91 

 SUB-EXCURSIONS. 



' Ninth. On 30th July this Excursion was to have been to the 

 Beaver Meadow, Hull; but as only five members of the botanical 

 section turned up, and the heat was intense, it was decided to visit a 

 nearer locality, and Stewart's Bush was chosen. The woods, owing to 

 the almost unprecedented drought, were vevy dry, and it was noticed 

 that the underbrush and even the forest trees were suffering severely 

 from want of water. 



Tenth. On Gth August to Gatineau Po'nt, P.Q. This Excursion 

 was a very successful one. Several ladies attended the meeting and 

 made collections of jdants urder the guidance of the President, Mr. 

 Whyte, and the botanical leader, Mr. Fletcher. The different character 

 of the soil and woods in the vicinity of Gatineau Point, as compared 

 with move accessible localities on the Ontario side of the river, always 

 renders it an interesting field for our collectors. While the woods and 

 fields were being I'ansackei by the botan'st and entomologist Mr. 

 Latchford, the conchologist, accompanied by one brave and enthusiastic 

 lady follower, took asomewhat dangerousaud will-o-the-wisp-like journey 

 over the surface of a dried up creek. Mr. Latchford reported, however, 

 that no finds of special interest had rewardtd their efforts. The party 

 assembled in a maple grove, where some of the beauties and wondei'3 

 of plant and insect life were elucidated by Mr. Fletcher. He spoke of 

 some of the planis which are useful to man ; hemp, rettle, milkweed 

 and'fireweed (epilobium) were referred to as fibre plants. Some of the 

 peculiariti s of the Solanacea Wf.re explained and the action of frost 

 upon potatoes and other vegetation v/as spoken of. The life history of 

 Lhuenitis Disippas was told and some intex'esting instances of |)rotec- 

 tivo mimicry and hil)ernation amongst insects were related. 



Eleventh. On the 21 th August a ijotanical. party visited the 

 Beavor Meadow, Hull, and spent a very pleasant afternoon in that 

 interesting locality. The President, Air. II. B. Whyte. made an 

 instructive address on the more noteworihy S[>ecies collected, among 

 which may be mentioned the Pickerel weed, the closed Gentian, and 

 the Clematis {G. Vircjiniana, L.) of which the fruit is very in t resting. 



