1909] Gall Midges of the Goldenrod. 249 



Gall stout, cylindric, on rootstoek. Male, length 2.5 mm, 

 abdomen brick red, 19 antennal segments, stem f. 

 Female, length 4 mm, abdomen dark brown, 18 anten- 

 nal segments. Rhopalomyia thompsoni Felt. 



r:,i NEW MEMBERS. 



The following have been elected ordinary members of the 

 Club at recent meetings of the Council :- — 

 Mrs. Oakeley, Ottawa. 

 Miss L. E. Hunt, Ottawa. 

 Mr. J. E. Smyth, Ottawa. 

 Miss M. Haldane, Ottawa. 

 Miss A. E. Johnston, Ottaw^a. 

 Mr. A. S. Cram, Ottawa. 

 Mr. H. R. MacMillan, Ottawa. 



MEETING OF BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



Meeting held at the home of Mr. A. E. Attwood, 

 January 4th, 1909. Present: Mr. A. E". Attwood, Prof. John 

 Macoun, Rev. G. Eifrig, Messrs. R. B. White, G. H. Clark, W. 

 C. Ewing, H. R. MacMillan, F. H. Reed, D. A. Campbell, T. E. 

 Clarke, J. W. Gibson, Jas. M. Macoun, W. Bond, H. Groh, and 

 L. H. Newsman. 



The subject forming the basis for the evening's discussion 

 was as follows: — "The Meaning of some Common Plant Names." 

 Mr. Attwood introduced the subject by explaining how he had 

 come to question the significance of certain names by which 

 some plants had come to be popularly known. The first case 

 cited was that of the word "acorn." This was shown to have 

 come from "oak-corn," or "oak-grain," corn coming from the 

 Latin "comu," a horn — something hard and homy. "Com" is 

 also the term by which the most important grain of any country 

 is known. Some of the more striking illustrations of the unique 

 and interesting derivations of certain names are found in the 

 following : — 



Pomegranate, from L. pomuni, an apple; granatus, having 

 many grains or seeds. 



Catkin, after the domestic cat,* and kin, meaning little; 

 thus, a little cat or pussy, hence, pussy wallow. 



Cabbage, from the Latin caput, a head. 



Cauliflower, cabbage flower, or possibly a corruption of 

 the French chotifetir. 



NiNEBARK, meaning a shrub with many layers of bark, 

 the word "nine" being commonly used to express an unlimited 

 number, as "nine-days' w^onder." 



