218 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



and great stretches of moors had a semi-arctic aspect suggestive 

 of the tundra or barren-grounds of the far north, and I have no 

 doubt they would prove of great interest to the entomologist. 

 Though treeless, patches of du-tirfed spruce, not more than two 

 or three feet high, occupied the more sheltered slopes, and these 

 became more frequent and of gradually increasing height as the 

 train drew awa\- from the coast. 



In a very short time groups of stunted, gnarled trees began 

 Xo appear, most of them so windblown and fantastically shaped 

 as to be scarcely recognizabU-. The}- were mostly spruce, tamarack 

 and balsam poplar. I noticed here and elsewhere that the tamarack 

 has apparently never been attacked by the larch saw-fly (Nematus 

 erichsonii), which has probably devastated the entire area oc- 

 cupied by this tree on the continent, and it is to be hoped that 

 Newfoundland, at least, will be spared the ravages of this destruc- 

 tive pest. 



The greater part of the country through which we passed on 

 the way to the Humbermouth consists of vast swamps and bogs, 

 sometimes densely wooded with black spruce, but in the wetter 

 parts supporting only a scattered growth of stuntetl trees of this 

 species and of tamarack. Here and there we had glimpses of beau- 

 tiful bog flowers, and at one spot where the train stopped one could 

 have gathered bunches of that magnificent orchid, the Showy 

 Lady's Slipper {Cypripediiim refines), close to the railway track. 

 The vegetation along the railway was in some places extremely 

 rank, cne of the commonest plants being the cow-parsnip (Ilera- 

 cleum lanatum), which, though a tall stout plant with us in Ontario, 

 is far larger in Newfoundland, the usual height being seven or 

 eight feet. It is likewise far more abundant, and, in fact, is regarded 

 there as a troublesome weed. 



On account of the boggy character of this country, \cr\- little 

 of it has been cultivated, although, when properly drained and 

 treated with lime, it produces a fine growth of timothy and other 

 crops. 



The monotony of these bogs is frequently relieved In- hills, 

 magnificent ravines and gorges in which the xegetation is some- 

 times so rank and vigorous as to recall British Columbia. These 



