VI1L PHENOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN NOVA SCOTIA AND 

 CANADA, 190 L By A. H. MACKAY, LL. D. 



(Received for Publication May, IMS.) 



I present herewith a summary of the phenological observa- 

 tions made in about 450 of the public schools of the Province 

 of Nova Scotia, each county being represented by a greater cr 

 less proportion of observers. 



The observations were for the most part made by the pupils 

 of the schools under the supervision and direction of the teachers 

 who are responsible for their accuracy. The observers are 

 specially directed to the determination of two dates (pheno- 

 chrons) one for the first app earance of the event (leafing, flower- 

 ing, ripening of fruit, etc.), the other for the date when it may 

 be said to be "becoming common." As pupils radiate from the 

 school-house, in rural districts especially, to a distance of one or 

 even two miles daily, and as the monotony of the walk home 

 and back again to school next morning is very much lightened 

 by the eager lookout for the first appearance of each phenom- 

 enon during the procession of the season, (which, when reported 

 to the teacher and demonstrated by the presentation of the 

 specimen, is recorded to the credit of the observer), these obser- 

 vations must be much more accurate than those made by a 

 single observer, especially if he can only go out into the fields 

 or the woods at intervals of sometimes several days. In fact, 

 while it must be acknowledged from the investigation of the 

 schedules that mistakes are sometimes made in noting the first 

 date, or mistaking the species of the plant, and even in record- 

 ing a correct observation, the general agreement of many school 

 sections proves that the phenomena are most promptly noticed 

 and correctly reported. 



These 450 schedules (the best of a larger list sent in) were 

 divided between four of the leading botanists of the Province 



(486) 



