23 
Botany of the Upper St. John. 
John and Madawaska in the Summer of 1879, I found there many 
of the plants found by Prof. Goodale in the Aroostook territory ; 
many more were observed during the past summer. I shall refer to 
these in another part of this paper. 
But the botany of the River below Grand Falls has been more 
systematically observed. Mr. Matthew appears to have been the 
pioneer in botanical investigation on the southern St. John and 
Kennebecasis. The botany of the River above Fredericton has 
been pretty carefully studied by Prof. Bailey, Prof. Fowler, Mr. 
Vroom, Mr. Moser and others. Mr. Fowler, though he had not 
much time for extended investigation of this territory, infused 
enthusiasm in those who were fortunate enough to enjoy his instruc- 
tion, and the student now finds his work systematized by the assist- 
ance of Mr. Fowler’s published lists. One of the keenest observers 
of plants is Mr. J. Moser of York County, who is as modest and 
retiring as many of the plants he so industriously seeks out. He 
has made some very important discoveries of rare plants in York 
County and further up the River. Mr. J. E. Wetmore of Andover, 
one of Prof. Fowler’s students, is carefully working up the botany of 
his district as far as his time will permit. So it will be seen that 
the number of those who take an interest in this — one of the most 
attractive of the natural sciences — is steadily increasing. 
May we hope that the tim.e is not far distant when every branch 
of our natural history shall be industriously studied and explored. 
Surely a country containing a population of over a quarter of a 
million should not longer be satisfied with scarcely a baker’s dozen of 
active scientific workers. It might be in order for some energetic 
members of this Society to organize themselves into a committee on 
Conchology for instance, — take up the subject where Mr. Matthew 
has left it and pursue it further. Could not a Committee on Ento- 
mology be formed, and, emulating the example of our Ornithological 
Committee, work as perse veringly in this important branch of nat- 
ural history. No subject is of greater practical importance to us 
than a knowledge of the habits of the insects which infest our fields 
and woods, and yet this branch is at present almost without a rep- 
resentative in our Society. While acknowledging then that we are 
displaying industry in some directions, are we not neglecting certain 
other departments we cannot afford to neglect in this age of scientific 
study and investigation. 
