84 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June 



7. May, 22nd. — " Planting and Care of Forest 

 Trees," by Sir Henri Joli de Lotbiniere. — Tlie seventh and last 

 lecture of the course was very appropriately of a somewhat more 

 practical kind than those which preceded it. The lecturer 

 showed that the wasteful destruction of Canadian forests was in 

 very great measure due to the fact that the forests had from the 

 earliest times been considered an enemy by the settler and that 

 it was only in very recent years that the farmer had begun to 

 learn that successful cultivation of the soil depended upon an 

 abundance of trees in his neighbourhood. By means of a fine 

 series of specimens and photographs he showed how rapidly 

 some of our most valuable trees grow and how they should be 

 pruned and cared for if the best results were to be obtained. 

 The photographs showing the effects of good and bad pruning 

 were exceptionally fine and illustrated the methods of tree cul- 

 ture and preservation followed on the lecturer's own estate. 



SUB-EXCURSIONS. 



Owing to the lateness of the season and the inclemency of 

 the weather on two of the days upon which sub-excursions were 

 to be held, they were this year not quite so satisfactory as usual, 

 as regards results, though the attendance on all fine days was 

 exceptionally large. The snow still lay deep in the woods at 

 the time of the first excursion to Rockcliffe, April 15th, though 

 the rocky ridge was bare. No plants were found in flower and 

 no insects seen. A comparison of the results of the sub-excur- 

 sion held one day later in 189S will show how late the present 

 spring was in opening. Large and interesting collections of 

 fossils were made at this and other sub-excursions and a com- 

 parative list of these will appear in an early number of THE 

 Naturalist. Such bird notes as were worthy of record have 

 been, or will be, printed in the monthly Ornithological Notes. 



April 22nd. — The sub-excursion to the Beaver Meadow 

 west of Hull at this date was hardly more successful than that 

 held a week previous though the day was fine and the attend- 



