38 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



Dod, who was one of our leading lepidopterists, 

 published in the Canadian Entomologist, a series of 

 papers dealing with the lepidoptera of the pro- 

 vince of Alberta. Since the appearance of Mr. 

 Dod's last paper, however, other indefatigable col- 

 lectors, particularly Messrs. Bowman and Mackie, 

 of Edmonton, have added many records new to the 

 province. The new list prepared by Mr. Bow- 



man is certainly a useful publication and I have 

 had many occasions to refer to it. In the pre- 

 paration of this list the author has "endeavored to 

 provide an epitomy of what has been accom- 

 published by students of this order within the 

 province to date, as an aid, not only to present 

 workers, but those who will follow after." 



Arthur Gibson. 



OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS' CLUB SATURDAY AFTERNOON 

 EXCURSIONS FOR THE SEASON OF 1920. 



May 1. Geology. — Rockcliffe Park.— Meet at 



the first stop in the Park. 

 May 15. General natural history. — Catfish Bay, 



along the Ottawa River just west of Hull. — Meet 



in front of the Eddy Co's office. 

 May 29. Botany and Ornithology. — Fairy Lake. 



Take the Chelsea road electric car line to the 



end cf the loop. 

 June 12. Entomology (Mr. C. B. Hutchings, 



Leader). — Queen's Park, Aylmer. 

 June 26. Horticulture (Mr. W. T. Macoun, 



Leader) — Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 

 Sept. 18. General natural history. — Britannia. 



The time of meeting at the points indicated will 



be 2.45 p.m. Leaders conversant with the subjects 

 mentioned will be present to render assistance. All 

 interested are cordially invited to attend. 



An unusually well-attended meeting of the Ex- 

 cursions Committee of The Ottawa Field Naturalist? 

 Club was held on the afternoon of April 8, for the 

 purpose of formulating the above programme for 

 the coming season. 



Reference was made incidentally to two very 

 enjoyable reunions of the Club held during the 

 past winter, and the intention was expressed of 

 holding similar meetings and outings during the 

 next winter season. 



OBITUARY. 



James Melville Macoun, C.M.G. 



Succumbing to a fatal illness, James Melville 

 Macoun, C.M.G., passed peacefully away, in 

 Ottawa, on January 8th, 1920. 



The late James Macoun was born in Belleville, 

 Ont., in 1862, and was the son of Professor John 

 Macoun, the illustrious Father of Canadian Botany, 

 who, living at Sidney, en Vancouver Island, B.C., 

 IS still active in natural history research. James 

 Macoun attended the Belleville High School and 

 Albert College, where, at that time, his father was 

 Professor of Botany. When, in 1882, Professor 

 Macoun was called to Ottawa to take charge of 

 the botanical and other natural history Work in the 

 Geological Survey, James Macoun became his 

 Assistant, beginning regular work with the Domin- 

 ion Government in 1883. As early as 1881, how- 

 ever, he assisted his father in field work, exploring 

 the territory between Portage la Prairie, Man., and 

 the headwaters of the Assiniboine. 



James Macoun was a born naturalist and natural 

 history explorer. Although, by natural inclination, 

 he gradually specialized in botany, he made most 

 valuable contributions in other branches of natural 



history. The wideness of the extensive scope of 

 work in which Mr. Macoun was engaged during 

 his long career as a Canadian naturalist may be more 

 fully realized from the brief data which are pre- 

 sented herewith. 



In 1884, at the age of twenty-two, Mr. Macoun 

 made extensive collections cf Cambro-Silurian fos- 

 sils in the Red River valley, Man., on the west 

 shore of Lake Winnipeg, and on the adjacent 

 islands. In 1885, he collected natural history speci- 

 mens in general in the Lake Mistassini district in 

 the Province of Quebec and, the following year, 

 worked along the line from Lake Winnipeg, Man., 

 to Hudson bay. In 1887, Mr. Macoun explored 

 islands of James Bay and contributed much inter- 

 esting information, floristic and zoological, to the 

 knowledge of the natural history of the southern 

 part of the Hudson Bay region. 



In 1888, he collected plants and birds along the 

 Athabaska and the Churchill rivers, and in the 

 following year collected, with his father, birds, 

 mammals, reptiles and insects in British Columbia. 

 He also greatly assisted his father in making a very 



