I20 The Ottawa Naturalist. [September 



[Gavia imber) could at all times be seen swimmings and diving 

 when the boat would approach nearer than about a quarter of a 

 mile. Their floating, nesting- locations, right on the edge of the 

 cat-tail areas, could be seen but no eggs as yet. The herring gull 

 {Larus argentatus) could be seen drawing its graceful circles over 

 the lake. It certainly is a fine bird, snowy white below and 

 pearly gray above. It nests here also, laying its eggs on some of 

 the large rocks near the shore of Lake Dor^ and Golden Lake. 

 Among the remnants of last year's cat-tails could be seen the 

 curious little long-billed marsh wren {Cistothorus palustris). They 

 were busily engaged building their nests. These nests are works 

 of art and are also quite large for such tiny birds. Each pair 

 builds several of these nests, which are globular, with a small 

 entrance, well hidden. They are fastened to old cat-tail stalks, 

 2 and 3 feet over the water and all lined with the down fiom the 

 old disintegrating cat-tails of the fall before. The nests are 5 to 6 

 in. in diameter outside, and are very compactly knitted or woven 

 of old and new cat-tail leaves and grass. Why each pair builds 

 several nests when only using one for their eggs, is not known, 

 whether it is to mislead their enemies, or to have places of shelter 

 in different parts of their swampy domain, or for other reason is 

 hard to say. 



BOTANICAL CLUB OF CANADA. 



The last meeting of the Botanical Club of Canada was held in 

 the City of St. John, N.B., on June 23rd, 24th and 2 vth, 1904, 

 during the meetings of the Royal Society of Canada. There was 

 a good attendance of members and a few visitors, among the latter 

 being Prof. W. F. Ganong, who gave valuable suggestions. 



The work of the Club was discussed and it was decided to 

 take up some new lines of work, in addition to the valuable pheno- 

 logical observations which have been so ably edited by Dr. A. H. 

 MacKay for several years. As a means of learning what botanical 

 work has been done in Canada and that the Club might be of use 

 in the advancement of the Science of Botany in the Dominion, it 

 was further decided to ask each of the Local Secretaries living in 

 various parts of Canada, to prepare each year a short report on 

 work that has been done during the season in their respective dis- 



