76 



miles away from home. Many species, both of plants and 

 insects, were, if not absolutely the same, very closely allied 

 species to those of Europe. The Canadian Pacific Railway 

 goes through a forest region to the north of Lake Superior 

 for quite a thousand miles from east to west, and north this 

 forest extends right up to the limit of trees, towards the 

 Arctic circle. To him this forest of fir seemed but little 

 different in appearance to some Scotch scenery, except that 

 the trees were of small growth ; the forest fires which regularly 

 devastate each region prevented any large growth. He had 

 this year paid particular attention to the flora, and it seemed 

 that many plants were absolutely identical with those found 

 in Europe, but had other names. The so-called " bluff 

 lands," the somewhat undulating portions which alternate 

 with the prairies, were timbered with short maple and poplar, 

 the latter having white bark, which at a distance made it 

 appear like the birch of our own country. Civilization had 

 only penetrated to this region some twenty years, yet many 

 European plants had been introduced and were spread in 

 every direction, growing luxuriantly. The common yarrow 

 of our banks and meadows had made its way right from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, through both forest and 

 prairie. At the time he was there several species of sun- 

 flowers made the prairies one golden mass of bloom, giving 

 it a most remarkable appearance. He had collected some 

 hundreds of plants, and he was much indebted to Mr. 

 Fletcher and Professor Macoun, of Ottawa, the Government 

 Naturalists, for naming them, at considerable inconvenience 

 to themselves. There was much work to be done in that 

 region, for although he had kept to the beaten tracks and had 

 but few opportunities for collecting, yet he had found many 

 local and rare species. Around Lake Manitoba the sand-hills 

 gave the appearance of some parts of the English shores, but 

 the waves of this inland sea were quite oceanic, reaching seven 

 or eight feet in height as they broke on the shores. There 

 was no chalk in the district, and consequently the shells found 

 were thin and very deficient in lime. Salt, however, existed 

 in the form of alkaline deposits in many places, and seaside 

 plants of Europe were found throughout the prairies; among 

 them was a species nearly identical with our common sam- 

 phire. The autumnal tints of North America must be seen 

 to be appreciated ; the fiery brilliance of the dying foliage 

 was a most enchanting and magnificent display. 



Mr. Tutt read a paper on "■Zygcena ackillecs, Esp." (p. lOo), 

 illustrating it with a long series of the species from the Alps. 



