N IS Provincial Museum Report. 191(5 



During- the past two years Mr. E. H. Blackmore, of Victoria, B.C., who lias been special- 

 izing on the Geometridse of British Columbia, has discovered one species and seven varieties 

 new to science, viz.: Stamnodes blaekmorei, Swett; Hydriomena speciosata var. ameliata, Swett; 

 Hgdriomena grandis var. saa/uiichata, Swett; Petrophora defensaria varieties mephistaria, 

 vatic-aria, conciliaria, thanataria, and suppuraria, all described by Swett. Mr. Blackmore 

 has generously donated to the Museum collection paratypes of S. blaekmorei, II. grandis v. 

 saawichata, P. defensaria varieties giganticaria, conciliaria, and thanataria, and typical speci- 

 mens of P. defensaria varieties mephistaria and suppuraria. 



Amongst a collection of Diptera sent to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 

 for identification, three species were found to be new to science, which necessitated the erection 

 of new genera by Mr. C. H. T. Townsend, who described them in the Canadian Entomologist, 

 Vol. XLIL, No. 9, page 2S5, et seq. They are as follows : — 



Ohanagania hirta, Townsend. This is a new genus with hirta as its genotype, and was 

 described from a male taken by Mr. E. M. Anderson at Okanagan Falls on April 27th, 1913. 



Rhachogaster kermodei, Townsend. This is also a new genus with kermodei for its genotype, 

 and was described from two males taken at Penticton by Mr. Anderson on July 4 th and 8th, 

 1913. 



Another new genus, Pseudodidyma, was created by Mr. Townsend, having for its genotype 

 a new species named pullula, described from a female taken at Farragut Bay, Alaska. Of a 

 male taken by Mr. Anderson at Victoria on April 2nd, 1906, Mr. Townsend says : "It may 

 be a new species, but seems congeneric with the above female." 



During the present winter the two exhibition cases of Lepidoptera have been entirely 

 overhauled by Mr. Anderson, who has rearranged and relabelled the entire collection of butter- 

 flies and moths down to the Geometridre, the latter having been put in order by Mr. E. H. 

 Blackmore, of this city, who has contributed many specimens in this group to make it more 

 complete. The collection as it now stands is thoroughly up to date in nomenclature and 

 scientific arrangement. 



Botaxy. 



In pursuance of the policy announced in the Museum Report for 1911, to devote more 

 attention to the Botanical Branch, a request was made early in the year for the loan of the 

 Herbarium formed by Mr. J. R. Anderson when Deputy Minister of the Department of 

 Agriculture. This request was favourably considered and the transfer made to the Museum 

 on April 28th. The collection of plants was made by Mr. J. R. Anderson in his leisure hours, 

 both on Vancouver Island and in districts on the Mainland visited by him on his official tours. 

 In some of these expeditions Mr. Anderson was assisted by the late Dr. James Fletcher, of the 

 Dominion Experimental Farm at Ottawa, who was well known for his botanical zeal. It was, 

 of course, impossible to cover more than a small portion of a Province of such a vast area as 

 that of British Columbia, but a large number of rare and interesting plants were secured as 

 occasion offered, and it is hoped that these may form the nucleus of a more fully representative 

 collection, and also be more accessible to the general public than heretofore. To facilitate 

 reference to these plants it is proposed to make a card catalogue of the collection, as unfor- 

 tunately no record of the Herbarium accompanied it, -except the data on the labels. By 

 comparing these cards with the catalogues and supplementary lists published by Professor John 

 Macoun in the Reports of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada and in 

 numerous other papers, and also with the " Flora of Southern British Columbia," by Professor 

 Henry, it will be possible to discover the species still absent from our collection and to set in 

 motion certain agencies to fill the blanks. 



Professor John Macoun and his son, Mr. J. M. Macoun, have both interested themselves 

 in this Herbarium for years. Mr. J. M. Macoun spent some hours in the Museum in September 

 looking over the new collections. 



In the flowering season many inquiries are made as to the names of the more popular 

 plants, and as to where their description can be found. To meet these demands it is intended 

 that specimens of some of the most noticeable plants may be mounted and placed in wall- 

 frames, also that some of the more useful books will be held available in the office of the 

 Museum in charge of Miss \V. A. Andrew, who has shown great interest in this branch of 

 our work. 



