54 The Ottawa Naturalist [June 



Mr. Eifrig also spoke about the mysteries enshrouding the 

 migrations of birds, remarking, in this connection, that there 

 had been this season an earher migration than usual, with a 

 subsequent lull in April. Numbers of crows (Corvus ameri- 

 canus) were also seen during the afternoon. 



Following, Mr. Halkett mentioned a chipmunk {Tamias 

 striatus), which a few of the party saw running towards and 

 entering its burrow, the entrance to which was inspected; and 

 another chipmunk seen only by himself. He also made a few 

 remarks on various invertebrates collected during the afternoon: 

 such as, specimens of two kinds on wood-lice, Oniscus and Arma- 

 dillo, pointing out that the latter is so called on account of the 

 habit of the creatures rolling themselves up into a ball, after 

 the manner of the mammals of that name ; certain spiders, 

 remarking that some members of the Club are at present engaged 

 in making a list of the species of that group in the Ottawa district ; 

 and various insects, myriapods, and land-snails. 



Mr. Gibson then spoke in particular about the insects 

 observed, especially alluding to two kinds of small hibernating 

 caterpillars, and showing examples of their work; and the 

 following in his own words give the gist of what he said about 

 them: "The first of these was the larva of Argyresthia thuiella, 

 which has been doing noticeable injury to the white cedars in 

 the Ottawa district during the last year or two. The young 

 larvae bore inside the tips of the young twigs, killing them and 

 giving the cedars a rusty, sickly appearance. The other species 

 was a beneficial one, the larva of Hebesana penthina, which 

 lives in the seeds of the common weed, Mullein, eating them 

 out, and of course destroying them." 



"With regard to the insects observed," Mr. Gibson further- 

 more says, "several specimens of the hedge-hog caterpillar, 

 Isia isahella, were found under flat stones, and one larva of 

 Ctenucha virginica, another common 'woolly bear.' Of the 

 beetles, several species of Carabidae and Staphalinidse were col- 

 lected. The large tortoise-shell butterfly, Grapta j-album, w^as 

 seen, as well as the Camberwell beauty, Vanessa antiopa, flitting 

 about in sunny spots in the woods." 



Finally, Mr. Wilson, President of the Club, drew the atten- 

 tion of the party to the structure of the rocks examined along 

 the side of the cliff, explaining that they belong to the Black 

 River and Trenton formations. Slabs of stones which he showed 

 contained fossils of brachiopods, trilobites, etc., and he alluded 

 further to other fossils contained in these rocks, such as those 

 of corals. 



One flower, at least, of the Hepatica, was found, otherwise 



