55 

 REP(niT TO THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



{Head at the Gth Getierol Meetiny, May, 1887.) 

 It is again my privilege to report to you that (he Ottawa Field- 

 Naturalists' Club, which I have the honor of representing, still continues 

 to fulfil satisfactorily the objects of its organization, by the fostering 

 of a love for nature and the working up and taking permanent records 

 of all facts connected with the Natural History of the Ottawa District;, 

 and this in such a way as to induoe all, and particularly those now 

 securing their education in our local institutions, to direct some of their 

 attention to these most interesting and important pursuits. With the 

 latter ol>ject in view special efforts were made by the Council of the 

 Club to arrange for the delivery during the i)ast winter of Free 

 Elementary Lectures in all branches of Natural History, not only 

 before the members of the Club, but also, whenever op})ortunity offered, 

 in the Public Schools. It was a great encouragement to find how 

 popular these lectures proved, and how the attendance steadily 

 increased day by day, as they became better known. 



Some important changes were made in the working of the Club at 

 the beginning of the current year ; the most notable of these was the 

 publication of a monthly magazine, instead, as heretofore, of the yearly 

 volume of Tran.sactions. This magazine, The Ottawa Naturalist 

 (copies of which have been regularly sent to your honorable Society as 

 issued), contains the pa[ieis and the reports of the leaders in the 

 different sections, which were read at the Soirees held dui'ing the past 

 winter, and also accounts of all the excui'sions and sub-excursions held 

 during the month previous to its issue, as well as notices of all matters 

 of interest to the mem Vers for the coming month. 



The sub-excursions referred to above differ fiom the general 

 monthly excursions of the whole Club, in being under the direction ot 

 one or more of the leaders in the section, and are in reality working 

 parties or classes, those present devoting their whole attention to their 

 own sjjecialties under the guidance of teachers whose duty it is to show 

 the best mode of collecting and studying, and who, during the present 

 year, will deliver short lectures in the field upon the objects collected 

 each afternoon. This plan, as far as we are able to judge fiom the 

 present season, has been eminently successful. 



