33,  54,  204,219 

Botanical     Excursions,    Ger- 
man Field  Methods 163 

Botany,  Field  Notes  of  Can- 
adian   110 

Bouteillier,  R.  S.,  article  by.  .  149 

Brachythcciunt  cirrhosnm.  ...  139 

laxirctc 189 

papilUpes.  ...  189 
pseiido  -  chlor- 

ppteriim. ...  139 

rivularc 1  39 

V  rl  ut  in  it  m. 
subsp.    cur- 

virafneum.  .  189 

Bryiim  alpiniforrnc 186 

anninontanitnt 186 

brachyncitron 188 

cyclophylltndcs 1  84 

caniptocarpnm 188 

coin  nibico-  c  .vspiticiii  m  191 

drcpanocarpiim 188 

glacial  c 187 

hydrophiltim 190 

hamicttspis 191 

intermedium,   subsp. 

ovatifolinm 188 

jiilacciim 187 

Lovoii 187 

Macoi.nii 185 

nano-ccespiticiii  n 188 

ncodamcnse 187 

obtusatunt 185 

pallcscens,  var.  grandc  187 

pendulum  Xannni.  .  .  .  184 

pendulum  longipes..  .  185 


230  The  Ottawa 

PAGE 

Brv'i:n  siibmicans 186 

subciiciillatum 186 

snbobUtsifoliiim 186 

s  lib  neoda  mens  e 187 

"        siibperciirrcntiyierve: .  .  185 
Bryology,  New  contributions 

to  Canadian 137,  180 

Burman,   Rev.   Canon,   Obit- 
uary notice  of 32 

Cakile  edentiila 193 

Calochortus  Lyallii 146 

Callicrgon  Lo'nchopns 138 

"           sHbsarmcntosunt. .  .  13  7 

siibtiir^cscens..  A37 .  189 
irifariiiin.       subsp. 

apiciil  turn 190 

Catalogue  of  Canadian  Birds, 

Review  of ^25 

Climaciiim  dendroides 13  7 

Cainptotheciuyn  n  i  t  c  ii  s,  var. 

microthcca..  138 
"                n  it  e  n  s,  var. 

leiicobasis .  138 

megaptilum.. .  188 

Carcx  cephaloidea 192 

Clarke,     T.     E.,     Report     of 

Council  by 7 

Council  Meeting 57 

Report  of 7 

Coleoptera,  Ottawa  records..  31 

Co'leosanthiis  oblongifolius . . .  .  193 
Correlation  of  characters  in 
])lan  s  and  its  economic  im- 
portance to  the  plant  breeder  2  0 

Craig,  John,  article  by 163 

CratcBgiis  Doiiglasii .  .  .  .^ 19 

Crossbills  Nesting  in   South- 
ern Ontario 84 

Criddle,  N.,  articles  bv 23, 

127, 197 

Dearness,  J.,  note  by 58 

Dendroica  discolor 113 

Didymodon  brachvdontiiis..  .  .  182 

Dicckii.  . 191 

Dicranoweisia     Roellii,     var. 

aterrima 142 

Dicranum  stenodictyon 142 

"           subscoparium 142 

perichcetialc. ......  142 

Dioscorea  villosa 58 

Dod-Wolley,    F.    H.,  articles 

by 69,  122,  144 

Eifrig,  G.,  article  by 113 

EleochAris  nitida 192 

Encalypta  alaskana 182 


Naturalist.  [March 

PAGE 

Eurhynchiuni    glaciale.     var. 

angustifolium.    138 
glaciale  infra- 

alpinwm.  .  .    139 
r  It  s  c  i  f  or  me, 
var.  obtusiim. .    190 
tr  achy  podium..    139 
Entomological  Branch,  meet- 
ings of 50,  76,  216 

Entomological    Branch,    Re- 
port of,  1908 28 

English  Sparrow  adapting  it- 
self  to   new   conditions   of 

life 23 

Excursions 55,78 

Farm  Weeds  of  Canada,  re- 
view of 1  70 

Fissidens  Bushii 141 

osm.  ndoides     var. 

obliqnits 140 

"         rufulus.  . 141 

"         Julianiis,    var.    aw- 

ericantis 141 

Fletcher  Memorial  Fund.  .  .  15,  40, 
73,  167,  196,  211 

Forest  Reserves 25 

Fnnaria  microstoma 183 

Gannet,  near  Ottawa 192 

Gibson,  Arthur,  articles  by. .  .  104, 

129 

Greene,  E.  L.,  articles  by 17, 

37,  110,  213 

Gri  mmia  cognata 1 80 

diversifolia 180 

elatior  rufescens. .  .  .  142 

elata 143 

grandis 143 

Hartmani 180 

ham-ttlosa 180 

ovatceformis 143 

papillinervts 180 

serrata 181 

Stirtoni 181 

siibpapillinervis. .  .  .  180 

Grindelia  percnnis 148 

Groh,  Herbert,  articles  bv.^ .  .  58, 

'  131,  211 

Gull,  Bonaparte's. 211 

Herbarium  of  Geological  Sur- 
vey, Contributions  from. .  .  121, 

146,  192 

Hewitt,    C.    Gordon,    article 
by 168 

Hemiptera,  Ottawa  records..      31 


1910] 


The  Ottawa  Naturalist. 


231 


PAGE 


Hesperiphona  vcspcrtina 114 

Hydropkylhitn  albifrons 147 

Hypoptcrygiii  m  canadcnse. ...    191 
Hygiene   for   Young   People, 

review  of 134 

Hypiiiitn  callichroitm 191 

Hypnii  ni  Jayn esii-Macounii . .    189 
"         Kneifii  micro pterum  140 

obsoletincrve 140 

Hymenoptera,    Ottawa    rec- 
ords       31 


Instinct  and  Education 

Insect  Friends  and  Enemies, 

Our,  review  of 

Isothecium  aggregatum 

Howii 

"  myuroidcs 

Kindberg,  C.  N.,  article  by. .  . 


Klugh,  A.  B.,  article  by... 

Knechtel,     A.,     Synopsis 

lectvtre  by 


of 


209 

117 
138 
188 
190 
137, 
180 

11.=; 

2  5 


Lambe,      L.      M.,      Obituary 

notice  by 118 

Lecture     Programme,     1909- 

1910 172 

Lepidoptera,  Ottawa  records.  30 
Lepidoptera,  Discourses  upon 

the 122,  144 

Lepidiitui  cam   ear 121 

Lochhead  W..  article  by 224 

Macnamara,   Charles,   article 

by 150 

Macoun,  John  and  James  M., 
Catalogue      of      Canadia  i 

Birds,  i^eview  of 225 

Macoun,    James    M.,    articles 

by 19,  121,  146,  192 

Macoun,  W.  T.,  article  by. ..  .  173 

Megorisinus  fletcheri 104 

Meesea  Macoitmi 182 

Miclichhoferia  recurvtfolia.  .  .  182 

Membersof  O.F.N.Clistof..  3 
Mninm  Blyltii,    var.     micro- 

phyllum 184 

Macoitnii 184 

"          medium  boreale 184 

"          Seligeri 183 

Mole,  Common 218 

Moore,  W.  H.,  article  by 217 

Munro,  J.  A.,  article  by 194 

Myosotis  laxa l-tS 

Nature,  Intimacy  with 60 


Native   Plants,    some  of  the 

best  for  cultivation 173 

Mcosorcx  albibarbis ^n 

Newman,  L.  H.,  article  by.85,  105. 

Nitrogen  Compounds  in  Rain 

and  Snow 151 

Oats,  White  Wild,  so-called.  .  127 
Obituary  Notice  :  Rev.  Canon 

Burman.  32 
Dr.     J.     F. 

