1923] Fernald,— Distribution of Najas in northeastern America 105 
He was married in October, 1892, to Mrs. Emma A. Alger, who 
died in February, 1894. When his wife died he was left with a mort- 
gaged home and two children by her former marriage, Philip Alger 
aged 18, and Oscar, aged 9 years. He supported Philip at the Oregon 
Agricultural College till, when nearly ready to graduate, the young . 
man left to be married. Young Oscar Alger, he adopted as Oscar 
Cusick. This younger boy was also sent to college, but he too left 
before graduating, to get married. It is not generally known, but it 
was these responsibilities which kept Mr. Cusick from doing more 
botanical work during this part of his life. 
Mr. Cusick always took an active part in Church and in civic 
affairs. His neighbors knew that he went off on long trips to pick 
flowers, but they did not hold that against him. His modesty was so 
great that he seldom talked about this work, lest it should be inter- 
preted as boasting. He would never allow any account of his life 
or work to appear in the local papers. It was very nearly the same 
with his family. Of course they knew how much time he spent on 
his work, but it seemed to them that he was just messing around 
with his specimens. "The only indication they saw of the importance 
of his botanical work was the occasional visit from Dr. Watson or 
Prof. Piper or some government specialist from Washington, D. C., 
and they little realized that Mr. Cusick's name and work were known 
to scientists half way around the world. 
Mr. Cusick died at his brother's home, Union, Oregon, October 7, 
1922. He is survived by one brother, S. F. Cusick, of Union, Oregon; 
one sister, Mrs. S. E. Daley, of Scio, Oregon; and two half-sisters, 
Mrs. Hattie Dodd, of Middleton, Idaho; and Mrs. A. N. Busick, of 
Union, Oregon. 
SrATE COLLEGE OF WASHINGTON, Pullman, Wash. 
NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF NAJAS IN NORTH- 
EASTERN AMERICA. 
M. L. FERNALD. 
IN studying the four species of Najas which occur in the north- 
eastern states and Canada so many discrepancies have been found 
between the published ranges and the occurrence of these plants as 
shown by specimens, that the following notes seem worth recording. 
