JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



BY MR. WILLIAM YATES. 



[These notes were furnished by Mr. Yates, of Hatchley, County 

 of Oxford, Ont., and were read before the meetings of the Biological 

 Section during the winters of 1888, 18-89 and 1890. They only 

 partly represent his many contributions, for many brief notes, par- 

 ticularly with reference to the various birds he had seen at different 

 dates, have been omitted. The requirements of the transactions as 

 regards space have also necessitated many omissions, and also a 

 certain amount of condensation, while, in order to maintain the 

 original line of thought, the original manuscript has. been also 

 rearranged. However, as far as possible, the original language has 

 been preserved, thus giving an idea of the notes as preseiited from 

 time to time. It will be seen that they comprehend nearly every 

 branch of the work properly belonging to the Biological Section, 

 while there are also some notes bearing more on Geology or Physical 

 Geography. Attention must also be drawn to what can hardly 

 escape notice, viz., Mr. Yates' great powers of observation, which, 

 assisted by a splendid memory, and united to a wonderful apprecia- 

 tion of the beauties of nature and the lessons to be learnt from the 

 study of its laws, make his contributions most entertaining and 

 instructive.] 



After the first autumnal frosts, patches of the Maiden-hair Fern 

 turn white, and remain so for some days, and occasionally longer, it 

 the season prove fine and dry, but soon after assuming this appear- 

 ance wither away. At this time they present a most beautiful aspect 

 in the dim shades where they are usually found. The Monotropa 

 or Indian Pipe lives and grows in this normal condition of paleness, 

 and at first sight might readily be mistaken for one of the Fungi. 



Not far from Hatchley we find many specimens of the Northern 

 Calla, with their noticeable white spathes just above the surface of 

 the shallow water in the boggy neighborhoods where this and 



