107 

 THE PRESIDENT'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



Delivered Thursday Evening, December 12, 1888. 



Mr. Chair'man and Members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. 



Though very much averse to taking the responsible position to 

 which you elected me for the second time last March, I cannot but feel 

 proud of the honor conferred upon me when made President of such an 

 active working society of students of nature as the Ottawa Field 

 Naturalist's Club, and am much gratified to be again able to congratulate 

 you upon the general prosperity of the Club, and that in the face of 

 difficulties greater than usual, which will be referred to hereafter. 



Though our membership has not been increased so largely as last 

 year, still we have added the respectable number of 19 to our list, and 

 th(^ very gratifying attendance at the general excursions shows that there 

 has been no falling off of interest in the Club work. These excursions 

 were four in number. The first to Kirk's Ferry on June 2nd. This, the 

 lar<Test excursion yet held by the Club, and which promised to be our 

 most successful one, was unfortunately spoiled by the rain, which fell 

 from midday till evening. Many of the party never left the vans, and 

 onlv a few the happy possessors of waterproofs were able to explore 

 the woods in the vicinity of the falls. But very little collecting was 

 done, and an early start was made for home. 



On June 23rd we visited the shores of Lake Duchesne, near Ayl- 

 mer, for the second time, and had a very enjoyable excursion. Though 

 held in the same week as last year, the extreme lateness of the season 

 interfered very much with the expected collections, as plants found in 

 full bloom the previous year were yet only in bud. 



On July 2nd we visited Eastman's Springs and the Mer Bleue, 

 probably the most interesting locality to the naturalist visited by the 

 Club. After testing the more or less nasty-tasted water of the different 

 sprinf^s, the bog was visited and large collections made of the many 

 interesting and beautiful plants for which it is famous, including the 

 insect-eating sundews, the bearded orchis, the horned bladderwort, and 

 a wreat profusion of the lovely white fiinged orchis, collected by many 

 of our botanists for the first time. 



