36 The Ottawa Naturalist. [May 



sions bring us each year over nearly the same ground and there- 

 fore there are other parts of the country comparatively unex- 

 plored — that is in the modern sense of the word. For instance, 

 between Gatineau Point and Templeton there is an interesting 

 region which has been worked but little. The locality between 

 Billings' Bridge and Metcalfe, Dr. Fletcher reports as being but 

 hastily worked over. The Lievre River region offers also an 

 interesting field to the botanist. 



ADVANTAGES OF SPECIALIZING. 

 We would urge also that it is desirable that we should have 

 within the Club's ranks as many specialists as possible. In the 

 botanical field there is ample opportunity afforded for special 

 investigation in many of its departments. The services of the 

 specialist are now indispensable in the identification of doubtful 

 species. The e3^e of the specialist notes variations and detects 

 differences at first not apparent to the general student. Among 

 the rich fields open for investigation arc the sedges, water plants 

 and willows. We trust that some of these botanical branches will 

 be taken up by enthusiastic naturalists during the coming year. 



R. B. Whyte. 



Leaders in Botany, \ John Craig. 



J. M. Macoun. 



NOTES. 



To the members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club and 

 of the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society who had the 

 pleasure of listening to Prof James Mavor's lecture on " Ice- 

 land," as well as to the readers of The Ottawa Naturalist 

 who were not present on that occasion, we have much pleasure 

 in stating that a detailed account of Prof Mavor's tours and 

 studies in Iceland has appeared in the Transactions of the 

 Glasgow Philosophical Society for 1890-91. The amount of 

 valuable information contained in the very interesting and ex- 

 tended account of Iceland and its inhabitants cannot be over- 

 estimated. From a socialogical standpoint. Prof Mavor's 

 contribution to the study ot Iceland, its people and their history, 

 is one of intense interest, and will be read with delight and 

 satisfaction.— H. M. A. 



