17 



EDITORAL. 



Owing to luiforcseen circumstances wliich necessitate the absence 

 of Mr. Ilarvington from Ottawa for some months, lie has been obliged 

 touiporarilj to discontinue the editorship of this journal. Until he is 

 again able to resume his duties, the Ottawa Naturalist will bo edited 

 by the undersigned as Chairman of the Publishing Committee. All 

 communications intended for the editor should therefore, until further 

 notice, be sent to the address given below. 



Tlie opening of Spring and with it the beginning of the collecting 

 season make it fitting that members shoukl at once jn-epare themselves 

 to take up vigorously their studies and it may not be amiss to suggest 

 that all apparatus should be at once got into order or procured. In 

 this connection I consider it but right to direct the attention of mem- 

 bers to those merchants who assist us by advertising in the Naturalist. 

 I would further remind them that all the apparatus and books neces- 

 sary for the collection, preservation and study of specimens in all 

 branches, may be procured from the firms whose names appear on our 

 covers. 



Beginning with the present number some pages each month will 

 be devoted to the publication of an annotated list of the Flora of the 

 locality. This list will not only be a record of all the species so far 

 observed in tlie neighbourhood of Ottawa, but the habitat^ and, in the 

 case of uncommon species, the exact localities where they have been 

 found will be given, together with the date, approximately, when they 

 mny be expected to blossom. 



The plan adopted in the past will be continued as heretofore. 

 Notice will be given beforehand of all excursions aud sub-excursions of 

 the Clu'), and short descriptions of such excursions will appear in the 

 following number of the journal. 



JAMES FLETCHER, 



Editor (pro tenh), 

 Central Experimental Fax'm. 



