72 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Aug. -Sept. 



EXCURSIONS. 



Britannia, May 17th. After a brief address from the 

 President, Mr. Newman, as to plans of excursion, place of meeting 

 for the discussion of specimens collected, etc., the party divided 

 themselves into two groups: botanists and zoologists. The 

 former, with several leaders, went towards Britannia Highlands. 

 The zoologists took the opposite direction, judging the low- 

 lands better suited for the aquatic life which they were seeking. 



Notwithstanding the sounds of the woodman's axe and 

 the carpenter's hammer, in clearing for and erecting homes, 

 the denizens of the woods have not yet learned (here at least) to 

 fear the advance of civilization. The sqiiirrels seemed to enjov 

 the luxury of boarded sidewalks, which form the avenues of the 

 future village. 



Not expecting to find many of the early spring flowers, we 

 were surprised to see the trilliums in such profusion, whose beauti- 

 ful white wax-like petals adorn and beautify any landscape. 



The following is a list of the flowers collected: Trillium 

 (Trillium grandiflorum), Jack - in - the - Pulpit (Arisaema tri- 

 phyllum), Toothwort (Dentaria diphylla), Bellwort (Oakesia 

 sessilifolia), Ground-nut (Aralia trifolia), Sarsaparilla (Aralia 

 nudicaulis), Clintonia (Clintonia borealis) , Squirrel-corn (Dicentra 

 canadensis), Starflower (Grientalis americaua), Mitrewort (Mitella 

 diphylla). Goldthread (Coptis trifolia). Corydalis (C. glauca). 

 Liverwort (Hepatic a triloba), Twisted-stalk (Streptopus rosens), 

 Maianthemum (M. canadenre,) Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) , 

 also four species of violets. 



The birds seen or heard were as follows: Swallows, robins, 

 red-and-buff -shouldered black-birds, bronzed grackles, a crow, 

 certain sparrows, and a flicker. A burrow of some mammal, 

 perhaps that of a wood-chuck, was seen. The pools contained 

 numerous insects, such as aquatic beetles and hemipterons. a 

 scarlet -coloured arachnid, and an isopod (Asellus aquatic its) , 

 besides different kinds of pulmonate water snails, such as 

 Limncca stagnalis and Planorbis. An interesting insect found 

 was a specimen of Meloe, which is related to the blister beetle of 

 commerce. Facts concerning its structure, such as the rudi- 

 mentary elytraeetc; life-history, such as how the adult ins< 

 feeds on the leaves of the buttercup ; the fate of the young larvae, 

 which are conveyed by bees to their nests, etc., were stated. A 

 few tadpoles, upon one of which the larva of a neuropterous insect 

 was preying ,were shown in a glass jar. 



After a most delightful afternoon we returned to the 

 Pavilion, where "Talks" were given by Dr. Blackader, 

 Mr. J. W. Eastham, Mr. A. Halkett, Mr. Newman and others. 



A.L.M. 