Whiteaves.  118 

Ornithology,  Everyday 197 

Oligotrichnmhcrcynicum 189 

Orthocarpus  pusillns 148 

sitbriv  Ic 190 

Passenger  Pigeon 224 

Parks,  W.  A.,  article  by 153 

P edicularis  Graenlandica,  var. 

siirrccta 147 

Penstemon  ovatus 148 

priitnosus 1^ 

"          pinecornm.    147 

Richardsonii 147 

Pcriglyptocriniis   priscus,   or- 
namentation of 153 

Personal 133 

Pctasites  dentata 122 

Philonotis'  fontana,    var.    mi- 

crothamnia 183 

nticrocarpa 183 

Physcomitniim  microcarpiim.  183 

Phegoptcris  Robertianiim 192 

Pipilo  erythrophthalmiis 113 

Plagiothecium  itndnlatitm. .  .  .  138 

Plantago  elongato 148 

Polytrichiim  apiculatum 140 

Prairie  Warbler 113 

Prince,  E.  E.,  articles  by..  .41 ,  134 

Psiloptliimtschiitschicum 140 

Putoriiis  cigonani 212 

Pyrola  elliptica 147 

Racomitrium,  depressum.  var. 

nigricans 181 

Ranunculus  Lobbii 193 


Salix  tenera 193 

Saunders,  W.  E.,  articles  by. .     46, 
84,  116,  132,  156,  160,211,212, 

22s 

Scouleria  Muelleri 181 

Seligeria  subcampyloda 142 

Shrew,  Short-tailed 

Smoky 218,  228 


232 


The  Ottawa   Naturalist, 


[March 


Shrew   Little... 218 

New  to    New    Bruns- 
wick      217 

Sharp-skinned  Hawk  Migra- 
tion     156 

"Snow-worms" ...    129 

Snake  Behavior 58 

Soirees 196,207 

Sowter,  T.  W.  E.,  article  by .  6 1 ,  92 

Sorex  fiinifus     228 

Spircsa  densiflora 121 

pyramidata 121 

"        Donglasii 122 

"Species,"  What  is  a 69 

Sphceralcea  mtinroana 146 

Stepheoceras  Ntcolcnse 23 

Stansell,  Sidney  S.  S.,  article 

by 125 

Sporobolus  iimflorus 192 

Telephoriis  bihneatus 130 

Terrill.  L.  M.,  note  by 59 

Tetraplodon     mnioides,     var. 

brevicollis ....    142 
"  mnioides     Brc- 

weri 141 

"  urccolatus 141 

Thalictrum,  Canadian  species 

of 17,37 

Thalictru  m  a  I  p  tn  u  m,  var. 

Gaspense 18 


Thalictritin    a  I  p  i  n  a  m,  var. 

microspermu  m     18 
al  p  i  n  u  w,  var. 

nesioticiim.  ...      19 
a  I  p  i  n  n  m,  var. 

pudicii  m 19 

"  dioicitm 38 

"  d  i  o  i  c  u  m,  var. 

Langfordii. ...      40 
d  i  o  i  c  11  m  var. 
Hiironense. ...      39 
"  d  i  o  t  c  11  m  var. 

adiantiniim.  .  .      39 
Thamnium    pscudo-necker- 

oides 191 

Treasurer's  Statement 16 

Vaccinium  alaskccnsis 147 

Vernonia  corymbosa 122 

Wallis,  J.  B.,  obituary  notice 

by 32 

Weasel,  a  Rare,  at  Ottawa.  .  .  212 

Weista  Wolfit 190 

Whiteaves,  J.  F.,  article  by.   .  21 

obituary  notice  of  118 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Re- 
markable migration  of . .  .  .    115 


■^ 


■  i 


APRIL,  1909 

VOL.  XXIII,  No.  1 


THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists*  Club. 


JEOitot: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 


?l06ociate  Bditotd: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

i  Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  i?„,,  r    t7x„„x^       oo  ogy.  j   -^   Q^gg^^^    g^ 

;|  Paleontology.     ^^^^  G-  ^--^.^.^^^^^  Nature  Study. 

)iHoN.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
1                          Conchology.                             Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

JList  of  Members --         -3 

Report  of  Council 7 

Fletcher  Memorial  Fund        -------        -16 

Treasurer's  Statement --  -16 

Canadian  Species  of  Thalictrum — 1.     By  Edward  L.  Greene         -        17 
t^ote  :     Crataegus  Douglasii,  Lindl.       ------      19 

Meeting  of  Botanical  Branch        -------20 


Copbland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 


ISSUED  APRIL  30,   1909.  /"^v    Z'^'*  ^^^^   i 

fSnUftd  at  tk»  Ottawa  Post  OCfiet  as  ttoond  claa*  matttr.   !         '  \  rz 


I 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE" 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 

trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,   CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 

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OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 

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Lnmnited 


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BAGS 


OTTAWA  «■«- 

Factory     .     HULL. 


WINNIPEG, 


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Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A.    Specialty 


Far  Quotations 
PHONE  8512 


Ottawa  Sample  Room, 
Canadian  Building:.     Phono  4463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 


Your  Patronage 
Solicited 


67  Sparks  Street 
Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


S5, 000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SOI^S,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street 


Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto,  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 


Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 
Vertical  Filing-  and 
various  Office  Devices. 


Special  Insect  Cases 
and  Natural  History 
Cabinets  made  to 
order. 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


TheUnitedPliotographJc 
Stores,  Limited,  »=^-"'"' 


J       street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McEitiinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcal-fe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 


174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 


When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

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$25  to  $500 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*•  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices  for  every  style  of 
"  Ring  are  as  moderate  as  is 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  sparks  street 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTI  STS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN  TRAVELLERS' 

DRAFTS    ^^°        CHEQUES 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,  etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 
sparks    and    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  op  Agencies  Throughout  Canad.\' 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    AOVERTtSERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons  ::Sr.Sr  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 

BEST  /~*  /^     A     T  LOWEST 

QUALITY        1.    ^\    7  r\    I    ^  PRICE 

58  SPARKS  ST.        Jt      Phone  461 

I^^  TORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


H  Quarter  of  a  gcntury^s 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


Amsrican  Eotomological  Go. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genmne  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coliections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  Lis»  No.  8  and  List  of  Entomolosrical  Publications 
for  sale  Just  out.  Write  for  it.  Insect  List  No.  6  still  in  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGlFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

ig6  Sparks  Street       1 
24  Rideau  Street         j 


OTTAWA 


W.  B.  GRAHAM 

Groceries  and  Dairy    Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waveriey,  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agem 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and   Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 

MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks   Street,    Ottawa 


Backache  Try  musgrove-s  k.  &^l.  specif^ic 


Zbt  (Ottawa  ftelO^'naturaliete'  dlub. 

patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA. 

Council    1909*1910 
president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

\t)ice«pre0it>ent0 : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xlbrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretarie :  Zteaemcv  -. 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,        '■ 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm). 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  M.  M.  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  B.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Standing  (lommitteeB  of  Council: 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  M.  M.  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soirits:  A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

leaDers  at  Bxcureions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John  Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,   L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Yoimg,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
Arehctology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

nuditore : 

R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyae. 

Memb«pship  F««  to  O.F.N.C,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1.00  pep  annum. 


MAY,  1909 

VOL.  XXm,  No.  2 


THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


:601tor: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 
Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 


Associate  jEOitocs: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  ^        ^    ^  oo  ogy.  r   ^^   q^^^^^ ^  j^ 

Palceontology.      ^^^-  ^-  ^'^^oimthology  ^"^"''^  •^'"^>'- 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
Conchology.                             Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

A  Canadian  Stepheoceras.     By  J.  F.  Whiteaves.  -        -        -  21 

How  the  English  Sparrow  is  adapting  itself  to  new  conditions  of 

life.     By  Norman  Criddle. 23 

The  Forest  Reserves     --  25 

Report  of  the  Entomological  Branch,  1908  -        -        -        -  28 

Book  Review:     Annual  Report  of  the  Entomological  Society  of 

Ontario  for  1908 31 

Obituary:     The  Late  Rev.  Canon  Burman,  B.D.  -        -         -  32 

Meetings  of  Botanical  Branch      - ^^ 

Canadian  Species  of  Thalictrum— II.     By  Edward  L.  Greene.       -  37 

The  Fletcher  Memorial  Fund. 


40 


Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 

ISSUED  MAY  28.  1909.  >'q^  XO"  ^€\  'O' 

Entered  at  tK*  Ottawa  Pott  Offict  as  seeorvd  clasa  matte*.        (Llli^ARY]   31 


*^^S 


WE    DEAL     WITH     OUR     AD\/ERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE" 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merif  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.       4  stores,  Ottawa,  Canada 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 

MADE  IN  OTTAWA 

OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 

Phone  395  687  Wellington  St. 


