23 



EEPORT OF THE BOTANICAL BRANCH FOR THE SEASON 



OF 1887. 



To tlie, Council of the Ottawa F leld-Natiirallnts Club : 



The leaders of the Botanical Branch are pleased to report that the 

 interest in their department continues to increase, and that this has 

 been the means of adding several new members to the Club. 



A feature of the past j'ear has been the regularity with wliich the 

 sub-excursions have been kept up during the whole season. Ti,e 

 Botanical and Entomological brandies have in most cases joined their 

 forces and worked together. The leaders in Botany wish especially to 

 thank the President for the assistance he has given, in enabling them 

 to carry out the plan decided upon at the beginning of the season, of 

 having at each of these sub excursions a short popular lecture upon the 

 spejiraens collected during the afternoon. Upon some occasions it was 

 impossible for any of us to be present, when he always undertook tLis 

 important duty and performed it to the universal satisfaction of the 

 numerous members of tlie Club and their friends who attended these 

 l)leasant open air classes. 



Duiing the past season several fresh students have begun to 

 collect and preserve our local ])lantH, and we trust that they may bo 

 the means of adding many sjjecies, as yet unrecorded, to tlie " Floi'a 

 Ottawaensis." 



The general excuisions of the Club were well attended by 

 Botanical workers. The last of the season to Kirk's Ferry, on the 

 Gatineau PJver, has introduced us to a new field, on the northern slope 

 of the Laurentian Mountains. T'his distiict had been hiiherto uu- 

 worked by us. At die time of our visit (Sept. 17) it was too late in 

 the seaso'i for most of the flowcriag plants; but, from what was then 

 seen of the locality, the leaders are under the impression that it would 

 well repay a visit earlier in the summer. 



Notwithstanding that tliis distiict has now been worked carefully 

 for nine years, the steady investigation carried on duiing the past season 

 lias resulted, as in every preceding year, in the addition of scvoimI 

 new names to the list of [Jants. T..esf', 21 in luimber^ will bo found at 

 tlie end of tills roport, 



