1912] The Ottawa Naturalist. 17 



learned, even professional men and men ornamenting the bench-, 

 infected with this bacillus lunae. 



To this weather superstition is associated superstition of 

 the influence of the moon on man and beast, animate and inani- 

 mate matter, for example: sleeping in moonlight causes deform- 

 ation and distortion of the fare as well as sickness (a common 

 belief among sailors) ; fish are poisoned when exposed to moon- 

 light ; the full moon drives away clouds, the French cover this 

 by the proverb la lune mange les nuages (why not the sum") ; 

 farmers kill their hogs at certain phases of the moon, so that the 

 fat swells and not shrivels in converting it to lard; similarly 

 shingles are laid that they will not turn up; fence-posts are set 

 so that they may draw down and not up; sweet-peas, other peas 

 and seeds are planted to conform with the phases of the moon 

 and a lot of other nonsense. 



My friends, all this is humbug, humbug, humbug. The 

 moon has no more to do with the weather and those other 

 things than I have to do with the digging of the canals of Mars. 

 Hence, I ask you, implore you. beseech you, entreat vou, exhort 

 you, beg of you, to spread the gospel of truth, combat this 

 superstition, destr#y this false weather-god, crush this belief, 

 build a funeral pyre and burn this heirloom of ignorance and 

 superstition, although such heirlooms die hard. 



If you do such, your visit here to-night has not been in 

 vain. 



A SWAMP. 



By Faith Fyles C.E.F., Ottawa. 



The swamp to which I should like to introduce the reader, 

 if he does not already know it, is one belonging to Mr. S. Chilcott , 

 on the shore of Lake Johnson about 4A miles from North Wake- 

 field station. This swamp is quite accessible. Mr. Chilcott 

 owns both a telephone and a 'bus as well as the swamp, and he 

 is very willing to meet you at the station, to drive you to the 

 swamp, to provide a dinner and a guide, and in short, to arrange 

 everything very nicely for you. In front of the swamp there is 

 a little stream looked upon by some as the Rubicon, on the other 

 side of which lies the land of the enemy in the form of black 

 flies and mosquitoes ; but those who love wild flowers see beyond, 

 only one more delightful hunting ground. There is a rough road 

 through the swamp which was made by cutting down the trees 

 and allowing them to remain where "they happened to fall. 

 This is a little difficult at first, but vou soon reach a smoother 



