128 



THE MUSEUM. 



Valvata tricarinata Say; 



Pisidium compressum Prime?; 



Limnaea desidiosa Say. 



While all lacustrine deposits of this 

 nature have many features in common, 

 yet each one will be found to have a 

 distinctive individuality, either as to 

 its past or present fauna; its flora; its 

 peculiar deposits of marl, bog-ore, and 

 other economic products; also while it 

 is true that the particular morass treat- 

 ed of in this slight paper is very small 

 in e.xtent. yet if any reader is ambi- 

 tious to make investigations in the 

 muck Ime; or has thoughts of becom- 

 ing a "bog-trotter" and desires a larg- 

 er field in which to spread himself; it 

 can easily be found, for only a few 

 miles to the northward lies the great 

 Sacandaga vlaie, which is said to con- 

 tain an area of 13,000 acres. 

 Glenville, New York, 



1st March 1896. 



RARE BIRDS IN ONTARIO. 



Read at the Canadian Institute on 

 Monday Night, Novem- 

 ber 22, 1895. 



In years gone by the neighborhood 

 of this large and beautiful city of ours 

 was noted for the immense number of 

 game and other birds visiting us dur- 

 ing the spring and fall. 



The bay of Toronto and Ashbridges 

 Bay being covered even to their North- 

 ern shores with large flocks of wild 

 ducks of all species, also wild geese, 

 and even occasionally the large White 

 Pelican has been taken. 



Then the shores of our Island and 

 the beaches extending East to the 

 lower end of the, last named bay 

 abounded with all kinds of Plover, 

 Snipe and even Woodcock. 



In those days the trees afforded 

 quiet and protection for the land birds 

 owing to the shade and extent of wood- 

 land growth thereon, a continuous 

 belt of trees extending from the light- 

 house at the Western point down to 

 the extreme Easterly end of Ashbridges 

 Bay. 



It can easily be imagined to what ex- 

 tent the rare birds at that time must 

 have congregated there. 



It is hardly possible that any point 

 on Lake Ontario could have had the 

 attraction either in the way of feed or 

 otherwise for certain species of birds, 

 many of which are now extinct. 



Hitherto the game law has almost 

 been a dead letter, but we now, I am 

 pleased to say, have a vtry good pros- 

 pect that the requirements of the 

 amended game act (and which act is 

 really a good onej will be carried out 

 as they should be. 



The Ontario government have lately 

 made a very wise choice in the selec- 

 tion of Mr. Edwin Tinsley as chief 

 game warden. Being an old sports- 

 man himself hiS knowledge of the 

 game birds breeding in, and those vis- 

 iting our province, will be of great 

 value towards their protection, and it 

 only now remains for the heads of the 

 government to supply him with the 

 necessary machinery and salaried as- 

 sistants as will enable the work of his 

 department to be carried out as it 

 should be, and as I am certain he fully 

 desires, and which would without doubt 

 be the means of restocking this prov- 

 ince with all kinds of game birds. 



In a conversation I lately had with 

 the gentleman named, he was of the 

 opinion that it would assist greatly in 

 the preservation of game and other 

 birds, if a clause could be inserted in 



