gS The Ottawa Naturalist. [August 



OTTAWA NORMAL SCHOOL-BOTANICAL COMPETITION 



The Premier's Prize. — Some months ago the Honourable 

 G. W. Ross, Premier of the Province of Ontario, informed the 

 President of thj Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club that he would be 

 glad to offer for competition among the students of the Ottawa 

 Normal School a Medal or prize in books for the best work done 

 in connection with the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. Later, a 

 second prize was offered by the President of the Club for the 

 same object and the Normal School authorities were apprised of 

 the same. The work selected was in the form of collections of 

 plants from the Ottawa District, to be obtained, pressed, named 

 and classified, according to the requirements of the Science Master 

 of the Provincial Normal School and in accordance with the 

 wishes of the Club. 



Accordingly, a large series of collections (over ninety) were sent 

 in for competition and the Council of the Club appointed Pro- 

 fessor John Macoun, Dr. James Fletcher and Dr. H. M. Ami, as 

 Judges in the said competition. 



From the report made to the Normal School authorities by 

 the Committee of Judges, it appears that the collections were both 

 excellent and numerous and the competition was very keen. The 

 neatness and care with which a large number of these were pre- 

 pared showed clearly that more than a passing acquaintance with 

 the plants mounted, prepared and classified was obtained by the 

 great bulk of the contestants. 



In reporting the result of the competition to Council, the 

 Judges expressed the great satisfaction they had experienced 

 while examining these collections. In this connection, the follow- 

 ing notes may not be out of place : — 



The collection which the judges consider gave on the whole 

 the best indication of excellence in preparation, care, accuracy in 

 determination, &c., wasthat of Miss Elma Cannon, of Athens, Ont., 

 and to this lady was awarded the Ross prize. 



The next best collection was that of Miss Mary E. Robson, 

 of Grey County, Ont., and to this lady was awarded the President's 

 prize, which consisted of a copy of the recently issued beautiful 

 work entitled "Nature's Garden," by Neltje Blanchan. 



