100 The Ottawa Naturalist. [August 



While taking a half-mile walk, one Sunday afternoon in Aug- 

 ust, along a road bordered with alders, and leading through a 

 swamp, numbers of reddish dragon-flies were seen. Two pairs 

 were secured, the males were cardinal, with chocolate coloured 

 heads and black side markings upon each segment of the body. 

 The females had greenish faces. One was light-brown with 

 blackish markings, while the other was red and black, yet not so 

 bright red as the males. When caught both females voided 

 eggs which were transparent, round, and of a yellowish shade. 



Several species of damsel and dragon-flies are found along 

 the afore-mentioned brook and road. They are coloured in differ- 

 ent shades of grey, blue, green, yellow, red, white and black. 



BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



On the evening of May 7th, a regular meeting of the Botani- 

 cal Branch was held at the home of Mr. Geo. H. Clark, Seed 

 Commissioner, Ottawa. There was a large attendance and a 

 most interesting discussion took place upon the following 

 topics : — 



(1) Process of making w-ater colour drawings — by Norman 

 Criddle. 



(2) Group and family characteristics of seeds and their 

 import in the identification of plants — by W. Bond, Seed Branch, 

 Ottawa. 



(3) Conditions unfavorable to the resumption of growth by 

 the dormant embryo — by G. H. Clark, B.S.A., Seed Com- 

 missioner, Ottawa. 



Mr. Norman Criddle, Aweme, Man., who has done such 

 excellent work in preparing tlie illustrations for the book on 

 "Farm Weeds" recently published by the Seed Branch of the 

 Department of Agriculture, outlined his methods of procedure 

 in the production of his paintings. Mr. Criddle explained that 

 whatever measure of success he had enjoyed was due to the early 

 encouragement he had received. This explanation, how^ever, 

 was not considered sufficient in itself to account for the marked 

 ability shown by the artist. It was discovered later that Mr. 

 Criddle showed special talents in this direction when a mere 

 child. The ability to reproduce exactly what one sees in the 

 minutest detail, is a rare gift and one possessed by Mr. Criddle 

 to a high degree. 



Mr. Bond, Assistant in the Seed Laboratory, described the 

 methods followed by the Seed Branch in identifying weed 

 seeds. The speaker explained the difficulty that was met 



