20 The Ottawa Naturalist. [April 



summer. It seems hardly worth while for this tree to bother 

 growing" above the fence at al', as it is killed back each winter to 

 the level of the protection. At the time of our visit the dead wood 

 of last year's growth was still on it, but all the living buds were 

 below the fence-level. As a result ot these strong winds, all the 

 plants ot the island seem to grow dwarf ; the common juniper, 

 which is a variety of Jwiiperus C07nniu7iis, curls and twists its 

 trunk around on the ground, while the little branchlets grow more 

 or less upright to the height of a foot or two. Even the black- 

 berry, Rubus (sp ?) creeps along the surface, which method is 

 greatly appreciated by the visitor from the mainland, who has 

 been accustomed to work his way through their tangle with much 

 caution and considerable laceration of cuticle. The blueberries, 

 which are numerous and large, are quite frequently lifted comple- 

 tely free of the sand in which their mother-plant is growing, but 

 very often the sand has to be blown or washed off before eating. 

 The meadow rue, Thalictrum. (sp ?), which had its first leaves un- 

 folded at the time of our visit, showed no sign of any intention of 

 leaving the earth any further beneath it than was absolutely 

 necessary. 



Yet it would be unfair to condemn the vegetation of the 

 island by its appearance at that period of the year, when the 

 maximum day temperature had barely reached 60 ; for the resi- 

 dents told us that the grasses, goldenrods, etc., are "waist- 

 high," in the late summer, and Prof. John Macoun, is reported to 

 have found over 190 species of flowering plants there Of ferns, 

 we found three species Polypody, Polypodiu?n vulgare the 

 Lady Fern, Dryopteris spinulosum (var ?), and the Cinnamon Fern, 

 Os7nunda cinnamomea. The two latter were scarcely above 

 ground, but roots were taken which proved to be ot these species. 

 With all this variety present, it will be readily understood that in 

 the lower and more fertile parts ot the interior, the upper layer of 

 soil has become turfy and black, and could doubtless be used to 

 grow fine crops were it not for the reason that, if it were turned 

 under and cultivated, the wind would probably blow a lot of it 

 into the Atlantic during the succeeding winter. 



Gulches 50 yards wide and more, torn through the sand cliffs 

 on the north coast, were frequently seen. Around the telephone 