LnMnitei 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  A- 

Factory     .     HULL 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A.    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawa.  Sample  Room, 
Canadian   BuilcJimer.     Phono  4463 


ROOiNEY   &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  ^7  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Foiirth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SO^S,  1  TO. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 


High  Grade  Hats 

Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


.Fine  Furs 

76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE   IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 
H.  MOONEY  &  SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


CVT    YHIID     PDTTMrvC    TH     iniM    TUC    HTTAVWA    CICT  n   M  ATIID  AT  ICTC     TI  ITD 


« 

Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto.  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 


Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  fSStLS'Hfs?"; 

various  Office  Devices.  ^;£°.'" """ '° 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


The  United  Photographic 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Cope!and  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE   177 


FILING 


SYSTE'VIS 


PHONE 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

835    ^FFi€E Specialty M f fiCp.     143  sparks 


ST. 


S25  to  $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 

TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

OUR  prices  for  every  style  of 
Ring  are  as  moderate  as  is 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— EKGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN  TRAVELLERS' 

DRAFTS    ^^^        CHEQUES 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,   Roubles,   etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons  ESer^Sr  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&  Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 


Ltd. 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO. 

QUALITY        K^  \J  1\.  JL^ 

58  SPARKS  ST.        jt      Phone  461 

B5T0R0HT0  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


E  Quarter  of  a  gcntury's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  ttie  best  guarantee  that  you. may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,   Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 
1350  and 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


kmum  Entoinological  Go. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genuine  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiections,  and  of  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  List  of  Eptomological  Publinationa 
for  sale  Just  out.  Write  for  ;t.  Insect  List  \o.  6  still  iu  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,   Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  n.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

io6  Sparks  Street        "»        r^'T"T■A^IrA 
24  Rideau  Street         }       O^^TAWA 

W.  B.  GRAHAM 

Groceries  and  Dairy   Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley,  OTTAWA 

™  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks   Street,    Ottawa 


—  2 


Backache  ^ry  musgrove's  k.&u  specific 


^be  Ottawa  fiel^^'naturali0t6'  dinb. 

patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OP  CANADA. 

Council    1909*1910 
president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

ItliceoPreetDentd : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig 

Xibrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Qarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson,        • 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  ExperimenUl  Farm). 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  M.  M.  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W   Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbert  son. 

Standing  aommittees  of  Council : 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  M.  M.  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soir4es:  A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Xeadere  at  JEicursiona: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,   L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig,A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
Archaology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantjme. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

Auditors: 

R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membepship  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1  .OO  pep  annum. 


THE 


JUNE,  1909 

VOL.  XXm,  No.  3 


OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


JBDltOt: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 


Hesociatc  JEOitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.        Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  p^,^   ^    „        ^       °°  °^'^'  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A. 

PalcBontology.      ^^^-  ^-  J)m^-j;jo/o  Nature  Study. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

The  Prong  horn  Antelope.      By  Prof.  E.  E.  Prince.      -         -         -  41 

Winter  Birds  at  Point  Pelee.     By  W.  E.  Saunders.        -         -         -  46 

Meetings  of  the  Entomological  Branch.         -         -         -        -         -  50 

Meetings  of  the  Botanical  Branch. 54 

First  Excursion  of  the  Season  of  1909.  -        -        -^       -        -  55 

Council  Meetings.         ---------  57 

Notes:     Dioscorea  villosa;  Snake  Behavior;  Bird  Notes;  Intimacy 

with  Nature.  -- 58 


Copelaxd-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 
ISSUED  JUNE   12,   1909. 

'}Mered  at  the  Ottawa  Post  Office  as  second  clast  matter,  f  "^  /jT'^^^''^^  t^' 

/uj  /  \  c 


Iuj  I. '\  c 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE'' 
Phone  732 

Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,  CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 

MADE  IN  OTTAWA 

OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 

Phone  395  687  Wellington  St. 


Lnmnited 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  -"•>  WINNIPEG, 


Factory 


HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
PHONE  3512 


Cttavwa  Sample  Room, 
Canadian   Building,      Pho'^e  44-63 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

67  Sparks  Street 
Ottawa 


Your  Patronage 
Solicited 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000.000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS.  I  ID. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THER  J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 

76  Sparks  St. 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


INSURE   IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY  &  SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street 


Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto,  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

TT       i.*        1   T^M"  1  Special  Insect  Cases 

Vertical   Filing-  and  and  Natural  History 

r^crL  T-x        •  Cabinets  made  to 

various  Office  Devices.  order. 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO. 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


ThellnitedPhotograpliic 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney.  D.D.S. 

I09  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 


When  in  want  of  Higli  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FUKNITURE 

And       OSPER.VIOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware,  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  c-C<>.    143  sparks  st. 


$25  to   $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
•*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices  for  every  style  of 
'-'  Ring  are  as  moderate  as  is 
consistent  ^vith  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St  ,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN    ^„^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS  CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,   Roubles,   etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 
SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE     DKAL     WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons 


Booksellers,  Stationers 
Bookbinders,  Printers 


Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST. 


BEST 
QUALITY 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


Jt      Phone  461 


liL^ORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


E  Quarter  of  a  €cmurv*$ 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY.   Manager 

Ottawa   Braxch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and   ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 
13S0  and 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  Entomological  Co. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genmne  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiectiuni,  and  ?f  the 

American   Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Sniiplv  List  No.  Sand  List  of  Entomological  Pulilicationa 
for  sale  .just  out.  Write  for  ■  t.  lust-ct  List  .N'o.  t;  still  in  furfe 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
55  Stuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 


R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S    FURNISHINGS 

'l^l^r^'cf.^^'f        1       OTTAWA 
24  Rideau  Street  j 

W.  B    ORAMAM 

Groceries  and    Dairy    Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley.  OTTAWA 

™  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  j»  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agem 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  SL  -   OTTAWA. 

MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


T^iiplrarllA  Try  MUSGROVE'S  K.  &  L.  SPECIFIC 

J^aCKdCliU  -^  SURE     CURE  212  BANK  STREET,  OTTAWA 


Zbt  Ottawa  ]rielt)'''naturali6tr  Club* 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA. 

Council    1909*1910- 

president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

\Pice*Pre0tOent6 : 

Mr,  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xtbrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  '  Xlreaeurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm). 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanOing  dommttteee  of  aouncfl: 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:  A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaDers  at  Eicursions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami.   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
Archaeology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuOitors: 
R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1.00  per  annum. 


THE 


JULY,  1909 

VOL.  XXIU,  No.  4 


OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


BOftor.- 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 
Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 


Bssodate  EDitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  ^^^^   P    t7,.o.^       °°  ^^^'  J-  W.  Gibson,  M.A. 

Paleontology.     ^^'^  ""■  ^''""h^itkology.  Nature  Study. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
Conchology.                             Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

AJgonkin  and  Huron  Occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.      By  T. 

W.  E.  Sowte  r       ---------  61 

What  is  a  Species?     By  F.  H.  Wolley-Dod.          .        ...  69 

Fletcher  Memorial  Fund ;  list  of  subscribers.        -        -        -        -  73 

Meetings  of  the  Entomological  Branch.        -        -        -        -     ,    -  76 

Excursions:     Britannia;  Beaver  Meadow;  Chelsea;  Carp.   -        -  78 

Crossbills  Nesting  in  Southern  Ontario.     By  W.  E.  Saunders.        -  84 


Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 

ISSUED  JULY   10,   1909. 


fhUergd  at  tht  Ottawa  Post  Office  as  seeoiui  claat  matter  J  UJ  f  I    |  g  P  A  R  Y 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


J-^-t^V  lO    BOOKSTORE" 
157  Bank  St.  Phone  732 

Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 

"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 

trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,   CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 


OTTAWA  PAINT   WORKS 


Phone  395 


687  Wellington  St. 


Lnmnitedl 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  *"■•  WINNIPEG, 


Factory 


HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quetaitions 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawra.  Sample  Room, 
Canadian   Buildingr.     Phone  4463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  ^7  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000.000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St   and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Htill. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 

76  Sparks  St. 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY  &  SON 

General  Agents 
iti  Sparks  Street 


Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  Ox\T. 
BRANCHES— Toronto.  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 


Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vprfiral   Filincr  '>nH  Special  Insect  Cases 

VerilCai   r  Uin^  <ana  and  Natural  History 

various  Office  Devices.  ^,der"'''  "'^^' '" 


BRYSOIN,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


The  United  Photographic 
Stores,  Limited.  ^^^'""•'" 


I }       street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


A\ark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Booi^binders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 


174-178  WelUngrton  St.,  Ottawa 


When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       03TERM0QR       MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO, 


34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware,  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  oCp-    143  sparks  st. 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 

TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■^  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

OUR  prices  for  every  style  of 
Ring  are  as  moderate  as  is 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 


57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


S25  to  $500 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN  ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS       CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,  etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY   OFFICE 

Corner 
SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and   Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons  a:SS,p:'r  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


BEST 
QUALITY 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST.        ^       Phone  461 

I^^  TORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


1\  Ouarter  of  a  genmry's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,   Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  Efitomological  Co. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genmne  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufactiu'ers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Collections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  List  of  Entomoloxlcal  Publications 
for  gale  Just  out.  Write  for  it.  InsfCt  List  No.  ti  still  in  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,   Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  n.y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 


R.  iHcGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

106  Sparks  street        \       rv-r-TATWA 
24  Rideau  Street         /       OTTAWA 


W.  B.  GRAHAM, 

Groceries  and.  Dairy    Produce 

Phone  1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley.  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  SL  ■   OTTAWA. 

