

10 Geo. 5 
¥ 
Pica 
ProvincrAL Museum Report. P 15 
wrote to the Director on February 11th, “that Mr. Walter White, for many years employed 
as a halibut-fisherman on the vessels of the New England Fish Company, and latterly as mate 
on the S.S. ‘Kingsway,’ brought to their office a rock weighing about 2% 1b. Mr. White states 
that he personally took this rock from the stomach of a halibut weighing about 60 lb. The 
§.S. ‘Kingsway’ was fishing off Bonilla Island at the time in about 35 fathoms of water. It 
occurred to us that you might like to receive and preserve this rock.” 
a This rock was eventually sent to the Provincial Museum by Mr. Hager. Later I sent a copy 
of the letter, as requested by Mr. Hager, to Mr. Will F. Thompson, Assistant in charge of the 
_ Long Laboratory, California, for his information. 
Mr. Thompson is a well-known fish expert on the halibut fishes, and has done considerable 
‘scientific research-work in the Northern British Columbia halibut waters. In reply, Mr. Thomp- 
son writes as follows :— 
“ Many thanks for your letter with the copy of the note on the rock swallowed by the halibut. 
It is perfectly possible. The halibut are famous eaters of small things, and they pick from the 
ground, rocks, ete., and all sorts of things, including sea-anemones, clam-siphons, etc., and in the 
process of doing so they frequently take in many things which are not intended to find a lodging 
in the stomach of fish. ‘The famous stones which the cod takes in (as ballast) in storms are the 
results that follow too reckless eating on the part of the cod. The size of the stone, however, 
- is a most surprising thing. It bears witness to the reckless habits of the halibut.” 
The Museum also received a specimen of a fish, donated by Mr. Harry Pidcock, Quathiaski 
Cove, B.C., which appears to me to be that of an immature alligator fish (Podothecus acipen- 
serinus), but this has not been verified by an authority. 
The Department also received a specimen of an immature pipe-fish (Aulorhynchus flavidus), 
presented by Mr. H. A. Cox, Esquimalt, B.C. A small species of fish (Sebastodes sp.?) was also 
presented by Mr. A. S. Grice on July 30th, 1919. : 
This specimen I have not fully identified, and it will have to be sent through to Dr. Gilbert, 
who has always shown a great interest and is willing to do any work in the identification of 
fishes for this Department. 
BOTANY. 
The whole collection in the Herbarium has been numbered consecutively, and all duplicates 
correspondingly numbered and catalogued. This will eliminate a great disadvantage in connec- 
tion with any correspondence concerning any particular species. 
The number of mounted specimens in the collection of flowering plants at the present time is 
approximately 6,000. For some time past there have been many requests for a Check-list of the 
Flora of Vancouver Island, and it was deemed by the Director desirable to prepare the same, 
This entailed a considerable amount of work in the research of the earliest records of botanical 
collectors on the Pacifie Coast. 
The manuscript for this work, which was compiled by Mr. W. R. Carter, has now been 
completed, and it is to be hoped that the Department will be able to have it in the press before 
long. This Check-list also includes the plants known to occur on the islands adjacent, together 
with the Queen Charlotte Group. 
Through the kindness of several collectors, a small number of specimens have been added to 
the collection, and thanks must be extended to the following gentlemen for the same :— 
Professor J. K. Henry, for a small series collected in the Sicamous and adjoining districts, 
including: Mentzelia albicaulis Dougl.; Gilia pharnaceoides Benth.; Castillea lutescens (Green- 
man) Rydb.; Utricularia intermedia Hayne; Chanactis Douglasii H. & A.; Botrychiwn lunaria 
(L.) Sw.; and Lotus corniculatus L. from Elgin, B.C. 
Dr. C. F. Newcombe, for several rare specimens from the southern portion of Vancouver 
Island: Vissa macrotheca (Hornem) Britt.; Ranunculus Lobbii Gray; Hosackia gracilis 
Benth.; Limnanthes Macounii Trelease; also for access to his valuable botanical library in 
research of data difficult to obtain. 
Mr. J. R. Anderson, for a large collection of plants, a few of which have made appreciable 
additions to the Herbarium, especially Abronia acutalata Standley and Achillea californica Poll., 
the latter a new record for Vancouver Island. 
Among this collection were a number of specimens collected by his brother, Mr. W. B. 
Anderson, in various portions of the Province, which include: Beckmannia eruceformis (1.) 
Host.; Chenopodium urbicum L.; Uhelypodium integrifolium (Nutt.) Endl.; Gilia Hookeri 

