18 The Ottawa Naturalist. [April 



tration of this fact, the observation was made that among various 

 seeds' which have been found in the snow in this area this winter, 

 the most abundant is birch, which, nevertheless, was not re- 

 presented by living plants in the summer. The birch cannot 

 thrive without the light of the open and therefore fails to gain a 

 foothold here. Similarly many other species must perish when 

 brought by the vagaries of their migrations to this plantation; 

 and this is just what has been going on with all species, until 

 recently. On the other hand, many forest and other plants which 

 would be perfectly at home in this environment, or would at 

 least be capable of enduring it, have not yet reached here. 

 Among the plants collected which seem best at home are a fern, 

 Aspidiitm spinulosum. var. intermedium; a violet. Viola blcmda; 

 a bedstraw. Galium triflorum, and two sedges, Carex Deweyana 

 and C. varia, as also the various fungi, which are no doubt at 

 their best in such a habitat. 



Many of the plants not so well adapted for enduring shade 

 showed plainlv its effects upon their habit or structure, as for 

 instance, by their broader, greener and more succulent leaves, 

 their elongated itnernodes, etc. The prickly lettuce or compass 

 plant. Lactuca scariola. which ordinarily turns its leaves edge- 

 wise to escape the force of the strong mid-day sun, was here 

 compelled to spread them after the fashion of other plants, so as 

 to catch the full benefit of the light which filtered down to them. 



'.> * 



Notice was taken of the various ways in which the seeds of 

 these plants may have been brought to the plantation. Animal 

 life and the wind w T ere no doubt the principal agencies. The seed 

 may have adhered with mud to the feet of men or animals, 

 or thev mav have been drifted along over the frozen snow. 

 Three or four of them are armed with prickles or barbed processes 

 for attachment to animals etc. Some would be eaten by birds 

 and other animals and then be deposited in a fit state for germina- 

 tion at this place, and six possessed fleshy fruits indicating this 

 means of dispersal. Another six were provided with wings, 

 while ten had pappus tufts, enabling them to be carried for 

 greater or less distances through the air. 



Such a survey as described, opens up a variety of interesting 

 problems which can onlv be settled bv repeating the observations 

 during a series of years. No society of plants can be fixed and 

 stable at such an early stage of its history, and each year should 

 contribute something new to its composition. 



H. G. /jfc 



^6IC 