MASSON'S     . 


SHOES 


72   Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


■R^irk^rhp  Try  MUSGROVE'S  K.  &  L.  SPECIFIC 

JJCtl/ACll/llC  -^  SURE     CURE  212  BANK  STREET,  OTTAWA 


Zbc  Ottawa  jtelO-'ftotumltste'  Club. 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY. 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA. 

Council    1909=1910 
IPrcstOent : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

\Dices»pcc0iOent0 : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

ILlbrarlan : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanOing  Committees  of  Council: 

Publications:   L.  H.  Newman,  Alex   McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,     C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:    A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,   J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 
( 

Xea&ers  at  Excurgions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince.  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuOltors: 
R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membee^sWip  Fee  to  O.F.N. C,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1  .OO  pen  sinnum. 


THE 


AUGUST,  1909 

VOL.  XXin,  Ho.  5 


OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


EOftOt: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 


?l00oc(ate  JEOItors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  n^,,   r    o,       ^       oo  ogy.  j^y   Qjag^j^  jyj^ 

Pa,.o„>olo,y^     ■"='■  °-  '""'S„,U<,;»g,.  Nature  S„.dy. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
Conchology.                              Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

Certain  Biological  Principles  and  their  Practical  Application  in 
the  Improvement  of  the  Field  Crops  of  Canada.  By  L.  H. 
Newman,  B.S.A.         -        -         ------         -         85 

Algonkin  and  Huron  Occupation  of  the  Ottawa  Valley.     By  T. 

W.  E.  Sowter -        92 

Note  on  Megorismus  fletcheri.     By  Arthur  Gibson  -     .      -  104 


Oopeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 

ISSUED  AUGUST  2,   1909. 
h'nterei  tU  the  Ottawi  Post  Office  as  stooiul  das$  matter. 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationef  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


J  Z^Ja.  V  1  ^    BOOKSTORE" 
157  Bank  St.  Phone  732 

Any  book  you  see  advertised ,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 

"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 

trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,   CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 


OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 


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SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  ANo  WIS^HIPEO, 

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SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
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Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawa.  Sample  Room, 
Canadian   Building:,      Photie  4463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  ^^  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000.000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THER  J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 

76  Sparks  St. 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 
H.  MOONEY&  SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


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0 
D 

(0 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

flEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT 
BRANCHES — Toronto,  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  'Jd  NLa"irHfs?"; 

various  Office  Devices.  ^;^T' "'"" '° 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO. 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


The  United  Photographic 
Stores,  Limited,  %??.%r 

PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  fflcElhinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeiand  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  A\anufacturers 

174-178  Wellingrton  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  gCp-    143  sparks  st. 


$25  to  $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
-*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

OUR  prices  for  every  style  of 
Ring  are  as  moderate  as  is 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 

Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 


FOREIGN  ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS       CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,   Roubles,   etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY   OFFICE 

Corner 
SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  op  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE     DEAL     WITH     OUR    ADVERTI3BRS 


James  Hope  &  Sons 


Booksellers,  Stationers 
Bookbinders,  Printers 


Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


^ 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 


THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


BBST 
QUALITY 


LOWBST 
PRICE 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST.        jt       Phone  461 

I^aORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


J\  Quarter  of  a  Cemury*$ 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $6,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,   Manager 
Ottawa  Branch:^ 
Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 


specialist  in 
ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


Phone 
1350 


American  Entomalogical  Go. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genuine  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  List  of  Entomological  Publications 
for  sale  justout.  Write  for  t.  Insnct  List  No.  U  still  in  torce 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  n.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  »  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

106  Sparks  Street       1       rv-r-rATKr* 
24  Rideau  Street         }       OTTAWA 

W.  B.  QRAHAM. 

Groceries  and  Dairy   Produce 

Phonb  1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.Waveriey.  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 


HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks   Street,    Ottawa 


Backache  ^ry  -viusgrove-s  k.&^i,  specific 


Zbc  ©ttawa  JicI^-■Waturali0t0'  Club. 

patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVBRNOR-GBNBRAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1909*1910 
president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

\t)ice*predtdentd  -. 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xtbrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretari^:  ^Treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  ^  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Standing  Committees  or  douncll: 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young. 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:  A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman.  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

ILeaOers  at  Bicursions:  ^ 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince.  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill 

HuOitors: 

R,  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1  .OO  per  annum. 


SEPTEMBER,  1909 

VOL.  XXIU,  No.  6 


fTHE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


EOftor: 

ARTflUR    GIBSON, 
Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 


?l06octatc  BDltors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  ^        P    l7r,.„To       ""  °^'^'  J-  W.  Gibson.  M.A. 

Paleontology.     ^^"^ '  "" '  ^''^'Smithology .  Nature  Study. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
Conchology.                              Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

Certain  Biological  Principles   and   their   Practical   Application  in 
the  Improvement   of   the   Field  Crops  of  Canada.     By  L.  H. 

Newman,  B.S.A.         -        -         -        -.--'-         -  105 

Field  Notes  of  Canadian  Botany.     I.    By  Edward  L.  Greene.       -  110 

The  Prairie  Warbler  in  Northern  Ontario  and  other  Notes.     By 

G.  Eifrig  -         _         .         _         _  -  -  -  -11,^ 

A  Remarkable    Migration   of    Yellow    Bellied    Sapsuckers.     Bv 

A.  B.  Klugh  •      -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -        '-  115 

The  Rapid  Extermination  of  the  Bald  Eagle.     By  W.  E.  Saunders  116 

Book  Review      ----------  117 

Obituary  :  Joseph  Frederick  Whiteaves       -----  J.  18. 


Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited  /0»^^^";C3i'^0  ^\ 


ISSUED  SEPTEMBER  28.  1909.  / Q^ 

Untertd  at  the  Ottawa  Post  Office  as  second  claat  matter.     /Uj/,    10^40^1  ^ 


t^)>M^Sf 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE'' 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.       4  STORES,  Ottawa,  Canada 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINT& 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 


OTTAWA  PAINT   WORKS 


Phone  395 


687  Wellington  St. 


LQMnHed 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  AND 

Factory      .     HULL, 


WINNIPEG, 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quetatiorts 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawa  Sample  Room, 
CoLnadian   Building:,     Phone  4-463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

{Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  ^^  ^P^rks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 

THE  BAIOC  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 

Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIANS 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

Fine  Furs 


High  Grade  Hats 

Fur'Department  ''\ 
Phone  4828 


76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES — Toronto.  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  fn^dtl/urarHliSo"; 

various  Office  Devices.  o^rder"'''  '"*^'  *' 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO. 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


ThellnitedPhotographic 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

I09  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR       MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware,  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and   Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    4IFFICE  Specialty  M f o.Cp«    143  sparks  st. 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


$25  to  $500 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*•  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices    for    every    style    o 
^    Ring    are    as   moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St  ,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
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Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,   Roubles,  etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY   OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons  SSSr  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


CO 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
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86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

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CORPORATION. 


H  Qmvm  Of  a  Ccmurv's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $6,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 

Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 
1350  and 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

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knmm  Eiitomological  Go. 

