3fl The Ottawa Naturalist. [May 



REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGICAL BRANCH, 1902. 



(Presented and read March 17th, 1903.) 



The following report is submitted by the Ornithological 

 Branch. 



We regret to state that there are so few systematic observers 

 of birds and their habits that it is difficult to make a very volu- 

 minous report of the work which has been actually done during 

 the past year. No species of birds new to the district were dis- 

 covered, but the number found here is so limited that after more 

 than twenty years' observations it is not to be wondered at that it 

 is only rarely that a new bird is seen. 



Notes of the arrivals of birds were again made by some of the 

 members but these were not printed in The Naturalist this year. 

 We hope, however, to soon publish a list giving the average dates 

 of arrival of the different birds for the past five years. Thinking 

 it might prove of interest to the Club we have looked up the dates 

 of arrival for the past seven years of those two first harbingers of 

 spring, the robin and the song sparrow. 



Robin: 1897, March 22; 1898, March 15; 1899, April 6; 



1900, April 2 ; 1901, March 24 ; 1902, March 15; 1903, March 9. 



Song Sparrow: 1897, March 18; 1898, March 11 ; 1899, 



April 6th; 1900, April i; 1901, March 24; 1902, March 15; 1903, 



March 13. 



The dates of arrival of the prairie horned lark may also be 

 interesting. 



Prairie Horned Lark : 1897, February 22; 1898, February 18; 

 1899, March 15; 1900, February 14: 1901, March i ; 1902, Feb- 

 ruary 27; 1903, February 15. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF MATHERIA, FROM 

 THE TRENTON LIMESTONE AT OTTAWA. 



By J. F. Whiteaves. 

 The genus Matheria was described by E. Billings in 1858, in 

 the third volume of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist. It 

 was based upon a single species, the M. tener of Billings, a small 

 lamellibranchiate or pelecypodous bivalve, from the Trenton 

 limestone at Lake St. John, P.Q. Matheria appears to be most 



