s 



286 



V 



and the Province of Ontario (40° N. lat.), if extended westerly, 

 would pass through the lake, nearly at its center. The elevations 

 which surround the lake are scarcely more than loo or 150 feet 

 above its surface. It may be safely inferred from this fact that 

 the mean annual temperature of the Muskoka region is probably 

 not so low as that of the country around Echo Lake in New 

 Hampshire. In fact, Chautauqua Lake, distant two hundred 

 miles to the southward, has a lower mean annual temperature. 

 Few plants characterize the flora of the region which do not also 

 belong to Western New York. The change of the proportions in 

 which the species appear, rather than any change of the species 

 themselves, seem to be the chief indication of its more northerly 

 character. Thus, for instance, although no species o^ Betula\xd,s 

 noted at Muskoka, which does not also belong to Western New 

 York, the birches constitute a much larger portion of the forest 

 than they do south of Lake Ontario. On the other hand, al- 

 though all the maples of Western New York are to be seen in the 

 Muskoka region, they certainly do not constitute so large a por- 

 tion of the forest as they do in Niagara and Erie Counties, N. 

 Y. There can be no doubt that in this portion of Canada the 

 summers are later and the winters earlier than across Lake Onta- 

 rio. It is a significant fact that the peach seldom ripens, even m 

 the vicinity of Toronto, whilst in the neighborhood of Hamilton 

 distant only forty miles, it is a fruit maturing almost every year. 

 The more noteworthy plants which were observed in the 

 excursion were mainly aquatics : Siibitlaria aquatica^ Elatine 

 Americana, Lobelia Dortmanjia, Utricularia intermedia^ Lint- 

 nanthejntim, Eriocanlon septangiilare^ and an Tsoeles, probably /. 

 Brannii. Notwithstanding the diligence of the Canadian botan- 

 ists, all these plants were new to the Province of Ontario. They 

 are not to be regarded as very abundant in the places of their 

 discovery. Among terrestrial plants which arrested attention, 

 Polygonum tenue, found growing upon rocky hillsides, and Aster 

 nemoralis were the most important. The Subidaria and Elatine 

 were found growing underwater, upon a sandy bottom, (Slater's 

 Bay, near Port Sandfield) and were looked for elsewhere in vain. 



The following list embraces all the plants which were reported 



to the Club as bavins; been observed : 



