C ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



At the Sub-Excursions, the persons assemble at the point on the 

 street railway nearest the place to be visited. Leaders of the different 

 branches arc in attendance and the party breaks up into groups each 

 headed by a leader. The branch of natural history in which a person 

 is most interested, decides the group which he will join or the leader 

 which he will follow. About two hours later the groups re-assemble 

 at some point previously agreed upon, and a pleasant and profitable hour 

 is spent listening to addresses by the leaders and m comparing specimens 

 collected. 



The General Excursions are conducted in much the same manner, 

 hut the times of departure and return are, of course, determined by the 

 time-table of the railway or steamboat company. 



For this season the Excursions Committee has made arrangements 

 to visit indoor places of interest when the weather conditions render 

 out-door excursions inadvisable or impossible. In accordance with this 

 arrangement, thirty-five friends and members of the club assembled 

 at the Fisheries Exhibit on the wet afternoon of May Pth, when two 

 hours were very profitably spent under the guidance of the 1st vice- 

 president, Mr. Andrew Halkett, whose headquarters is in this building. 



Branches of the Club. 



Eight branches of natural history are recognized by the club ; three 

 of these, viz., the branches in Conchology, in Archœology, and in Meteor- 

 ology, are still unorganized. The remaining five. Geology, Botany, 

 Entomology, Ornithology, and Zoology, are organized and hold meetings 

 with a degree of regularity throughout tlie year. 



The nature of these meetings may be understood from a short 

 description of those of the Botanical Branch, of which the writer is a 

 member. About twenty persons owe allegiance to this branch. Unless 

 circumstances prevent, they meet fortnightly from October to June, at 

 the homes of the different members. The host of the evening is 

 responsible for the programme, which is announced on the notes of 

 invitation to the members prior to the meetings. 



An hour or more is spent in lively discussion of the subject of the 

 evening, after which the meeting becomes quite informal and specimens 

 of a botanical nature are submitted and comments are made on topics 

 in harmony with the general objects of the branch. A non-essential 

 but very pleasant feature of each evening's programme is the partaking 

 of refreshments provided by the wife of the host. 



A special bulletin on " Farm Weeds of Canada " was issued during 

 the year by the Seed Bnanch of the Department of Agriculture. This 

 bulletin was exclusively the work of tliroc members of the club, Mr. 



