1918] The Ottawa Naturalist. 151 



Robert B. Whyte. 



In the sudden passing of Mr. R. B. Whyte, on April 15, 1918, 

 Ottawa lost one of her most useful and respected citizens. He stood 

 for all that was highest in the life of the city and the nation. He 

 scorned all that was mean, dishonest and low. His aspirations were 

 of the noblest and the best in everything. What he accomplished is 

 recorded in many ways, and not the least in the hearts of those who 

 knew him best. The influence of the good which he did during his 

 life will last for many a day. Old men and little children praise him. 

 He was the greatest amateur horticulturist of his time in Canada. 



True lovers of nature are born, not made. From his early youth 

 the late R. B. Whyte was interested in wild flowers and, in fact, in all 

 branches of natural history, and though at an early age he was obliged 

 to spend long days in his father's business, he managed to get some 

 time in which to study plants. His largest collection of wild flowers 

 was made in 1875, but each year he searched the woods diligently 

 about Ottawa for new things, and his herbarium at length contained 

 most of the species found in the Ottawa district. When the Ottawa 

 Field-Naturalists' Club was formed in 1879 he was one of the charter 

 members and the first Secretary of the club. He was President in 

 1888-89, a member of the council for many years, and was always an 

 active member of the club. He received much inspiration in those 

 days from the late Dr. James Fletcher with whom he was closely 

 associated. 



His health began to fail about five years ago, and although he 

 could not take as much physical exercise as in former years, his brain 

 was just as active and his interest in everything as great up to his 

 sudden death from over exertion in his garden. He was sixty-seven 

 years of age when he died and his wife, two sons and five daughters 

 are left to mourn his loss, besides a host of friends. 



W. T. M. 



BIRD NOTES FROM MANITOBA. 



By Norman Criddle, Treesbank, Man. 



The Arkansas Kingbird. 



The breeding range of the Arkansas Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis, 

 is usually given as Western United States, Southern Saskatchewan, 

 Alberta and British Columbia. It has also been recorded as breeding 

 at Pilot Mound, Man., by Dr. H. M. Speechly and at Treesbank, 

 Man., by the writer. Since the above observations were made the bird 

 has been met with in other localities, which would seem to indicate that 

 it is not as rare in the province as was previously supposed. A pair 



