345 
serted by the elongation of their pedicels, and shed their pollen. 
After dehiscence they become deflexed and are succeeded by others 
which go through the same process. After all have matured, the 
cluster falls off—unless the pistil has been fertilized, and this seems 
never to occur, through imperfect development, in plants artificially 
grown. During this successive development of the stamens, the 
pedicel of the pistillate flower elongates sufficiently to cause the 
entire ovary to be exposed. 
Growing in our laboratory, this plant is covered when in flower 
by myriads of minute red ants (J/yrmica molesta), which may be 
seen, three or four at a time, with their heads thrust to the very bot- 
tom of the nectaries, giving most eloquent testimony to the pres- 
ence of nectar. Crawling back and forth over each cluster, and 
from cluster to cluster, they cover everything with pollen, and would 
thus fertilize the pistillate flowers were they not abortive. 
In a state of nature it is probable that each cluster would pos- 
sess a well developed pistillate flower, which could not, from its 
earlier maturity, be fertilized by pollen from stamens of the same 
cluster. The small flies that are known to fertilize many species of 
Euphorbia, or small bees, to either of which the nectaries of this 
species seem well suited, would probably carry pollen from cluster 
to cluster in a given plant ; they would also, in flying from one plant 
to another, effect crossing in its truest sense. In any case, crossing 
must occur between distinct flower clusters.” 
: W. TRELEASE. 
Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. oO 
§ 349. Pursh’s Station for Scolopendrium rediscovered by the 
Syracuse Botanical Club.—A member of the Torrey Botanical — 
Club, a dear lover of Ferns, has a high regard for Pursh, whom he 
thinks hardly used as regards the trustworthiness of his localities, 
and always rejoices when he is proved right where he has been 
doubted. The news we have to offer will greatly exhilarate our 
friend, with whom we must confess a secret sympathy. Before 
giving the rediscovery of the locality, however, let us extract from 
Pursh’s Journal, which was discovered among the papers of Dr. B. 
S. Barton by Mr. Thos. P. James, at the time acting Librarian of the 
American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, which had come in- 
to possession of the Journal along with Dr. Barton’s Herbarium. It 
was published in Philadelphia by Mr. James in 1869, and to his 
kindness we owe our copy. It is a “Journal of a Botanical Ex- 
cursion in the northeastern parts of the States of Pennsylvania and 
New York, during the year 1807.” 
July 20.—-“* Mr. Geddes brought me to a deep valley about one 
mile from his house, where we ascended a steep very rocky hill ; 
here large masses of rocks seem to be piled up, or tumbled over one 
and another in such a confused manner that it has left large chasms 
between them, which sometimes appear like caves; as it has a north 
aspect and overshadet with trees, all the rocks are covered with moss 
and vegetables: and I suppose this must be a very interesting 
_place for the botanist in the spring, the walking is very precarious, as 
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