Dealers  in 

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Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  8  ami  Listof  K[itomoloi.'io.il  I'ulilliatiinis 
for  sale  Just  out.  Write  for  't.  Insect  List  .So.  6>.lllliiif«rce 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
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GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 


R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

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W.  B.  GRAHAM, 

Groceries  and  Dairy   Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley.  OTTAWA 

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MASSON'S 


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JLbc  (S)ttawa  ftelb^Vlaturaliete'  Club. 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY. 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1009*1910 

prest&ent : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

UJice-prcglDcnts  -. 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xibtarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  Creaeurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanMng  Committees  of  Council: 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soir4es:  A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Xea&ers  at  Bxcurstons: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince.  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuOltors : 

R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist,'* 

$1.00  per  annum. 


5e  01U  poofee  C      P^ 

OCTOBER,  1909 

VOL.  XXm,  No.  7 


•  ,  ,^.  «  OTTAWA 


THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 


^ 


Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


« 


EOltOt: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 
Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 

Hesocfatc  EDitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  p^,^   p    t^x^ot..       ^'^  ''^'^'     J-  W.  Gibson.  M.A. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 

CONTENTS: 

Notes  from  the  Herbarium  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Canada. 

By  James  M.  Macoun       -         -         -         -         -         -         -     -       121 

Discourses  upon  the  Lepidoptera.  I.  Variation.     By  F.  H.  WoUey- 

Dod.        -  *      -        -        -        -        - 122 

Birds  of  Stony  Plain,  Alberta.     By  Sidney  S.  S.  Stansell       -         -       125 

The  So-called  White  Wild  Oats  and  what  they  are.      By  Norman 

Griddle.        ----------       127 

"Snow-worms."     By  Arthur  Gibson    ------  129 

The  Tragic  Side  of  Bird  Life.     By  H.  Groh.  -         -         -        -  131 

Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Durham,  Ont.     By  W.  E.  Saunders     -         -  132 

Personal     --- 133 

Book  Review      ___-------  134 


Oopeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 


ISSUED  OCTOBER  18,   1909.  /^  J^    ->  m -^\^  V" 

Ontered  at  the  Ottawa  Poat  Office  as  aeeond  class  matter,    fi^  j      lODADVl^ 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
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JEWELLERS  AND 
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ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices    for    every    style    o 
"    Ring    are    as    moderate    as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIHKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


..GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company- 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN  ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS       CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,   etc- 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 
SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons  Z:ZiXT  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 
THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


BEST 
QUALITY 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST.        ^      Phone  461 

I^aORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


n  Quarter  of  a  Century's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  EnlGmological  Go. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genuine  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufactvirers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coliections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pms 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  List  of  Etitomolosfical  Publlnationa 
for  iale  just  out.  Write  for  ,t.  lusnct  List  No.  estillinforce 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av..  BROOKLYN,  n.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  760  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

106  Sparks  Street 
24  Rideau  Street 


OTTAWA 


W.  B.  GRAHAM. 

Groceries  and  Dairy   Produce 

Phone  1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley.  OTTAWA 

THE  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAVA 


HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


Backache  ^ry  musgrove-s  k.&.l.  specific 


^be  (Ottawa  f ielD^Vlaturaliete'  Club. 

patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

aouncU    1909*1910 
president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

V)ice*pre0tdentd : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xibrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Standing  Committees  of  Council: 

Publications:   L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,    C.  H.  Young, 

A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soirits:    A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,   J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaDers  at  JExcurgions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami.   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 

Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John  Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,   J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig,A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSjieur. 
Arehetology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballant3me. 
Mtttorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuDitors : 
R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

MambttPship  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1.00  pep  annum. 


NOVEMBER,  1909 

VOL.  XXIII,  No.  8 


THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


EOitot: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 


Associate  jEOitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Zoolosv. 
Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  t,        o    t^  ^-^      J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A. 

PalccuoHy.     ^^"■"■''"''h'nmoloa.  NaU,re  S„.dy. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.H.Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Mrteoro/ogy. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

New  Contributions  to  Canadian  Bryology.     By  N.  Conr.  Kindberg       137 

Discourses  upon  the  Lepidoptera.  II.  Familiarity  with  Local  Forms. 

By  F.  H.  Wolley-Dod  -------       144 

Contributions  from  the  Herbarium  of  the  Geological  Survey.      By 

James  M.  Macoun         -- "       ^^^ 

Bird  Migration,  1908.     By  R.  S.  Bouteillier         -         -         -        -       149 

Ant  Roads.    By  Charles  Macnamara   ------       150 

The  Nitrogen  Compounds  in  Rain  and  Snow         _        .        -        -      151 

<06IC/<^N 

Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited  ''^y^yo*7>sJ^^ 

ISSUED  NOVEMBER   15,   1909.  C<      '^  •A^- 

BM*red  at  tht  Ottawa  Post  Office  as  second  class  matter,    jj 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE'' 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,  CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


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9 


Lnmnitedl 


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BAGS 


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Wholesale  Manufacturers 
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ROONEY  &  COOPER 

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Solicited  Ottawa 

THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIAN 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 

Fur  Department"? 

Phone  4828  .  T. ''    J         76  Sparks  St. 

INSURE   IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Agents 
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Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

I09  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellingfton  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated  -  -  - 
CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 
And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO, 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest, 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Oftlce  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  C-Cp.    143  sparks  st. 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


$25  to  $500 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*•  else,  too  low  a  price  nieans  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

OUR  prices    for    every    style    o 
Ring    are    as    moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN    ,^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS  CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,   etc 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


THOus.iiNDS  OF  Agencies  Throughout  Can.\da 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    AOVERTI3ERS 

James  Hope  &  Sons  B:rS;.p:'r  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


CO 
CO 
0 


CJ 


3=  =3 

H-  aa 

t—  UJ 

o  t- 

S:  " 

o 


CD 

-lad 

Oh 

CO 
CO 


0 

H 

< 


Q 
(f) 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&  Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 

BBST  /"^  /^    A     T  LOWEST 

QUALITY       VxV-^JrxX-^         PRICE 

58  SPARKS  ST.        j»      Phone  461 

B5  TORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


E  Quarter  of  a  Century's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,   Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


Americen  EnlDinological  Co. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genuine  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiections,  ar.d  rf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  Listof  Entomoloeical  rnibllnations 
for  sale  just  out.  Write  for  4.  Insect  List  No.  6  .itUl  in  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,   Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

io6  Sparks  Street       1 
24  Rideau  Street         j 


OTTAWA 


W.  B.  QRAHAM, 

Groceries  and   Dairy   Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley,  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


Backache  ^^^y '^'sS?.?^^'^  \flhfrj.^l^l^^ 


Ebe  ©ttawa  fiel^^lRaturaliete'  Club. 

patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY. 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1909*1910 

f)ree(Ocnt : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

ItJlcealpresiOentB : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xlbrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary .-  treasurer : 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

•Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

« 

StanOing  Committees  ot  Council : 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:  A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kings1,on,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaOers  at  Excursions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig.A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince.  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur- 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

RuOitors : 

R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membepshlp  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1.00  per  annum. 


DECEMBER,  1909 

VOL.  XXin,  Ho.  9 


THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 

JEOltor: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 

?»00ocfate  lEOitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.  Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  p^^  r    t^t^^t^       oo  ogy.  j   ^   Qjgg^^^^^ 

Paleontology.  '"'''■''■  """"'o^Molosy.  Nature  S,uiy. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 
Conchology.                              Entomology. 

CONTENTS: 

Note   on  the     Ornamentation  of  Periglyptocrinus  priscus.      By 

William  A.  Parks. 153 

The  Sharp-Shinned  Hawk  Migration.     By  W.  E.  Saunders.  -  156 

Rare  Birds  at  Point  Pelee.     By  W.  E.  Saunders.  -        -        -  160 

Botanical  Excursions,   (German  Field  Methods) .     By  John  Craig.  163 

The  Fletcher  Memorial  Fund.       -------  167       ' 

Tent-Building  Habits  of  Ants.     By  C.  Gordon  Hewitt.  -        -  168 

Book  Review.      ---- -  170 

Lecture  Programme.  ___-----  172 


'a' 


'm^ 


Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited  /V^''^         '*•  XX 

ISSUED  DECEMBER  6,  1909.  A5^ /^^ '^^Vl^ 

fvtUered  at  the  Ottawa  Post  Office  as  aeoond  class  matter,    j '^  /^   '^h#'^'     f\   ^ 

LI»RARYJ  »' 

r^V  '^'^^  J^ 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


o 
o 

>. 

