5 
. 51 
plicable as a derivative of aguila, eagle, but might be legitimately 
formed from agua, water, and lego, to collect, the spurs being com- 
pared to water holders. ‘Tae explanation in Gray’s Manual—‘“from 
“aquila, an eagle, from some fancied resemblance of the spurs to ta- 
lons—” is that given by Tournefort, the author of the genus. But 
Tournefort adds “as they say,” “ ut aiunt,” showing that he only adop- 
ted a name in use. On this subject we have received the following 
communication. It must be renembered that Tournefort’s date is 
about the year 1700. Our correspondent shows that the word is much 
older than that, though somewhat different in form. Possibly, as 
aquileia, 1¢ is really reiated to aquila. Eps. 
I find a somewhat different account in the Herbal of Hieronymus 
Tragus, (Anglice, Jerome Buck) printed in Old German at Stras- 
‘ bourg in 1551. The plant is there called “ Agley” and ‘ Aglei,” 
both ways of spelling being employed. A fine cut and accurate 
description leave no doubt of the identity of the plant; but the 
author had evidently no idea of the eagle-spurs, or of aguila, as, in 
describing its spurs, he likens them to those of the “ Kisenhutlein 
und Rittersporen” (Monkshood and Larkspur.) Speaking of the 
name, the author identities the plantas one sort of Centawry spoken 
of by Dioscorides and other ancient authors, the name Centawry 
having been anciently applied to this, as well as to several sorts of 
Composite, Gentians, Saffron, and other plants. The sort of 
Centaury to which this plant belonged, however, had two varieties, of 
Which the larger is the Columbine, and was cal.ed both Centaureum 
majus and Centaurea solida, besides numerous other names. The 
author says it is called by the moderns “Aquileia, Alkaleia, Usi or 
Osir, [and] Agley, presumably the same as Aegilops.”  Aigilops 
1s the ancient name of several plants ; if we can connect Agley 
with aigilips, (steep, inaccessible, prop. inaccessible to goats,) [or 
_agilos| it would not be a bad name for the plant, considering 
its love for cliff-sides. But whether Aquileia and Alkaleia and 
Aquilegia are corruptions of “ Agley,” or what may be the definition 
of “ Agley” I do not presume to determine. 
: I. H. Hart, 36 Pine st. 
M1, Suffolk County Plants—I have found in this vicinity during the 
past season, Helianthus angustifolius, L., Rumex Engelmanni, Ledeb, 
Rhynchospora nitens, Gray (at Wading River), Panicum amarum, 
Ell. ; which I believe are new to Long Island. Of other species, I 
may mention : Hottonia inflata, Ell. ; Arethusa bulbosa, L.; Orontium 
aquaticum, L. ; Smilacina stellata, Desf. ; Hypericum adpressum, Bart.; 
Solidago odora, Ait., var. inodora; Lycopodium inundatum, L., var. 
Bigelovii, Tuck. ; Eriophorum gracile, Koch. ; Fimbristylis spadicea, 
Vahl., var. castanea, Gray ; Andropogon Virginicus, L., and A. ma- 
crouros, Michx. I found Vallisneria spiralis, L., in a quite swift but 
Shallow stream, which is the outlet of Great Pond S. W. of River- 
head, with leaves only 2 or 8 inches in length. 
Prunus Cerasus is thoroughly naturalized with us, the young trees 
Springing up everywhere in hedges and along neglected fence rows. 
