102 The Ottawa Naturalist. [September 



were obtained during the past season, and the shipment of a 

 huge German carp, from the Bay of Quinte, to Ottawa, is of 

 interest, as this ponderous specimen measured over 27 inches 

 in length. 



The Crustacea came in for much attention by the zoological 

 members of the Club. Mr. Halkett observed a specimen of the 

 river crayfish (Cambarus) which laid eggs, the eggs being at- 

 tached to the swimmerets on the under side of the body. The 

 eggs were not only large in proportion to the size of the female 

 crayfish, but they were actually larger than the eggs of the 

 lobster, a decapod of immensely greater size. Mr. W. S. Odell 

 reports an abnormal abundance of certain crustaceans observed 

 under the following circumstances: at the openings cut through 

 the ice on the clay ponds or pits near the Rideau River, crowded 

 masses of C anthocampus , Cyclops, and Asellus aquaticus, came 

 to the surface of the water. Suniish, perch, etc., indeed an 

 astonishing abundance of animal life, crowded thickly at these 

 water holes and formed a thick sheet or scum so dense that the 

 horses refused to drink the water. The ice was about a foot 

 in thickness and the cold was intense, yet these water animals 

 had not been so thick for many years. They decreased most 

 markedly on the first mild day. Mr. Odell once noticed a similar 

 superabundance of the dark winter eggs of Dathnia (the water 

 flea) which formed a sheet like a layer of soot upon the surface 

 of a pond, yet in no previous or subsequent season were they 

 ever seen to be so plentiful, being in some winter seasons ex- 

 ceedingly scarce. 



Mention may also be made of specimens of the whitefish 

 and the Atlantic salmon from Magog, Que., of a few small mud- 

 turtles from the Thousand Islands, of a specimen of turtle from 

 Belleville, to be determined, and the purchase of two small 

 alligators for the Fisheries Museum. The Branch notes with 

 interest that a Fisheries Museum report is about to be issued 

 and will contain fuller notes for popular information than 

 previous reports. Dr. Whiteaves' valuable Bibliography of ^ 

 Canadian Zoology, 1905, is a welcome addition to the scientific 

 literature of the year. It is also worthy of note that the early 

 issue of a second part of the Contributions to Canadian Biology t i 

 published in connection with the Marine Biological Station is 

 announced and will contain some very important zoological | 



capers by eminent Canadian scientists. ^ i 



E. E. Prince, A. Halkett, f 



W. S. Odell, E. E. Lemieux. . ! 



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