169 
beginning to wither this stalk was separable from above downward 
into two. This, therefore, is a case in which long peticles to the 
cotyledons, of which there is no appearance in the seed, connate 
into one body, are developed and greatly lengthened in place of the 
radicle, which is thus simulated. Something similar occurs in Del- 
phinium nudicaule, T. & G., Horse-chestnut, and Ipomecea lepto- 
phylla. Botanists on the Pacific coast are earnestly requested to — 
examine the germination of all the species of Megarrhiza. Mature 
fruits and seeds of all the species are much desired. Athamanta 
Chinensis, L. (probably Conioselinum Canadense, 'I’. & G.), would 
seem, from a letter of Muhlenberg’s in the Collins’ correspondence, 
to have possibly got its specific name from a misspelling or mistake 
of name of the original locality, Genessee. Linneeus says “ Chinen- 
sem dixit Barthram.” Was it Kalm who labelled his plants from 
Kentucky, Gentogi?—2. The Botanical Gazette is always full of good 
things. In the July No. we particularly note, Prof. Porter on 
variations in Podophyllym peltatum, L., Mr. Shriver on Nepeta 
Glechoma, Benth., and, in the August No., Dr. Engelmann on the . 
varying periods of the opening of pine cones.—3. Zhe American 
Naturaitst, with the Botany under the conduct of Prof. Goodale, 
becomes of increasing interest. We are rather late in calling atten- 
tion to Mr. Waison’s request for a more careful examination of our 
species of Iris. Specimens of flowers, fruit, and roots, fresh or dried, 
from any part of the country, may be sent to the Botanic Garden, 
Cambridge.—4. “eld and forest, July, begins the Third Vol. with 
an interesting account of a botanical trip to the Dismal Swamp and 
parts adjacent.—5. Psyche to June has been received. This little 
periodical is indispensable to entomologists, and it is desirable that 
every botanist should be more or less an entomologist.—6. Proceed- 
ings of the Acad. of Nat. Sciences of Philadelphia, Jan. to March, 
1877: Of much botanical interest is Mr. Isaac Burk’s list of 125 
plants, recently collected on ships’ ballast in the neighborhood of 
Philadelphia.—7. Descriptions of new spectes of plants, with revisions 
of Lychnis, Eriogonum, and Chorizanthe, Contrib. to Am, Botany, No. 
VII., by Sereno Watson, Proceed. Am. Acad. Sci., Vol. XII., pp. 
246-278: We notice an error in the imprint, 1876 for 1877. It 
seems that we have eleven American species of Lychnis. Dr. Allen 
found years since at the White Sulphur Springs of Virginia an Erio- 
gonum, which notwithstanding its yellow flowers Dr. Torrey thought 
to be E. tomentosum. We think this was before he and Dr. Gray 
made their revision of that genus, At all events the northern locality 
does not seem to be recorded.—8. We are glad to notice that Mr. 
Cassino, of the Naturalists’ Agency, proposes to publish ///ustrations 
of the Ferns of North America, Text by Prof. Eaton, Illustrations by 
Jas. H. Emerton, The work will be issued in large quarto parts, at 
intervals of about three months, three colored plates to a part 
(chromo-lithography), at one dollar a part. With such an artist as 
Mr. Emerton, and such a master of pteridology as Prof. Eaton, and 
such able aids as Messrs. Davenport, Robinson, Faxon, and Mrs. 
Cooper, and with the Herbaria of Yale, Cambridge and Boston, noth- 
ing better could be desired. The paper is promised to be the best in 
