58 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Aug.-Sept. 



difference. The plants have the same general appearance. They are 

 clearly distinct from A. falciforme not only in their more slender habit 

 and smaller flowers, but in hiving stamens about two-thirds as lon- 

 as the perianth-segments; whereas in A. falciforme the stamens are 

 less than one-half as long as the segments. As unfortunately Prof. 

 Macoun never published a. description of A. vancouverense, this name 

 must he replaced by .1. Watsoni Howell.* Another species is thus 

 added to the short list of plants found in Oregon and Vancouver 

 Island but not in Washington. 



Sisyrinchium idahoense Bicknell var. birameum (Piper) New 

 Comb. Usually taller than the species; branching above the two 

 braneh.es subtended by a leaf, or the stem often strongly geniculate 

 with a leaf at the joint; the bracts, as compared with those of the 

 species, often subequal. 



When Prof. Piper first published his .S 1 . birameum (Contrib. 

 U.S. Nat. Herb. vol. xi., pg. 203) he was doubtful whether it was 

 distinct from .V. idahoense; but in a recent book his doubts have 

 disappeared and it is placed on an equality with that species. That 

 it is, however, a variety appears from the following observations based 

 on Alberni plants: The plants are intimately associated. Straight 

 leafless stems, straight stems with a single leaf above, geniculate stems 

 with a leaf at the joint, and branching stems all grow together. 

 Branching and simple stems may occur in a single tuft. All the forms 

 have the same tendency to darken in drying. While the bracts of the 

 branching forms are often subequal, they may also be very unequal 

 (24 and 44 mm. in one specimen and 23 and 38 mm. in another). 

 The leaves of unbranched plants may be as long as the stem and of 

 branching hardly half, as long. 



CANADA AND UNITED STATES WILL PROTECT BIRDS. 



The International Convention for the protection of migratory 



birds in Canada and the United States, ratified in December last, 



constitutes the most important and far-reaching measure ever taken 



in the history of bird protection. It affords the best means of ensuring 



not only a cessation of the decrease in the numbers of our migratory 



birds such as the insectivorous birds, the wild-fowl, waders and sea 



birds, but, in many cases, it assures an increase in their numbers, 



which have been ruthlessly depleted. It affects over 1,000 species of 



our chief insect-eating and game birds. It guarantees to the farmer 



the continued existence of the insect-eating birds, the most powerful 



*l'ri')'. Sweetseri in ^Ylmrr^T~sent~s]l<'Lin^('lls of the Mt. Arrowsmitli plafTE] 

 writes: "From what we have been able to do with it. should say you are 

 justified in thinking this the same form bs A. Watsoni Howell." 



