142 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



(Alalia hispida), enchanter's nightshade (Circaea 

 alpina), yellow Clintonia (Clinlonia borealis), 

 painted trillium (Trillium undulatum), large coral 

 root (Corallorhiza maculata), shin-leafs (Pyirola 

 clliptica, P. choloraniha, P. minor), false-lily of 

 valley. (Maianihemum canadense) and twisted 

 stalk (Streptopus). 



In and around the peat bog were (X^pripedium 

 acaule) both normal pink, and albino yellow-pel" 

 alled specimens, small greenwood orchis (Haben- 

 aria clavellata), small northern bog orchis (H. 

 ohlusaia), rattlesnake plantain (Epipaclis pubes- 

 cens), noddmg ladies' tresses (Spiranthes cernua), 

 multitudes of grass pink (Calopogon pulchellus) 

 and rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides), gold- 

 thread (Coptis trifolia), creeping snow-berry (Chio- 

 gertes hispudula), dwarf raspberry (Rubus triflorus), 

 Dalibarda (D. repens), both cranberries, three- 

 leaved Solomon's seal (Smilacina Irifolia), arbutus 

 (E. repens), masses of horned bladderwort (Utri- 

 cularia cornuia), lance-leaved violet (Viola lance- 

 olata), naked bishop's cap (Mitella nuda), Indian 

 cucumber- root (Medeola virginiana) and Aster 

 junceus, spatulate and round-leaved sundews 

 (Drosera intermedia and D. rotundifolia), and 

 Canadian and marsh St. John's wort (Hypericum 

 canadense, Triadenum virginicum). 



On the more open hillside opposite camp and 

 toward Dorset were narrow-leaved gentians (Cen- 

 tiana linearis) and the northern bed straw (Galium 

 boreale). 



The mammeils are decidedly of Canadian affinity, 

 but with the rare appearance of wildcat, raccoon, 

 black squirrel, transition zone influences enter. 



In the birds more transitional forms appear rare- 

 ly or sparingly, toward Dorset, southward and 

 westward to wit : towhee, woodthrush, yellow- 

 throated vireo, Baltimore oriole, catbird, whippoor- 

 will, least flycatcher, indigobird, yellow warbler, 

 parula warbler, red-headed woodpecker, Maryland 

 yellow-throat. 



Thus in trees, herbaceous under-cover, birds and 

 mammals there is close agreement in the preponder- 

 ance of Canadian forms. At Otter Lake and 

 northward, the incursion of the transition element 

 is not so pronounced as at Hunlsville, where rail- 

 road and other civilized encroachments play a 

 greater role. The ride from Huntsville to Dorset 

 and thence by foot to Otter lake emphasizes this 

 difference to the trained observer. 



To such as might wi.'h to know what ferns we 

 casually observed the list is: 



Woodsia llvcnsis 



Osmunda Clayloniana 



Onoclca scnsibilis 



Osmunda cinnanomca 



Osmunda regalis 

 Dicf(sonia punctilobula 

 Polystichum acrostichoides 

 Aspidium noveboracense 

 Aspidium crislatum 

 Aspidium marginalis 

 Asplenium Filix-femina 

 Pteris aquilina 

 Polypodium vulgare 

 Phegoptcris polypodioides 

 Phegopteris hexagonoptera 

 Phegopieris Dryopteris. 



II.— THE FISH. 

 By a. H. Wright. 



The present list of sixteen species reveals the 

 scanty variety of the Highlands of Ontario. Sev- 

 eral of these are introduced species. Others are 

 stock introduced to replenish the supply of the 

 waning species in this series of lakes which are 

 two hundred or more feet higher than the Muskoka 

 group. The decided barriers do not permit incur- 

 sions from the great variety of the Great Lakes. 

 The region, however, abounds in individuals of 

 the few game species it possesses. For comparison, 

 we have employed Meek's^ results in the Highlands 

 of Ontario. He began at Hawkestone and Orillia 

 on Lake Simcoe and followed the Grand Trunk 

 railroad through Gravenhurst (Muskoka lakes) to 

 Trout Creek and North Bay (Lake Nipissing). 

 All the way northward the railroad bears away 

 from Georgian bay and the stations he successively 

 came to were successively farther away from it in 

 barriers, etc. Lake Simcoe and the Muskoka lakes 

 are much nearer Georgian bay and Lake Ontario 

 than Lake of Bays or Otter lake. Hence the Great 

 Lakes' complexion of Lake Simcoe with silversided 

 minnow (N . alherinoides), log perch (Percina cap- 

 rodes zebra), spot-tailed minnow (Notropis hud- 

 sonius), silvery minnow (Hybognathus nuchalis), 

 trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus) and long- 

 nosed dace ( Rhinichthys calaractae), or Moon riv- 

 er just below Muskoka lake (Bala) with log perch, 

 spot-tail minnow and silvery minnow. Such species 

 are never to be expected in Otter lake unless intro" 

 duced or unless it was geologically connected with 

 the Great Lakes. Otter Lake seems more compar- 

 able to Trout Creek. The former has sucker, 

 horned dace, red-bellied dace, fathead. Cope's min- 

 now, shiner, brook trout, pumpkin seed; the latter 

 has suckers, horned dace, red-bellied dace, fat- 

 head, blunthcad, shiner, brook trout, brook stickle- 

 back, nine-spined stickleback and pumpkin seed. 



(1) Mock, S. 10. Fit-Id Columbian Museum Zoo- 

 loKical Scries, Volume I., No. 17., Tubl. 41. Novem- 

 licr, IS.iit, ]»). ;!07-.311 and Volume IIL, No. 7, Publ. 

 G7, .Tulv, 1!)02, 1)1 131-140. 



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