122 

 REPORT OF THE BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



To the Council of the Ottawa Field- Xaturalists Cluh : 



The work in this branch has been vigourously ])rosecuted through - 

 ont the past season, which, contrary to all expectations, was later than 

 usual. The latter pai-t of April was very cold, with snow on 27th. It 

 was not until May that any work could be done in the field. Soon 

 after their election your leaders made preparations for work by organ- 

 izing working parties and sub-excursions; the result having been an 

 addition of new species to the Flora Ottawaensis. The botany class 

 conducted by the ex-President was turned into a summer class. This 

 new feature proved to be useful, and was the means of inducing sevei'al 

 members to join the Club. It has been continued during the past 

 winter and has been most successful, the average attendance being 

 sixteen at each meeting, and the attendance on one occasion reaching to 

 twenty-eight. Collections were made at all the regular moiithly 

 excursions of the Club. The first one on 26th May to the Chelsea 

 Mountains enabled the members to add the beautiful and distinct Viola 

 Selkirkii to their collections. At this time also good specimens of 

 Triosteum 'perfoliatum, Carex platyphijlla, Aspleniiim Trichonianes and 

 Gamptosorus rhizophylhis were collected, and a few specimens of the 

 curious lichen Umhilicaria Dillenii Avere found on the top of King's 

 Mountain. Interesting biological specimens of Trillium grand iflorum, 

 showing a transition from the petaloid form to the foliaceous leaves in 

 the flower, were collected by Mrs. Chamberlin. One specimen had 

 three white petals with green stripes down the middle, and one of tlie 

 petals was developed i'lto a leaf like those of the whorl of leaves 

 proper. Another had an extra leaf half way up the pedicel and one of 

 the petals foliaceous. Several sjiecimens of the greenish-yellow vaiiety 

 of T. erectum were found at Stewarton in INTay. It is much to be 

 regretted, from a botanical standpoint, that Stewart's bush, at Stew 

 arton, is being so rapidly cleared. Only six yeais ago this bush was 

 one of our richest hunting grounds ; but now, wliere it was almost an 

 impenetrable wood, it is almost cleared of underbrush and the glasses 

 have formed in many places a sward beneath the trees. This was one 

 of the localities for Cahjpso borealis, and also the only near one for 



