102 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 



[Vol. XXXV. 



The ectoplasm of the animal was quite 

 granular as far as was observed, had no 

 contractile vacuole, and contained a large 

 number of green cells. The zoochlorel- 

 lae, however, were not scattered about in- 

 discriminately, but were arranged in a 

 very characteristic dendritic manner and 

 so filled the ectoplasm that the internal 

 details could not be made out. The basal 

 stalk of each group started right deep 

 down and branched frequently as it passed 

 outwards, thus producing a tree-like ef- 

 fect with the short branches on the peri- 

 phery. All the threads were of equal di- 

 ameter and apiieared to be composed of a 

 series of units placed end to end, each one 

 containing a large green chloroplast in 

 the middle and having almost transparent 

 ends. -The result. was that the thread had 

 a banded appearance. 



The nucleus and presumably the endo- 

 plasm was eccentrically situated and could 

 only be seen by transmitted light. 



The animal was kept under observa- 



tion for more than six weeks in the hope 

 that it would divide, but unfortunately 

 during an absence on a collecting trip in 

 the hot weather it apparently died, for it 

 disappeared and nothing like it has been 

 seen since in the small glass aquarium 

 in which it was kept. 



Using the classification by Wailes it 

 belongs to the sub-order Chalarothoraca, 

 i.e., Heliozoa having an external envelope 

 composed of solid elements with or with- 

 out a matrix of plasma. It also fits in 

 most closely with his definition of the 

 Genus RaphidiopJwijs, i.e., body enclosed 

 in a mucilaginous envelope containing spi- 

 cules (spindle, awl or disc-shaped), which 

 normally extend outwards along the pseu- 

 dopodia ; nucleus and endoplasm placed 

 eccentrically. 



Provisionally, pending an opportunity 

 for more detailed study, it is proposed to 

 place it in this genus with the name Rap- 

 hidiophnjs magna to indicate its large 

 size. 



GLEANINGS FROM THE CANADIAN WEST. 

 PART II. MAMMALIAN FAUNA OF ISLAY, ALBERTA. 



Bv J. Dewey Sopeb. 



What seems to me an interesting and 

 essential consideration in respect to an 

 animal study (aside of course from tax- 

 onomical and anatomical aspects), is the 

 proper conception or imagery of its sur- 

 roundings. So often the animal and its 

 environment are surprisingly linked, again 

 clearly dual, or as in some instances like 

 Blarina and Peromyscus, of remarkable 

 adaptability. In short, if Ave would leally 

 know the animal we need the knowledge 

 of its habitat and abode. To assist in this, 

 I have considered it proper to delineate 

 in a few words the floral circumstances 

 of the region around Islay. 



It permits of three settings, the wooded ; 

 semi-wooded : and the prairie. The first 

 is the usual poplar forest of the west, oc- 

 curring in unbroken continuity only in 

 the river valleys and their vicinity. This 

 refers solely to the region of which 1 

 write, for in some places this is not the 

 case. In the Vermilion and Saskatche- 

 wan valleys vigormis specimens of the 

 bal.sam poplar (/-'. balsainifrra) also occii-, 

 and in places the white spruce (P. cana- 



densis) as well. The second is the park- 

 like country which lies for the most part 

 quite distinct and separated from the 

 water courses, alternating its various- 

 sized aspen (P. iremidmdes) woods with 

 prairie-land. This is very picturesque 

 ground and particularly beautiful in au- 

 tumn. In contiguity to lakes, it becomes 

 practically an epitome of the last. The 

 last, the prairie, seems self-explainable, 

 but wide differences obtain even here from 

 place to place. The Islay prairie, in the 

 first place, is not entirely bald like that 

 of some localities; neither is it on a dead 

 level, both of which conditions add no- 

 thing to its attractiveness in my opinion. 

 The surface describes an easy undulation, 

 composed of greater and lesser swells aiid 

 occasional engaging elevations such as the 

 Twin Hills to the west and the Blackfoot 

 Range, so called, to the south. Every- 

 where in this panorama are liberally 

 dotted aspen bluffs of manifold shapes 

 and sizes; clumps of wolf-willow scatter- 

 ed in between ; and in every considerable 

 depression, rings of red-willow that sur- 



