■904] Botanical Branch. 157 



to temporary safety. Kirk's Ferry was reached without further 



incident, and the Gatineau was seen to be unusually high. The 



hills along the river had lost nearly all the bright colours that 



clothed their sides so brilliantly two weeks before, for winds and 



rains had left few leaves upon the trees. After dinner I returned 



by the back road through Old Chelsea, and down past the old 



iron mines. Several gunners were seen and shots heard in the 



hill-: but no game appeared. Three examples of the Canada jay 



were noted; one near KirU's Ferry, one on the road to Old 



Chelsea, and one about a mile nearer town than that hamlet I 



can recommend to our naturalists such a twenty-five mile ramble 



as pleasant, profitable and health-giving. 



W. H. H, 



BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



The first meeting of the Botanical Branch since th^ early 

 summer was held at the residence of Mr. W, T. Macour, on the 

 evening of Nov. 4th. The members present were Messrs. 

 Fletcher, John Macoun, Whyte, Clarke, J. M. Macoun, St. 

 Jacques, Edward Cameron, Roy Cameron, Attwood and Camp- 

 bell. Mr. Willing of Regina and Mr. W. H. Harrington were 

 present as guests. 



The subject chosen for discussion by the chairman was " In- 

 dividuality in Plants," and in order to introduce it he read extracts 

 from an address delivered by Prof. Hugo de Vries at the Con 

 vocation of the University of Chicago, Sept. 2nd, 1504. Prof. 

 De Vries holds that new species ot pi mts originate from acci- 

 dental forms or sports rather than as described by Darwin m his 

 theory of evolution In his address, Prof. De Vries gives an 

 account of his observations on Lamarck'.^ evening primrose, a 

 close ally of the common «-vening primrose. He observed that 

 while the type persisted, sports presenting specific characters were 

 frequent, and in the discussion whi h followed the readin;.,' of 

 the^e extracts Mr. W. T. Mricoun mentioned that he had seen 

 some of these new species in New York. Some of the members 

 present thought Prof. De Vries' selection of a plant to observe 

 unfortunate as the CEnothera biennis group have very long been 



