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passing the first fifty miles, the country becomes more level, the eleva- 

 tions are more isolated,, a^jd a greater extent of fertile land, underlaid 

 by calcareous rocks, is found, excellently adapted for the raising of 

 grains, such as wheat and oats, and all kinds of root crops. Flourish- 

 ing farms and comfortable houses are seen at many places, and the 

 generally received opinion that the Laurentian country is unfitted for 

 settlement speedily disappears. The fauna and flora of a portion of the 

 district, or rather that area along the River Rouge, was studied by Mr. 

 W. F. M. D'Urban, an assistant to Sir Wm. Logan, in 1858, and a 

 partial list, relating to the mammals, fishes, insects and molluscs will be 

 found in the appendix to the Geological Survey report for that year, 

 while during the last two years a still further study ot the plants of the 

 district was made by Mr. R. McDougal, over a much wider area. 

 Among the most abundant of the early flowering plants observed, was 

 the Trailing Arbutus, (Epigsea repens) found near Ottawa, at Aylmer 

 and Chelsea, but whose bunches of thick leaves were observed at 

 many points to the North and East. This beautiful and exquisitely 

 scented flower blooms in Nova Scotia as early as March, and in Gaspe 

 was found m blossom in the last week in June. The graceful and 

 fragrant Twin Flower forms perfect carpets in various places in this area, 

 and many of the lakes in August are starred with the beautiful White 

 Water-lily, some of which have blossoms of very large size, their cup- 

 shaped flower sometimes measuring three inches in diameter. 



In' these Laurentian hills also are hidden great stoves of mineral 

 wealth. Mines of mica, graphite, apatite and asbestos are worked 

 extensively in the immediate neighborhood of Ottawa, while the presence 

 of the rarer minerals, such as garnets, zircons, tourmalines, scapoliies 

 and feldspars, in beautiful crystals, have made the district well known 

 among collectors all over this continent. 



If the members of our Club will bear in mind, when looking out 

 for a pleasant trip for their next holiday season, that in the Laurentian 

 country at our doors, there is a rich field for research in natural history, 

 as well as all the requisites for a profitable outing in every way, we 

 may expect before long to see the waters of our beautiful inland lakes 

 disturbed by the paddles of our canoeists, while the cabinets of the 

 students of plant -and insect life will be enriched, and much additional 

 material will be provided for the coming issues of the Ottawa 

 Naturalist. 



