73 
is known among the people under the name of savoyanne^ from some 
old plant of France. It is sold in all the French markets, and is ex- 
tensively used in domestic medicine as a tonic and appetizer. Don 
Miller states that it is known as tisavoyannehy the Canadian French.*' 
In a foot-note, Dr. Chas. Rice says; "There is no doubt in my 
mind that the syllable ^savoyanne' is a dialectic adjective of the name 
of Savoy (once a French province.) , . . The syllable // may be 
a patois for the name of the plant, or some other corruption. . . • . 
It would be quite natural for persons who call madder the red Savoy 
* ti ' (whatever this may mean) to call gold-thread or Coptis \ki^ yellow 
Savoy *ti'. The names were, of course, carried by settlers to 
Canada." 
These conjectures fall very short of the mark. The Canad. 
Fr. tisavoyanne (abbreviated \o savoyanne)^ far from being an importa- 
tion from France, is of Indian origin, and corresponds to Micmac 
(Algonkin) iissacohianne'^ ^ * skin-dye * (Cree aiismveyafi)^ which, 
like Cree atisigan^ Odjibway adissigan, Shawnee haiethikakh\ (words 
rpeaning 'dye-stuff'), is from the root all, 'to color.' These are 
general names for such plants as yield these tribes a dye-color. 
Kalm tells us that the leaves and stalks of the Coptis were used by 
the Indians of Canada for giving a fine yellow color to several kinds 
of articles that they made of prepared skins. The French learned 
the plant's tinctorial property from the Indians, and used it for dye- 
ing wool and other materials. Hence the Algonko-French name 
tisavoyanne Jaune, in contradistinction to tisavoyanne rouge, a name for 
Galium boreale, L., and G, trifidum, L., var., tindorium. Gray, the 
roots of which were (and are still) used by the Indians for staining 
their porcupine quills red, and by French women for dyeing their 
clothes. 
I notice that savoyan appears in the catalogues of some of our 
dealers in herbs as a popular name for Galium Aparine,!.. The 
name has been transferred from the two species of Galium just men- 
tioned. 
W. R. Gerard. 
The Botanical Club of the A. A. A. S. will hold its meeting durmg 
^he week August 26th to September 2d at Ann Arbor, Mich., as an 
adjunct of the American Association, Any member of the Associ- 
ation who takes an interest in botany is eligible to membership in 
the Club. The only olher requirement is that of registration, which 
should be attended to immediately after registering for the Associa- 
tion. The Club is tendered an afternoon excursion by carnage to 
the most interesting collecting grounds in the vicinity. The long 
excursion on Saturday will be so managed that botanists can spend 
some time in herborizing. If a sufficient number desires it, a trip 
can be arranged at small expense to Cedar Lake, a few hours ride 
by rail from Ann Arbor, where there is one of the few remaining 
* As written by French missionaries. , ■ .u -i 1, \ - ,.f n^^ 
t These Indians speak with a lisp, a spirant ih replacing the sibilant . of the 
other Algonkin dialects. 