HI  (Q 
GQ  O 


Q 
UJ 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


(0 

o 


CM 
Ul 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE" 
Phone  732 

Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  mer>it  they  seek  youi* 
trade.       4  STORES,  Ottawa,  Canada 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 

OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 

Phone  395  687  Wellington  St. 


Lnmnitedl 


SLEEPING  ' 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  -x"  WINNIPEG, 

Factory     -     HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 

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Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 

Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 


A    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
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Ottawa.  Saenple  Room, 
Canadian   Buildingr.     Phore  4463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  67  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 

THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 

Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave, 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
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Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIAN 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


'    76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE   IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Ag-ents 
iti  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA,  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto.  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  fn^dtLuTarHS:" 

various  Office  Devices.  ortT"  "^'^' '° 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


ThellnitedPhotographic 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcal-fe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

I^RAVES     BROS  ^^^'  ^P^^^^  ^^^  METCALFE  STS. 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  c>C9»     143  sparks  st. 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


$25  to  $500 


IN   Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

OUR  prices    for    every    style    o 
Ring    are    as    moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express  •  Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN    ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS       .  CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,     Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,   etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  op  Agencies  Throughout  Can.\da 


WE    DEAL     WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons 


Booksellers,  StatioDcrs 
Bookbinders,  Printers 


Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


BEST 
QUALITY 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST.        jt      Phone  461 

li^ORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


B  Quarter  of  a  Century*$ 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  8500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  Eiitomological  Co. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genume  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiections,  ar.d  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  Sand  List  of  Entomological  PubUivitions 
for  sale  justout.  Write  for  t.  Insect  List  No.  G  still  in  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
55  Stuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Suci;t-ss(jrs  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 


R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

MlrcTea'us'retr       }       °^^^^^ 

W.  B.  GRAHAM, 

Groceries  and  Dairy   Produce 

Phone   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Wavcrley.  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 


HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks   Street,    Ottawa 


Tl;,r.k«r.he  Try  MUSGROVE'S  K.&.L^  SPECIFIC 


^be  Ottawa  fielDo'naturalidte'  Club. 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1909=^1910 
preslOent : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

ItJicc^prcslOents: 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xibrarian : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

Secretary:  (Treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm). 

Mr,  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Stan&ing  CommUtees  of  Council: 

Publications:   L.  H.  Newman,  Alex   McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,     C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soirees:    A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,   J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaOers  at  Bicurslons: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston. 

Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig.A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince.  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArcJusology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

RuDltors: 
R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N. C,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1.00  per  annum. 


JANUARY,  1910 

VOL.  XXIII,  No.  10 

THE 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 

BOitor: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 

Tyesociate  TS^ixoxs: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.        Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  ^^        ^    ^  Zoology.         ^   Qibson.  M.A. 

Pal.o„.olo,y.     R--  G.  E--;,,„„,„^^.  mn,re  Su.dy. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 

« 

CONTENTS: 

t 

Some   of  the   Best   Native    Plants  for   Cultivation.     By   W.   T. 

Macoun.        ----------       173 

New  Contributions  to  Canadian  Bryology.     By  N.  C.  Kindberg, 

Upsula,  Sweden.  -__.----       180 

A  Gannet  near  Ottawa.        __- 192 

Contributions  from  the  Herbarium  of  the  Geological  Survey.     By 

James  M.  Macoun.        -         -         - 1^4 

Birds  observed  at  Coboconk,  Ont.     By  J.  A.  Munro.     -         -        -       194 

Fletcher  Memorial  Fund. ^^^ 

Soirees.       -----------      196 

Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited  ^<^  /rtOiT^S.  v 

ISSUED  JANUARY  27    1910.  /^/y^    -%.#-%,  Ov  i 

Enttrtd  cU  the  OUaioa  Post  Office  as  second  claat  matter.        j^  1 1^{  g  fl  J(  a  y]  ! 


^ 


A\4uo5><,C^ 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 

BOOKSTORE" 

Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.       4  stores,  Ottawa,  Canada 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 

OTTAWA  PAINT   WORKS 

Phone  395  687  Wellington  St. 


iMfltted 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  A«D  WINNIPEG, 

Factory     -     HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A.    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawra.  Sample  Room, 
Oanadian   Building-.     Phone  4463 


ROONEY  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

67  Sparks  Street 
Ottawa 


Your  Patronage 
Solicited 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Ofifice,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave, 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIAN 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 
H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Agents 
iti  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


>5 
0 

D 

(0 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST.,  OTTAWA,  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto,  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  fJd^NirarHS"; 

various  Office  Devices.  ^rtT"  ""'^' '" 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

*       SELL  EVERYTHING 


The  United  Photographic 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McEIhinney,  D.D.S. 

109  Metcal-Fe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       03TER1VI00R        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware,  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE   177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and   Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  fitO>.     us  sparks  sx. 


$25  to  $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices    for    every    style    o 
^    Ring    are    as    moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St.,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN    ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS  CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,     Pounds   Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,   etc. 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKG    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and   Sold. 


Thousands  of  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL    WITH    OUR    AOVERTtSERS, 


James  Hope  &  Sons  ^ZZ^^'  Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


cd 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 

BEST  /"^  /^     A     T  LOWEST 

QUALITY        \^\Jfjri.L^  PRICE 

58  SPARKS  ST.        jt       Phone  461 

I^aORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


B  Ouartcr  of  a  Century's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $500  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  Eotomological  Co. 

Dealers  in  ' 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genmne  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Collections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pms 

Supply  List  No.  8  and  List  of  Entomoloarical  Publi'-ations 
for  sale  just  out.  Write  for  it.  Insect  List  No.  6  still  iu  force 

GEORGE.  FRANCK,   Manager 
55  Stuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 


R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

io6  Sparks  street        \       n-rTa^x/A 
24  Rideau  Street         /       OTTAWA 


W.  B.  GRAHAM, 

Groceries  and   Dairy    Produce 

Phonb   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley,  OTTAWA 

m  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -   OTTAWA. 

MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks   Street,    Ottawa 


Backache  Try  musgrove's  k.&^l.  specific 


Ilbe  ©ttawa  jfielb^lRaturalists'  Club. 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1909:=  19 10 

preslOent : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

lP(cc»iprest&ent0 : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig 

Xtbrarlan : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

ScccetatB:  treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Exoerimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  r  Mjss  McKay  Scott. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Mis6  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanOlng  dommitteeB  of  dounctl: 

Publications:   L.  H.  Newman,  Alex   McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,    C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:    A.  Halkett,  L.  H.  Newman.  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,   J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaDerg  at  Eicurslons: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A,  Johnston. 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke.  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuDttors : 
'  R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N. C,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1  .OO  per  annum. 


FEBRUARY,  1910 

VOL.  XXIII,  No.  11 


TH  E 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists'  Club. 


EOitOt: 

ARTHUR    GIBSON, 
Central  Experimental  Farm, 
OTTAWA. 


Tlssoclate  jeoitors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.        Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Zooloev. 
Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  d        o    t^  ^"^      J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A. 

Pal.cn,olo,y.     '''''■''■  ^""o%i.Mosy.  N.,ure  Suuiy. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

Everyday  Ornithology.     By  Norman  Criddle.       -         -        -         -  197 

Meetings  of  the  Botanical  Branch. 204 

Soirees.       -         ----------  207 

Instinct  and  Education.  Synopsis  of  address  by  Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood.  209 

Fletcher  Memorial  Fund.     - -        ■  211 

Notes :     Bartonia  virginica  in  Quebec ;  Bonaparte's  Gull.      -       -  211 

A  rare  Weasel  at  Ottawa.     By  W.  E.  Saunders.  -         -         -  212 

;03i^^^X 

Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited  e^ /O  '/\  *tO\ 

ISSUED  FEBRUARY   IS,  1910  h  .  ,  /  I  O] 

—T^  I  L  I  B  R  A  R  Y  r 

lkU«r«d  at  the  Ottawa  Post  Office  ns  second  class  mattery  I  *-  •  I 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


o 
o 

OE  d 
O  GQ 


Q 
UJ 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


UJ 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE'' 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.  4  STORES,  OTTAWA,  CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOH  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 


OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 


Phone  395 


687  Wellington  St. 


ILnmnited 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  AND  WINf^lPEG, 

Factory      .     HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quotsitiorvs 
PHONE  3512 


Otfaiva  Sample  Room, 
Cana'iian   Buildingr,      Phone  4463 


ROONEV  &  COOPER 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  ^7  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000.000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 

Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  RflSFfHHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIAN 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Otta^wa 


THER  J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

High  Grade  Hats  Fine  Furs 


Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY&SON 

General  Ag'ents 
IT  I  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


GET  YOUR  FRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  F!Ef  D-NATllRAF.lSTS'  fLlJR 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OTTAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES— Toronto.   Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vertical  Filing  and  fnTN^rarHS:" 

various  Office  Devices.  o?deT' """'' '" 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


ThellnitedPhotographic 
Stores,  Limited,  %i^or 

PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McEIhinney,  D.D.S. 


