60 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June-July 



few years this minute planet, the attendant of a comparatively 

 insignificant star of the system, to reach out to the inconceivable 

 depths of space and reduce the apparent confusion of stars to 

 orderly systems, to deduce the laws which govern these systems 

 and thus unify to a certain degree all the wonderful phenomena 

 of suns, planets and comets, stars, nebulae and clusters into one 

 whole. We are surely all convinced that it will not rest there, 

 but will eventually still further unravel the mystery of the 

 universe. 



EXCURSIONS. 



The first outing for the Spring of 1912 was held on Saturday 

 afternoon, the 2 7th of April, to Beechwood. The weather was 

 fine at first, and a large number of old and new members and 

 leaders gathered at the place of meeting, and then walked along 

 Beechwood Avenue to the woods on the left hand side of the 

 road. Only a few of the earlv spring flowers were out, but they 

 were welcome as old friends, and eagerly gathered. It is a 

 well-explored locality and no new or rare plants were discovered, 

 but some plants in their early stage of growth presented an 

 unusual appearance that would puzzle all but an expert. This 

 was exemplified afterwards when a leader in botany passed 

 around a tiny seedling and no one recognized it. Then he said 

 it was a cedar. The name sounded like "Sedum", and the 

 needle-like leaves did not look unlike the linear leaves of some 

 of the stone crop family. When he passed around a slightly 

 more matured specimen with the ordinary foliage developing, 

 everyone was able to recognize it. 



Unfortunately the weather turned cold and cloudy, and the 

 meeting closed abruptly without a complete list of specimens 

 being named. 



E.H.B. 



NOTE. 



The Riding Mts. of Manitoba will probably be noted in 

 some future day as a game reserve. If present plans materialize 

 a considerable section of the interior of the Forest Reserve will 

 shortly be set aside as a permanent home for big game. Elk, 

 moose, mule-deer, bear and beaver are plentiful. Beaver are 

 so numerous along the Whirlpool and other streams flowing from 

 the mountains that they are actually a menace to the farmers 

 owning meadows. Whole clearings of poplar, log-slides, recently 



5lS|C^ >-built dams and lodges are to be seen in various places. 



>*_*<>\ J. M.S. 



IBRARYl SB 



