PHENOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 1901.—MACKAY. 487 
for the purpose of their detailed study and compilation to find 
average dates (phenochrons) of occurrence in each meteorological 
district, of which there are twelve defined in Nova Scotia. A 
summary of the reports of this staff—consisting of C. B. Robin- 
son, B. A., of the Pictou Academy, Principal E. J. Lay of the 
Amherst Academy, Principal B. McKittrick of the Lunenburg, 
and Miss Antoinette Forbes, B. A., of the Windsor 
Academy—was published in the Jowrnal of Education, April, 
1902. The reports pointed out some of the errors likely to be 
made by observers, and suggested improvements on the schedule, 
which have already been adopted. They also summed up the 
observations so as to show the general phenochron for each 
object in the shore or coast belt, the low inland belt, and the 
highland belt of each county and of each region, some of which 
contain portions of several counties. These phenochrons would 
be very interesting to the numerous localities throughout the 
whole Province, but they are too voluminous for publication, 
They were still further generalized, so as to give the pheno- 
chrons for each region, by Mr. G. M. J. MacKay. This table is 
presented on pages 492 to 495. 
The table of observations throughout Canada, made’ under 
the auspices of the Botanical Club of Canada by individual 
observers who made only the first series of observations, is also 
presented here, pages 497 to 501, as in the report of the Botanical 
Club to the Royal Society of Canada. This is done, first, 
to keep the series of Canadian observations uninterrupted in our 
transactions; secondly, for the purpose of instituting compari- 
sons, and, thirdly, for the purpose of showing the greater fullness 
and accuracy of the observations as conducted in the public 
schools. 
Then, again, it must be considered that by far the greatest 
value of the Nova Scotian plan appears to be the stimulation of 
the pupils of the public schools to observe and record, and 
eventually to compare. It is found to be a great aid to the 
teacher in interesting the pupils in many departments of Nature 
study; it cultivates those powers of the mind without which 