109  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


CopeIand  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,   Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  VVellinKton  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       OSTERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO. 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware.  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS.        ^°^-  '^^^^Ihone ^.^"^^^^^  '^'• 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Speci  alt y  M  fG.fQ,    m  sparks  st. 


$25  to  $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

/^UR  prices    for    every    style    o 
"    Ring    are    as    moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 
48-52  Temperance  St,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN  ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS       CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,    Roubles,  etc 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY    OFFICE 

Corner 

SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and   Sold. 


Thousands  op  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE    DEAL     WITH     OUR    ADVERTISERS 


James  Hope  &  Sons 


Booksellers,  Stationers 
Bookbinders,  Printers 


Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


C3 
■t-> 


as  => 


u  as 

K-  UJ 

O  H- 

o 


CI, 


0 

H 
< 

G 

Id 
Tj 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 
THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


COAL 

58  SPARKS  ST. 


BBST 
QUALITY 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


jt       Phone  461 


B5  TORONTO  GENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


}\  Quarter  of  a  Ccntury^s 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  $600  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 


CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


American  Entomological  Co. 

Dealers  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  genuine  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufactxirers  nf  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiectiuns.,  and  rf  *-he 

American  Entomoiog^ical  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  Sand  Listof  Entomoli.iTical  Publl.-..Tti.>n3 
for  sale  justout.  Write  for  t.  Insect  List  No.6.lillinfor^e 

GEORGE    FRANCK,   Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  N.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKERS 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

106  Sparks  street        j       OTTAWA 
24  Rideau  Street         j 

W.  B.  GRAHAM, 

Groceries  and   Dairy   Produce 

Phonb   1967 

395  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waveriey,  OTTAWA 

THE  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's   ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

166  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 


HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  ST.  -    OTTAWA. 


MASSON'S 


SHOES 

72   Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


n 
pin 


V 


Backache  ^ry  ^yj.%^.?''''^  ^.^L  s^^r.^.^oWiS 


tTbe  Ottawa  jriel^-Waturaltsts'  Club. 

patron: 
THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Council    1909*1910 
president : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

lDicc»prc6lOent0 : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig 

Xibrarian: 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey. 

SectctatB:  tTrcaeuret: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt.    . 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanOIng  Committees  of  Council : 

Publications:  L.  H.  Newman,  Alex  McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,  C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E.  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:  A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,  J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XeaOers  at  iBicurslons: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig,A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett.  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur 
ArchcBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantyne. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill 

KuOltore : 

R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membership  Fee  to  O.F.N. C,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist, " 

$1.00  per  annum. 


MARCH,  1910 

VOL.  XXin,  No.  12 


TLJ  p- 

OTTAWA 
NATURALIST 

Published  by  The  Ottawa  Field-Naturalists*  Club. 


BOitor: 

ARTHUR   GIBSON, 

Central  Experimental  Farm, 

OTTAWA. 


H660Clate  BOttors: 

Dr.  H.  M.  Ami,  Geology.       Prof.  E.  E.  Prince,  W.  T.  Macoun,  Botany. 

Zooloev. 
Dr.  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  ^.      ^    t7_„_  ^^      J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A. 

Paleontology.     R^^"  G-  Ei^Rio,  ^  .^^^^^^^_  ^,,„,,  study. 

Hon.  F.  R.  Latchford,       W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  McNeill,  Meteorology. 

Conchology.  Entomology. 


CONTENTS: 

Some  Western  Species  of  Arnica.     By  Edward  L.  Greene     -         -  213 

Meeting  of  the  Entomological  Branch.         -----  216 

A  Shrew  new  to  New  Brunswick.    By  Wm,  H.  Moore.  -         -  217 

Meeting  of  the  Botanical  Branch.         ------  219 

The  Correlation  of  Characters  in  Plants  and  its  Economic  Import- 
ance to  the  Plant  Breeders.     By  L.  H.  Newman.  -         -  220 

The  Passenger  Pigeon.    By  W.  Lochhead.  -----  224 

Book  Review.      -        - 225 

Note :    The  Smoky  Shrew.  -        -        -        -        -        -        -  228 

Index. 229 


Copeland-Chatterson-Crain  Limited 

ISSUED  MARCH   11    1910. 

tOnttrtd  at  th9  OttavHi  Poat  Office  as  ateond  clat§  matter. 


WE    DEAL    WITH     OUR     ADVERTISERS 


JAMES  OGILVY, 


Bookseller,  Stationer  and  Publisher 
63  Sparks  St. 


JARVIS' 

157  Bank  St. 


"THE 
BOOKSTORE"' 
Phone  732 


Any  book  you  see  advertised,  if  we  have  it 
not,  we  will  order  it  for  you  promptly.  We 
solicit  book  business. 


"Merit"  placed  ALLEN  &  COCHRANE 
THE  RED  CROSS  DRUGGISTS  at 
the  head  in  the  drug  business  of 
Ottawa — on  merit  they  seek  your 
trade.         4  STORES,  OTTAWA,   CANADA 


ASK  FOR  OUR  CELEBRATED 

FLOOR  AND  HOUSE 

PAINTS 


MADE  IN  OTTAWA 

OTTAWA  PAINT  WORKS 

Phone  395     ^  687  Wellington  St. 


LnmnHed. 


SLEEPING 
BAGS 


OTTAWA  ANo  WINNIPEG, 

Factory     -     HULL. 


SILK  TENTS 


Wholesale  Manufacturers 
Lumbermen's  and  Contractors'  Supplies, 
Outfitting  Survey  Parties, 
Exploration  and  Outing  Parties  of  any  kind, 
A    Specialty 


For  Quotations 
PHONE  3512 


Ottawa.  Sample  Room, 
Canadian   Building-,      Phone  4463 


ROONEY  Sl  cooper 

TAILORS 

(Ladies  and  Gentlemen) 

Your  Patronage  67  Sparks  Street 

Solicited  Ottawa 


THE  BANK  OF   OTTAWA 


Capital  authorized 

"       paid  up 
Rest 


$5,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 


OFFICES  IN  OTTAWA  AND  HULL 
Head  Office,  Wellington  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gloucester  St. 
Bank  St.  and  Gladstone  Ave 
Bank  St.  and  Fourth  Ave. 
Lloyd  St.  and  Queen  St.  West 
Rideau  St. 
Somerset  St. 
Cartier  St. 
Main  St.,  Hull. 
Bridge  St.,  Hull. 

SAVINGS  BANK  DEPARTMENT 
Interest  at  Current  Rates. 


A.  ROSENTHAL  &  SONS,  LTD. 

JEWELLERS  AND 
OPTICIAN 


Goldsmith's  Hall 


Ottawa 


THE  R.J.  DEVLIN  CO. 

Limited 

Fine  Furs 


High  Grade  Hats 

Fur  Department 
Phone  4828 


76  Sparks  St. 


INSURE  IN 

Mutual  Life  of  Canada 

H.  MOONEY  &  SON 

General  Agents 
III  Sparks  Street  Ottawa 


GET  YOURTRIENDS  TO  JOIN  THE  OTTAWA  FIELD-NATURALISTS'  CLUB 


Library  Bureau  of  Canada 

HEAD  OFFICE— ISABELLA  ST..  OITAWA.  ONT. 
BRANCHES — Toronto,  Montreal  and  Winnipeg. 

