1902] Report of the Zoological Branch, 1901. 135 



REPORT OF THE ZOOLOGICAL BRANCH, 1901. 



As has been frequently pointed out in previous reports of the 

 Zoological Branch of the Club, it is difficult to present new matter 

 annually in the field of local Zoology. Indeed it is hardly to be 

 expected that many additions to the Vertebrate fauna, excepting 

 in the lower orders, such as fishes, reptiles, &c. , can be recorded 

 in the Ottawa district. During the year, however, some most 

 interesting facts have been placed on record by various members 

 of the club, which are worthy of special notice. 



These notes have been published in the Ottawa Naturalist, 

 and include the following papers among others more particularly 

 referred to below. " Rattlesnakes and Scorpions," by J. R. 

 Anderson ; "On the Oviposition of the Mud Turtle," by Mailes 

 Cowley ; and " Alligators and Turtles as Pets," by W. S. Odell. 

 Mr. Odell has for some time been studying Rhizopods and will 

 contribute a paper on them to an early number of The Naturalist. 



Mr. Andrew Halkett has continued his diligent researches in 

 various interesting directions. The most important study he has 

 made, perhaps being observations on the remarkable Dipnoid 

 Protopterus annectens, of which two specimens were received at the 

 Fisheries Museum by the kindness of Prof. H. O. Forbes, ot Liver- 

 pool, England, with whom Mr. Halkett had interesting interviews 

 early last year. One of the specimens was consigned to Prof. 

 Ramsay Wright, Toronto University, and both were in a state of 

 hibernation inclosed in their curious clay capsules. Unfortunately, 

 both proved to have not survived when the capsules were carefully 

 dissolved in Ottawa and Toronto. Mr. Halkett published a 

 detailed account of the specimen in the November number of the 

 Ottawa Naturalist. Mr. Halkett has also recently secured 

 quite a number of Bow-fin [Amia calvd) and Gar-pike {Lepidosteus) 

 from the Bay of Quinte, and preserved them in formaline, which 

 prevents the disappearance of the natural colours of fishes. Both 

 species present under these conditions a very marked colour 

 pattern. Few naturalists, familiar only with museum specimens 

 of these fishes preserved in alcohol, have any idea of their really 

 striking coloration. A Sturgeon [Accipenser) 5 feet long was also 



