75 



road in splendid condition, in a beautifully clean car, and with polite 

 officials who -seemed to do everything in their power to make the 

 journey agreeable. 



On arriving, the President, Mr. R. B. Whyte, addressed the 

 members, giving out the programme 'o be followed during the after- 

 noon. First of all the various springs of mineral water and gas were 

 examined. The proprietor had kindly thrown open the springs and 

 the picturesque grounds surrounding them, so that those who desired 

 to taste the medicinal waters or to rest in the shade, were enabled to do 

 so. A party was then formed to visit the Mer Bleue, a very extensive 

 and interesting peat bog. This lies about a mile distant. Owing to 

 the excessive drought, which has now lasted for nearly two years^ the 

 ladies and children were all able to go anywhere over the bog without wet- 

 ting their feet. The gas spring was first visited, where IJlricutaria cornuia, 

 Mx., Triglochin marltimum, L. var. datum, Nutt., and the two beauti- 

 ful little sundews {D. rotundifoUa, L., and D. lowjifoUa, Mx.), as well 

 as several grasses and sedges, were collected by the eager botanists. 

 After investigating thoroughly the ti-easures of the gas spring, small 

 l^arties branched off in different directions over the swamp. One party 

 visited the gravel ridge or island running down the middle of the bog, 

 a few even going beyond. 



The soft, elastic covering of Sphagnum moss, with which the 

 whole surface of the Mer Bieue is covered, made walking pleasant for 

 a short way, but it soon became very tiring, and at 4.30, the time for 

 returning to the Springs, all were ready to start. 



At 5 p.m. the party re-assembled at the Springs, and having par- 

 taken of the contents of their baskets, met together for the usual 

 addresses. 



The President first called upon Mr. James Fletcher, the leader in 

 Entomology, to address the meeting. Mr. Fletcher spoke of the interest 

 which attaches itself to the study of the science with which he was 

 particularly connected, and showed what great advantages might be 

 dei'ived from these investigations. He described the captures which 

 had been made during the day in such a manner as to interest those 

 who were present. Some of the most convenient forms of collecting 

 apparatus were described, and taking from his bottle some specimens 

 they were exhibited and their habits given. Beneficial predaceous 

 beetles, protective mimicry amongst spiders, and wood-boring beetles 

 were treated of. 



Dr. Baptie was then invited by the President to speak on 

 ^'Natural Gas," a subject occupying the public mind at Ottawa very 

 much jusc now. The speaker entered into the origin, formation, 

 composition and mode of occurrence of gas, pointing out some of the 

 results wliicli had already been accomplished. He spoke also of the 

 possibility of finding gas about Ottawa, and held that tlie fact 

 could only l;e ascertained by boring. 





