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 Lunenhurg, 

 and Miss Antoinette Forbes, B. A., of the Windsor 

 Academy was published in the Journal of Education, April, 

 1902. The repurts 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 seveal 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. 



Thpn 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 



