58 



plleus be of a soft one, the pileus portion of the section will adhere 

 very firmly to the gelatine-paper, while the stipe after drying may be- 

 come easily detached therefrom. Sections, as well as other prepara- 

 tions, of the genera Russiila and Lactarius do not adhere well; the 

 fleshy substance of the former is firm, compact, or even floccose, and 

 that of the latter contains a milky liquid. Such preparations may be 

 made to stick better by moistening them with water before laying 

 them on the gelatine-paper. Frequently also the lamellae do not ad- 

 here to the paper, probably owing to the copious detached spores. 

 The portion of a preparation which does not adhere properly maybe 

 fastened down effectually with a solution of one part of gelatine in 

 thirty parts of boiling water; the solution, after it is somewhat cool, 

 being applied between the specimen and paper by means of a camel's 

 hair pencil, and the specimen being pressed down on the paper and 

 allowed to dry. It sometimes happens in preparations of fungi which 

 have a viscid pileus, that, in the first pressing, portions of the pileus 

 adhere to the overlying drying-paper. In such cases the specimen 

 may be readily detached, without injury to it, by dampening the dryer 

 slightly with a wet sponge. 



After the preparations are dry they are to be cut out of the gela- 

 tine-paper with a pair of scissors, the paper being trimmed away as 

 closely as possible to the specimen, so that the latter shall exhibit it- 

 self with sharp contours when finally gummed to card-board. 



50. Mertensia Virginica, DC, in New Jersey.— On the 6th of 



May, 1880, I brought home some specimens of this elegant plant 

 which I had obtained near the extreme western edge of Monmouth 



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Willis 



my house, showed him the plants and proposed that he should stay 

 all night and go with me next day to the locality, which was nearly 

 twenty miles away. The season was too much advanced, as that 

 May was unusually hot and dry, for we found the plants not in the 

 finest condition. Desirous of working the subject up, so as not to be 

 found pushing into the Bulletin a notice of a mere fugitive or re- 

 cent escape, I desired my friend to say nothing about it for the 

 present. I have worked a good deal on the case and now feel confi- 

 dent that my find is worthy a place in the indigenous flora of our 

 State, for these reasons: i. I cannot find among the people, old or 

 young, of these parts, any recollection of it as a garden-plant. The 

 question has elicited a reply indicative of surprise: "Grow in gardens! 

 Why it is a wild-flower ! " 2. It has been known as a wild-flower 

 for a number of years— how many I cannot say. 3. I have now found 

 three localities where it grows, .each several miles from the other. 

 4. The plants have enormous tap-roots, showing them to be well es- 

 tablished. In truth, it is not easy to get a plant up with a moderate 

 share of its root, so deep into the eardi does the latter extend. 



Should any one desire to visit a habitat for collecting, the one 

 easiest found is on the Crosswick Creek, close to the north side of 

 the bridge at Walnford. May I not be pardoned a pleasurable pride 



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Jersey 



Samuel Lockwood. 



