THE OTTAWA NATURALIST 



VOL. XXI. OTTAWA, APRIL, 1908 No. 1 



THE REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE OTTAWA 

 FIELD -NATURALISTS' CLUB FOR THE YEAR 

 ENDING MARCH 17th, 1908. 



Membership. 



During the year thirty-nine new members have been 

 elected, making the present membership 291, composed of 283 

 ordinary members and eight corresponding members. 



Soirees. 



No more successful series of lectures has ever been provided 

 by the Club than that of the -past winter. Every subject was of 

 popular interest, the addresses were all able efforts, the pro- 

 gramme was carried out exactly as printed, and the attendance 

 throughout the entire course was most gratifying. Reports of 

 the work done by the various branches during the year were 

 presented at the different meetings; and in this way, the aims 

 of the Club were kept before the public. 



The opening soiree was held on Decem^ber 10th in the Normal 

 School. It is a time-honored custom of the Club to make the 

 first meeting the occasion for an annual re-union of members ; 

 and to this end the programme is of a rather informal nature. 

 An exhibition of specimens has become a feature of the opening 

 night as providing a centre of interest and an opportunity for 

 the exchange of personal experiences, as well as giving the 

 leaders a means of becoming acquainted with new members 

 and those interested in the subjects of the lecture course. 



Principal White of the Normal School delivered an address 

 of welcome. Five of the older members, most of them past 

 presidents, recounted personal experiences in the field during 

 the past season. Dr. S. B. Sinclair described successful methods 

 employed by his party in fighting a stubborn bush fire in the 

 Parry Sound District. This address was of so great merit that 

 it was secured by the Canadian Forestry Journal and has since 

 been published in that organ. Dr. Fletcher, whose word pictures 

 have made the Club familiar with the Rockies, described the 



