94 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June 



EXCURSIONS. 



April 27TH. — The first excursion of the season under the 

 auspices of the Club was held at Beechwood. About eighty mem- 

 bers were present. Under the leadership of Dr. Bell, the presi- 

 dent of the Club, and Dr. Ami, those interested in Geology 

 examined the excavations for the main sewer, where 15 species of 

 fossils were collected. Col. White and Dr. Fletcher took charge 

 of those who wished to study birds, plants and insects. Twenty- 

 three species of plants were found in bloom. 



May 4TH. — The excursion to Britannia was more largely 

 attended than that held at Beechwood a week before, a large num- 

 ber of Normal School students being present. The majority of 

 those who took part in the excursion were interested in Botany, 

 and under the leadership of Dr. Fletcher, Dr. Guillet and Mr. 

 Putnam the woods and fields about Britannia were thoroughly 

 examined. Petasites pnlmata, a rare plant in this vicinity, was 

 collected by Miss Matthews. The geologists, under the leader- 

 ship of Dr. Ami, studied the rocks of the vicinity securing many 

 interesting specimens. A full report of the geological work done 

 at these excursions will be published later. 



Sweet Coltsfoot. — A few years ago Petasites pabnata gvQw 

 at the old race-course south of Patterson's Creek on Bank street, 

 but the draining of the Glebe lots and the partial clearing of 

 " Stewart's Bush" have caused its extinction. It has always been 

 rare in this vicinity, but has been noted in two widely separated 

 localities this spring. By Miss Matthews near Britannia, as 

 recorded in the report of the sub-excursion published in this num- 

 ber of The Naturalist, and by the Hon. F. R. Latchford beside 

 a road leading through a swamp from near Mountain View in 

 Hull to what is known as " The Hollow Road." Mr. Latchford's 

 specimens and his diagram showing the exact locality at which 

 the plants were found are in the Herbarium of the Geological 

 Survey. He reports the plant as occurring in considerable num- 

 bers were found. 



J. M. M, 