Inventors  of  the  Card  System, 

Vprtir;^!   Filino-  anH  Special  Insect  Cases 

vertical   ruing  ana  and  Natural  History 

various  Office  Devices.  o^rder'''  ""^^^ '" 


BRYSON,  GRAHAM  &  CO. 

SELL  EVERYTHING 


ThellnitedPhotographJc 
Stores,  Limited, 


65  Sparks 
Street 


PHOTO  SUPPLIES 


Mark  G.  McElhinney,  D.D.S. 

I09  Metcalfe  St. 
OTTAWA 


Copeland  =  Chatterson  =  Crain,    Limited 

Printers,  Bookbinders  and  Loose  Leaf  Manufacturers 

174-178  Wellington  St.,  Ottawa 

When  in  want  of  High  Grade  Furniture 
Call  and  See  Our  Stock 


AGENTS  for  the  Celebrated 

CREX  PRAIRIE  GRASS  FURNITURE 

And       03TERMOOR        MATTRESSES 


STEWART  &  CO 

34  Rideau  Street 
Just  Below  the  Bridge 


HEADQUARTERS 

For  all  lines  of  Sporting  Goods,  Cutlery,  House  and  Builders' 
Hardware,  We  are  direct  importers  of  all  lines  carried  by 
us,  and  the  quality  of  our  goods  is  the  highest. 

GRAVES  BROS. 


COR.  SPARKS  AND  METCALFE  STS. 
PHONE  177 


FILING 


SYSTEMS 


Office  Furniture  and  Equipment  in  Wood  and  Steel. 

PHONE  835    Office  Specialty  M  f  g.Co.    143  sparks  st. 


$25  to  $500 


ENGAGEMENT 
RINGS. 


TN  Diamond  Rings,  as  anything 
■*■  else,  too  low  a  price  means  in- 
ferior stones  and  inferior  settings. 

f\UR  prices    for    every    style    o 
^    Ring    are    as   moderate   as   i 
consistent  with  perfect  stones  and 
perfect  settings. 

BIRKS' 

57-59  SPARKS  STREET 


GRIP  LIMITED 

ARTISTS— DESIGNERS— ENGRAVERS 

48-52  Temperance  St  ,  TORONTO 


Dominion     Express     Company 
Money   Orders 

FOREIGN    ^^^  TRAVELLERS' 
DRAFTS  CHEQUES 

Issued  in 

Dollars,    Pounds  Sterling,     Francs,     Marks,   Roubles,  etc 

Payable  all  over  the  World. 


Money  transferred 

by  Telegraph 

and  Cable. 


OTTAWA  CITY   OFFICE 

Corner 
SPARKS    AND    ELGIN    STS. 


Foreign  Money 
Bought  and  Sold. 


Thousands  op  Agencies  Throughout  Canada 


WE     DEAL     WITH     OUR     ADVERTISERS' 


James  Hope  &  Sons 


Booksellers,  Stationeis 
Bookbinders,  Printers 


Sparks  St.  Ottawa 


J.G.BUTTERWORTH&Co. 

ALL-RAIL    SCRANTON    COAL 
HAS    NO    EQUAL 

86  SPARKS  STREET,  OTTAWA 

THE    C.  C.    RAY   CO.  Ltd. 


BEST 
QUALITY 


COAL 


LOWEST 
PRICE 


58  SPARKS  ST.        jt      Phone  461 

HL^ORONTOQENERAL  TRUSTS 

CORPORATION. 


n  Quarter  of  a  Century's 

Successful  administration  of  ESTATES 
ranging  in  value  from  S600  to  $5,000,000 
each,  is  the  best  guarantee  that  you  may 
confidently  name  as  your  EXECUTOR 
and  TRUSTEE  this  Corporation 


JAMES    DAVEY,  Manager 

Ottawa  Branch: 

Cor.    SPARKS  and  ELGIN     STS. 

CHARLES  WATT 

specialist  in 
Phone      ARTISTIC  BRASS  HARDWARE 

1350  AND 

KITCHEN  FURNISHINGS 

Bank  &  Somerset  Streets 


Aoierican  Eotomological  Co. 

Dealbrs  in 

Insects  and  Entomological 
Supplies 

The  only  makers  of  the  gentune  Schmitt 
Insect  Boxes.  Manufacturers  of  Cabinets  and 
Cases  for  Insect  Coiiections,  and  cf  the 

American  Entomological  Company 
Insect  Pins 

Supply  List  No.  Sand  List  of  Entomoloirical  Publl'^ations 
for  sale  juat  out.  Write  for  It.  In.sect  List  No.  6  still  in  force 

GEORGE    FRANCK,  Manager 
SSStuyvesant  Av.,  BROOKLYN,  n.Y 


GATES  &  HODGSON, 

Successors  to 

WALKER'S 

CONFECTIONERS,  &c. 
Phone  750  73  SPARKS  ST. 

R.  McGIFFIN 

MEN'S   FURNISHINGS 

Ml!?eaus'tSf        }       O^^AWA 

VV.  B.  GRAHAM. 

Groceries  and   Dairy    Produce 

Phone   1967 

S95  BANK  ST.,  Cor.  Waverley,  OTTAWA 

ILE  SMITH  PREMIER 

The  World's  ^  Visible 

Best  Typewriter  Writer 

E.  R.  McNeill,  Agent 

165  SPARKS  ST.,  OTTAWA 

HENRY  J.  SIMS  &  Co. 

Furriers  and  Hatters 

110-112  SPARKS  SL  -    OTTAWA. 

iviASSON'S 


SHOES 

72  Sparks    Street,    Ottawa 


■RapVapflA  Try  MUSGROVE'S  K.  &  L.  SPECIFIC 

Adl/AdV/IiC  •'  SURE     CURE  212  BANK  STREET,  OTTAWA 


Zbc  ©ttawa  jfielO-'IRaturaliste'  dlub. 

/  patron: 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  EARL  GREY, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  OF  CANADA 

Counctl    1909*1910 
prcslOcnt : 

Mr.  A.  E.  Attwood,  M.A. 

lt)icc»prc0iDent0 : 

Mr.  A.  Halkett.  Rev.  G.  Eifrig. 

Xibrarfan : 

Mr.  C.  H.  Young,  Geological  Survey.  / 

Secretary:  ^Treasurer: 

Mr.  T.  E.  Clarke,  B.A.  Mr.  Arthur  Gibson, 

(470  O'Connor  Street).  (Central  Experimental  Farm) 

Mr.  Alex.  McNeill.  Mr.  A.  G.  Kingston. 

Mr.  L.  H.  Newman,  B.S.A.  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Gibson,  M.A.  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  M.A.  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

StanOing  dommltteee  ot  Council: 

Publications:   L.  H.  Newman,  Alex   McNeill,  F.  T.  Shutt,    C.  H.  Young, 
A.  Gibson,  Miss  McKay  Scott. 

Excursions:  G.  Eifrig,  T.  E..  Clarke,  A.  McNeill,  J.W.  Gibson,  A.  G.  King- 
ston, A.  Gibson,  Miss  B.  Gilbertson. 

Soiries:    A.  Halkett.  L.  H.  Newman,  F.  T.  Shutt,  A.  G.  Kingston,   J.  W. 
Gibson,  Miss  F.  M.  Burt. 

XcaDcra  at  Excursions: 

Geology:   H.    M.    Ami,   W.  J.  Wilson,  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  W.  A.  Johnston 
Botany:  W.  T.  Macoun,  John   Macoun,  D.  A.  Campbell,    L.  H.  Newman, 

T.  E.  Clarke,  H.  Groh. 
Entomology:  W.  H.  Harrington,  A.  Gibson,  C.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Baldwin. 
Conchology:  J.  F.  Whiteaves,  F.  R.  Latchford,  S.  E.  O'Brien. 
Ornithology:  G.  Eifrig, A.  G.  Kingston,  H.  U.  Morris. 
Zoology:  E.  E.  Prince,  A.  Halkett,  E.  E.  Lemieux,  E.  LeSueur. 
ArehoBology:  T.  W.  E.  Sowter,  J.  Ballantjme. 
Meteorology:  Otto  Klotz,  D.  A.  Campbell,  A.  McNeill. 

HuOitora : 
R.  B.  Whyte.  J.  Ballantyne. 

Membai*shlp  Fee  to  O.F.N.C.,  with  "Ottawa  Naturalist," 

$1  >00  pep  annum. 


MBL  WHOl  LIBRARY 


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