198 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Jan. 



camping trips up the Rideau or clown the Ottawa, which afforded 

 him opportunities for botanizing and especially for the collec- 

 tion of water plants. One such visit to McLaren 's Bay is specially 

 remembered by the following incidents. While transporting our 

 canoe across the dilapidated tramway which ran from the river to 

 the bay, he stepped on the loose end of a plank and dropped 

 through to his armpits, being severely shaken and also receiving 

 a blow" on the head from the other end of the board. Then when 

 we had launched our craft, it was necessary to cross a boom to 

 reach our camping ground. We hauled the canoe over safely, and 

 he had just got in, when the boom-log on which I was still stand- 

 ing rolled over and, to avoid upsetting the canoe and losing our 

 guns, I had to jump into the water which was unpleasantlv cool. 

 However, we were soon snug in camp and suffered no ill results of 

 our accidents. 



In the autumn he was one of the organizers of the Ottawa 

 Football Club and his sturdy form, in black and red stripes, was 

 a pillar of strength in the scrimmages of that first memorable 

 match, in which we over-whelmingly defeated and discomfited 

 the then champion Brittanias, of Montreal. There is also a well- 

 remembered paper-chase from Cartier Square, through the fields 

 of the By estate, Stewart's Bush and Mt. Sherwood, across the 

 Dam and what is now the Farm Arboretum, thence by the Locks 

 and across the Rideau and so round by Billings Bridge and back 

 of Archville to the starting place. 



In May, 1876, he left the Bank to accept a more congenial 

 position in the Library of Parliament, under his friend the late 

 learned Dr. Todd, for whom he had the deepest esteem and 

 friendship. Here he had ample facilities for prosecuting his 

 studies in botany and entomology, in both of which sciences he 

 was already well versed. The library was then more accessible 

 to students than it has been of later years, as the hours were 

 longer and less restrictions were imposed. Many pleasant and 

 profitable hours did we spend there together, in the examination 

 and study of valuable works of reference. 



Fletcher had early found out the few botanists and other 

 naturalists then living in Ottawa, and was energeticallv collecting 

 and urging others to do likewise. Prior to my acquaintance with 

 him, my attention had never been directed to any special branch 

 of science, or research. A rambler in the woods and on the waters 

 I had been from boyhood, but now under his magnetic influence 

 Nature assumed new charms and interests, and my, future life 

 was thereby broadened and brightened, as have been the lives of 

 so many others with whom he came in contact. Any progress 

 which I may since have made in natural history, and any work 

 which I may have accomplished therein are due chieflv to his 



