1906] MEETINGS oF THE BOTANICAL BRANCH. 201 
BUSHY-TAILED RAt—From the south fork of the Salmon 
River to the coast. 
Musk Rat— Observed from Midway to Osooyos Lake, and 
from Sumas to Blaine. 
PockeET GOPHER—-Common from Lost Creek to the summit 
of the Hope Mountains. A few in the Skagit valley. 
PockeT MouseE—Common at Osooyos Lake in the sage and 
other low bushes, 
MEETINGS OF THE BOTANICAL BRANCH. 
The first meeting of the Botanical Section of the {‘ield-Natur- 
alists’ Club for the seasoa 1905-6 was held at the residence of the 
unde signed. Those present were Dr. Fletcher, Prof. John 
Macoun, Dr. Blackadar, Dr. Ami, Messrs. James Macoun, Att- 
wood, Campbell, R. B. Whyte, and the writer. Although no 
programme had been prearranged, there were enough interesting 
questions brought forward to keep all busy in a lively discussion. 
Mr. Whyte read an article from the ‘‘ Rural New Yorker” on 
Euther Burbank, the ‘‘ wizard of horticulture,” in which it was 
stated that the praise given to him as being a creator of new 
species, etc., is exaggerated and distorts his achievements and 
merit ; that he is simply a skillful plant breeder and a sincere 
lover of plants who achieves his successes much on the same lines 
on which plant breeders have scored successes before him, only 
his experiments are carried on on a much greater scale. Mr. 
Whyte and most of those present concurred in this view. In 
connection herewith it was said that DeVrie’s mutation theory 
was superfluous and useless, and that his ‘‘ mutations” were 
simply the varzefzes of other botanists. The origin of the balls 
of spruce needles sometimes found in or near water was com- 
mented upon. Some held they were formed by the wave motion 
in lakes in shallow water near the shore, others thought they 
were formed by eddies in pockets or holes in the beds of streams. 
Dr. Fletcher exhibited a cross-section of a Eucalyptus sapling four 
