6o The Ottawa Naturalist. [June 



EXCURSION No. i TO CHELSEA. 



The first General Excursion of the year was held on May 

 28th to Gilmour's grove at Chelsea. This beautiful spot over- 

 looking the rapids of the Gatineau, ne\er loses its charms for 

 our members. Here all, whatever their tastes, can be satisfied, 

 the wild grand scenery, the cool woods and rocks rich with 

 specimens of all kinds, and the facility of reaching the locality, 

 all tend to make this an ideal spot ior a naturalist's hunting 

 ground. 



About 175 Members of the Club and their friends left 

 Ottawa by the 1.30. train. The weather was proclaimed on all 

 sides to be simply perfection and the afternoon passed all too 

 quickly. Mr. Shutt, the always reliable, Chairman of the Ex- 

 cursion Committee had made the arrangements so well that 

 everything went off with the smoothness of clock-work, except 

 perhaps that he had not arranged to have the sun put bark an 

 hour to give the Excursionists more time to enjoy themselves. 

 Specimens of many kinds were collected by eager hands, plants, 

 insects, shells, minerals, etc. The lovers of birds were peering into 

 every tree and bush with eyes no less sharp than those of the 

 birds they were observing. 



The Botanists brought in many specimens for the leaders 

 to name and explain the characters of — Cypripediuvi acaiile was 

 found in some numbers, the beautiful flowers calling the attention 

 of the most unobservant. One enthusiastic botanist was seen ruth- 

 lessly picking off the flowers from a clump of plants " to prevent 

 thoughtless people digging up the roots which they cant grow 

 and cleaning out the locality" he said. 



The small but striking flowers of Corydalis glauca and 

 Canada Columbine were found on the rocks, as well as the 

 x'mcs o{ Epigea 7-Lfc)is. Viburmnn lantanoides was one of the 

 most beautiful flowering shrubs observed, but most of the 

 bushes were past flowering. 



Viola Cuadlata was in great beauty and a few fungi were 

 collected. The most interesting being a very large specimen of 



