10 Geo. 5 Provincial Museum Report. P 15 



wrote to the Director on February 11th, "that Mr. Walter White, for many years employed 

 as a halibut-fisherman on the vessels of the New England Fish Company, and latterly as mate 

 on the S.S. ' Kingsway,' brought to their office a rock weighing about 2y 2 lb. Mr. White states 

 that he personally took this rock from the stomach of a halibut weighing about CO lb. The 

 S.S. ' Kingsway ' was fishing off Bonilla Island at the time in about 35 fathoms of water. It 

 occurred to us that you might like to receive and preserve" this rock." 



This rock was eventually sent to the Provincial Museum by Mr. Hager. Later I sent a copy 

 of the letter, as requested by Mr. Hager, to Mr. Will F. Thompson, Assistant in charge of the 

 Long Laboratory, California, for his information. 



Mr. Thompson is a well-known fish expert on the halibut fishes, and has done considerable 

 scientific research-work in the Northern British Columbia halibut waters. In reply, Mr. Thomp- 

 son writes as follows : — 



" Many thanks for your letter with the copy of the note on the rock swallowed by the halibut. 

 It is perfectly possible. The halibut are famous eaters of small things, and they pick from the 

 ground, rocks, etc., and all sorts of things, including sea-anemones, clam-siphons, etc., and in the 

 process of doing so they frequently take in many things which are not intended to find a lodging 

 in the stomach of fish. The famous stones which the cod takes in (as ballast) in storms are the 

 results that follow too reckless eating on the part of the cod. The size of the stone, however, 

 is a most surprising thing. It bears witness to the reckless habits of the halibut." 



The Museum also received a specimen of a fish, donated by Mr. Harry Pidcock, Quathiaski 

 Cove, B.C., which appears to me to be that of an immature alligator fish (Podotliecus acipen- 

 serinus), but this has not been verified by an authority. 



The Department also received a specimen of an immature pipe-fish (Aulorhynclius flavidus), 

 presented by Mr. H. A. Cox, Esquimalt, B.C. A small species of fish (Sebastodes sp.?) was also 

 presented by Mr. A. S. Grice on July 30th, 1919. 



This specimen I have not fully identified, and it will have to be sent through to Dr. Gilbert, 

 who has always shown a great interest and is willing to do any work in the identification of 

 fishes for this Department. 



BOTANY. 



The whole collection in the Herbarium has been numbered consecutively, and all duplicates 

 correspondingly numbered and catalogued. This will eliminate a great disadvantage in connec- 

 tion with any correspondence concerning any particular species. 



The number of mounted specimens in the collection of flowering plants at the present time is 

 approximately 0,000. For some time past there have been many requests for a Check-list of the 

 Flora of Vancouver Island, and it was deemed by the Director desirable to prepare the same. 

 This entailed a considerable amount of work in the research of the earliest records of botanical 

 collectors on the Pacific Coast. 



The manuscript for this work, which was compiled by Mr. W. R. Carter, has now been 

 completed, and it is to be hoped that the Department will be able to have it in the press before 

 long. This Check-list also includes the plants known to occur on the islands adjacent, together 

 with the Queen Charlotte Group. 



Through the kindness of several collectors, a small number of specimens have been added to 

 the collection, and thanks must be extended to the following gentlemen for the same : — 



Professor J. K. Henry, for a small series collected in the Sicamous and adjoining districts, 

 including: Mentzella albicaulis Dongl. ; Gilia pharnaceoid.es Benth. ; Gastillea lutescens (Green- 

 man) Rydb. ; TJtricularia intermedia Hayne; Cltwnactis Doufflasii II. & A.; Botrychium Uinaria 

 (L.) Sw. ; and Lotus corniculatus L. from Elgin, B.C. 



Dr. C. F. Newcombe, for several rare specimens from the southern portion of Vancouver 

 Island: Tissa macrotheca (Hornem) Britt. ; Ranunculus Lobbii Gray; Jloaaclcia (jracilis 

 Benth.; Limnanthes Macounii Trelease; also for access to his valuable botanical library in 

 research of data difficult to obtain. 



Mr. .7. R. Anderson, for a large collection of plants, a low of which have made appreciable 

 additions to the Herbarium, especially Abronia acutalata Standley and Achillea caUfomica Poll., 

 the latter a new record for Vancouver Island. 



Among this collection were a number of specimens collected by his brother, Mr. W. B, 

 Anderson, in various portions of the Province, which include: Beckmannia eruemfortnis (L.) 

 Host.; Chenopodium urbicum L. ; Thelypodium integrtfoliv/m (Nutt.) Endl. ; Qilia Hookeri 



