THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND N ATI RALIST. 



of the forme obtained from our rocks have 

 been identified by American paleontolog 

 The State collections of New York and M 

 chu setts have to be consulted in order to place 

 tlit' matter correctly before the Canadian public. 

 Of course this must be expected from persons 

 having only :i limited knowledge of ab- 

 Btruse forms found occasionally in our 

 rocks. The Ottawa F. N. Club have now the 

 Geological Survey Museum to consult, ami 

 with students like .1. A. Grant, M.D.,F.R.CS., 

 Mim, F.G.S., London ; the Billings'; W. I'. 

 Anderson, C.E. ; W.H.Harrington, and others 

 working in the fossil valley of the Ottawa, will, 

 we trust, add a fresh stimulus to geological 

 study, and compel the salaried gentlemen who 

 write on these remarkable tilings to be diligent 

 and thoroughly accurate regarding them. The 

 Transactions of the 0. F. N. C. are extremely 

 valuable, and they will, doubtless, continue to 

 be so as long as the Club is presided over by a 

 student like our congenial friend J. Fletcher. 

 Mr. G. E. Heron, a young conchologist, gives 

 a very good paper and list of the Land and 

 Fresh-water shells of the Ottawa. Mr. W. H. 

 Harrington's papers on Insects are valuable to 

 the young beginner. We would like to see the 

 authorities given in all cases after species. At 

 page 44, No. 1, occurs Polyclroms eleyans of 

 Couper, which is correct according toLeConte's 

 Catalogue; aud at page 33, No. 2, the latter 

 Weevil is called Scythropus elegans, Couper, 

 from Crotch's Catalogue or Check-list. We 

 care not who authorized the revision, but 

 simply say that the genus Polydrosus should 

 hold priority. At page 31, No. 2, a Weevil is 

 mentioned as Hylobius stupidus, and on re- 

 ferring to the list (page 33) it is given as 

 Schcener's species. We have no knowledge 

 of this insect, and never met it under the name 

 of stupidus in Canadian collections. There 

 has only been two or three species ot the genus 

 Hylobius found in Canada, the last one was 

 described some years ago as //. pinicola, 

 Couper. It was prior to that a M.S. species 

 called heros by LeConte, a gentleman who 



stands af the head ol all American ' 

 We are Borrj to saj thai th< 



many writer- in tin- fJnif 



fond of making changes "i this d< 



and il Crutch gives this Hylobii 

 Sch., we would like to examine a 

 It is strange that the latter species should lie 

 dormant so long when men like Billings and 

 the writer collected together tor ti, 

 around Ottawa. Ibbotson, Crofl ami the 

 writer lor several years around Toronto, and 

 that R. pinicola was discovered in twodist 

 places, i.e.. Lake Superior, whi C >nte 



found fragments of one which formed tie- M> 

 for his heros, and tic- others were li\ ing 3] 

 men- taken on pine tree- at Quebec by the 

 writer, and described by him in the Can" 

 Naturalist & Geologist, published at Montreal, 

 either in 1865 or '66. We are pleased t<> n 

 Mr. Fletcher's" Flora Ottawaensis " in the tirst 

 number, with an addition to it in the second. 

 We know that the late Mr. Billings published 

 a local list of plants in the Transactions, ot' the 

 Literary and Scientific Society ot Ottawa. In 

 closing, we will here notice a descriptive ] 

 on the genus Lii.iim, by our old friend Lt.-Col. 

 White, an associate, who is always will 

 aid literary institutions. In all. we commend 

 the Transactions ol the 0. F. X. C. to all t] • 

 who take an interest in the Natural History ot 

 Canada.- C. 



(torresponbence. 



"LEGEND OF THE CROSSBILL." 



To the Ediior of Ths Canadian Sivrtsman and 

 Naturalist.: — 



Sir, — 1 notice considerable correspondence 

 appearing in your columns on the Robin. 1 

 am a student of ornithology, therefore, I would 



like to say a lew words on the subject. 1 con- 

 sider Or. Gamier is justified in shooting Turdus 

 migratorius in the autumn and winter seasons. 

 as, during that time, they are \er\ good eating. 

 1 have enjoyed the winter sport, shooting 

 Blackbirds, Thrushes, Larks, Redwings and 

 Fieldfares in England, and can vouch tor the 

 good pie they make. The Rev Mr. Clementi 



