1902] Excursions. 89 



Excursions. 



During- April and May the Club held the following sub- 

 excursions. 



April igth. About one hundred and seventy five members 

 and friends of the Club visited Aylmer, Epigcea repens was abun- 

 dant. 



May 3rd. Beaver Meadow, Hull, was visited and although 

 the day was chilly and threatening about fifty attended. Several 

 species of planis were collected. 



May loth, Rideau Park. Billing's Bridge, was chosen as 

 the Club had not collected there for some years. Between forty 

 and fifty were present. The severe frost of the pravious night 

 destroyed many plants, but a few species were found unharmed. 

 A small collection of Utica fossils was also made. 



Excursions had been arranged for April 12th and 26th but 

 rain prevented their being held. 



It is seldom that an excursion is as entirely satisfactory as that 

 of the first general excursion of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' 

 Club to Chelsea on Saturday, May 17th. Ihe weather was perfect, 

 being neither 100 hot nor too cold, and the scene of the outing 

 afforded plenty of interest, not only lor botanists and geologists, but 

 also for those who simply wanted to enjoy nature. The only thing 

 that was lacking was bird life. As Mr. A. G. Kingston explained 

 to the company, when tne time for speech-making came, one can 

 see just as many birds in the city, during the migrating season, as 

 in the country, and in either case, the afternoon is not the time 

 when they are most in evidence. 



The party included nearly all the students of the Normal 

 School, accompanied by Dr. Sinclair, Miss Keyes and Miss Bolton 

 and numbered about three hundred. On arriving at Chelsea at 

 two o'clock, wraps and lunches were deposited in one of the 

 cottages of the " deserted village," formerly occupied by the em- 

 ployees of Gilmour's mills, and then the company broke up into 

 smaller groups, which scattered far and wide and spent the after- 

 noon according to individual inclination. Dr. Fletcher conducted 

 a party of botanists, and a detachment of small boys went geolo- 

 gizing along the railroad track with Mr. W. J. Wilson. The 

 clearing in Gilmour's grove was appointed as the place of rendez- 

 vous, and shortly before seven the company reassembled to listen 

 to speeches by Prof. Macoun, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Jas. Ballantyne, 

 Dr. Fletcher and Dr. Sinclair. 



Dr. Sinclair referred to the natural beauties of Chelsea, which 

 he considers unsurpassed in the world, and Dr. Fletcher said a few 

 words about the plants that had been found. Mr. Wilson spoke 



