1889-90.] SEVENTH MEETING. 11 



Mr. Arthur Harvey read a paper on " The Cruel Plant {PhysiantJius 

 albens)" ilustrated by specimens. 



In answer to a question from Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Armstrong said that 

 the humming birds and insects would not feed on the insects caught. 

 The humming bird feeds on honey. He, therefore, thought that the 

 humming bird was the agent in cross-fertilization. The larger sphinx 

 moths may also act as fertilizers. He had seen a moth with the 

 pollen adhering to it, and so carried away to another plant. He was 

 sure that the cruel plant did not make use of the insects caught. He 

 had found as many as sixty-five moths in one species of the plant. 

 He understood that the common milk-weed also acts as a fly-trap 

 He wished some of the junior members would collect specimens and 

 endeavour to ascertain the fact. 



Mr. J. B. Williams read a paper on " Birds recently added to the 

 Museum." He exhibited between thirty and forty mounted specimens 

 which had been added during the past year to the Institute Museum. 

 The following species, all taken in the neighbourhood of Toronto, were 

 represented : — Winter wren, house wren, cat bird, chestnut-sided warbler, 

 myrtle warbler, cedar waxwing, scarlet tanager, indigo bunting, tox 

 sparrow, song sparrow, pine siskin, redpoll, red-winged blackbird, cow- 

 bird, horned lark, yellow-bellied flycatcher, olive-sided flycatcher, crested 

 flycatcher, red-headed woodpecker, belted kingfisher, black-billed 

 cuckoo, yellow-billed cuckoo, rough-legged hawk, red-backed sandpiper, 

 stilt sandpiper, Caspian tern, and Bonaparte's gull. The habits and 

 distribution of these different birds were described, and two mounted 

 groups to illustrate the natural habits and surroundings of our Canadian 

 birds were also exhibited, one of the wood pewee, with its nest and eggs, 

 which was procured by the members of the biological section on the 

 occasion of their excursion last June to Scarboro' Heights ; the other 

 of the least bittern, with nest and eggs surrounded by grasses and reeds, 

 upon one of which is perched a specimen of the long-billed marsh- wren. 

 These were taken last summer in Ashbridge Bay. Mr, Williams ex- 

 pressed a hope that sufficient funds would be provided to procure a num- 

 ber of such groups for the museum, so that it would become an interest- 

 ing and instructive institution, not only to scientific men, but to the 

 public generally. A specimen of the razor-billed auk, recently taken in 

 Toronto Bay, and kindly lent for the evening by Mr. Cross, the taxider- 

 mist, on Yonge street, was also exhibited. This is the first record of the 

 bird having been taken on Lake Ontario, and it was hoped this specimen 

 would be secured for the museum, and not be lost in some private collec- 

 tion, as is the case with many of the rare birds taken in this neighbor- 

 hood. 



