12 The Ottawa Naturalist. [April 



winter for the discussion of questions belonging more par- 

 ticularly to their own departments. In the Botanical Branch, 

 it is the custom for the host of the evening to present a paper 

 dealing with his own personal researches in the field, or to intro- 

 duce the discussion of some subject, after which the members 

 take part in the general discussion, with the host acting as 

 chairinan. Other branches, for instance the Entomological 

 Branch, expect each member present to furnish a small exhibit 

 from his private collection, or to contribute in some other way 

 to the programme of the evening. 



The Zoological Branch. 



The Zoological Branch notes with pleasure the establish- 

 ment of marine biological stations by the Dominion Govern- 

 ment at St. Andrew's, N.B., and Departure Bay, B.C. 



Prof. Prince gave an address at the May meeting of the 

 Royal Society of Canada on Canadian Marine Biology. Mr. 

 Halkett spent the summer collecting and observing in Alberta 

 and Saskatchewan, devoting special attention to the fishes of 

 those provinces, a list of which appears in the report of the 

 branch. Mr. Lemieux made a capture of more than local 

 interest on October 1st near the Chats Falls in a specimen of 

 the milk snake (Matrix sipedon) which contained over forty 

 young, each about eight inches in length. This extends the 

 breeding season of this species to a later date than hitherto 

 recorded. The most remarkable addition to local species is 

 the soft-shelled turtle (Trionynx spinifex) from I'Ange Gardien, 

 Que. Prof. Prince prepared two special government reports, 

 "The Local Movements of Fishes," and "The Unutilized Fishery 

 Products of Canada"; and Mr. Halkett prepared a report of 

 the Canadian Fisheries Museuin, dealing with the vertebrates 

 in the Museum. 



Ornithological Branch. 



The local ornithologists' report continued progress in their 

 work on the local list. They also draw special attention to the 

 abnormal records of the spring migration for 1907, as fully 

 recorded in The Ottawa Naturalist. An interesting feature 

 of the report is the description of a Great Horned Owl sent in 

 from Labelle County, pierced with scores of quills from a por- 

 cupine, which probably hunger had driven it to attack. 



The branch invites all those interested in the study of birds 

 to send their names and addresses to Mr. A. G. Kingston, 241 

 Nicholas Street, because in this section of field work, the co- 

 operation of numbers is especially desirable. Finally, the 

 branch makes an appeal for the protection of bird life. The 



