2i6 The Ottawa Naturalist. [March 



tellig-ently. He also thought it would not be out of place for the 

 section now and again to resolve itself into a seminary for the 

 hearing and criticism ol one of the papers in preparation for the 

 public soirees of the Club ; that such papers might be made more 

 truly representative of the best the Club had been able to do dur- 

 ing the year. The convener then read his paper on *' The Rela- 

 tionship between the Weather and Plant-growth," and received 

 several helpful criticisms from the members. 



While the members were discussing some Northern Spies 

 from the convener's native county of Northumberland— the finest 

 apple-growing district in the world— he showed them some views 

 illustrating the natural history and other out-of-doors work done 



by his pupils. 



Several interesting botanical and zoological specimens were 

 shown, most of which, on account of the absence of Prof. Macoun 

 and Dr. Fletcher, had to remain unidentified. Mr. Campbell had 

 a pretty mounted specimen of the shed skin of a frog's foot. An 

 " hepatica was shown just coming into bloom. Two of Mr. Guillefs 

 pupils have succeded in getting hepaticas, and one, Spring Beau- 

 ties to bloom in the house this winter. 



On account of the absence of the above-named members, the 

 topic " Protective Color Changes in Animals " was left over for 

 another meeting, as these gentlemen were expected to contribute 

 original observations on the subject, and Mr. Guillet had only the 

 observations of others— especially Pouchet and Biedermann— to 

 offer. 



MEETINGS OF ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH. 



Meeting No. 5 was held on March 12th, 1903, at Mr. Har- 

 rington's ; eight members present. Dr. Fletcher said that he had 

 forwarded to Mr. Needham a drawing of the dragon-fly nymph-' 

 case shown at the previous meeting by Mr. Halkett, and that it 

 proved to be that of Hagenius brevistylus, not previously recorded 

 from so far north as Spanish. River. Mr. Halkett showed a water- 

 bug (Cor/jcrz sp.) which had been received , with whitefish eggs 

 from Selkirk, Man., and stated he had seen these water-bugs in 

 immense numbers when visiting the hatchery there. Mr. Richard 



