1913] The Ottawa Naturalist. 15 



that each species had its own peculiar adaptation for the success- 

 ful distribution of its spores. In one case, viz., that of the 

 common polypore which grows on the sides of trees, it was 

 admirably shown by an excellent specimen that the vertical 

 position of the spore-bearing tubes is essential to distribution 

 of spores and that when the position of the fruiting body had 

 been altered by the falling of the tree that a re-adjustment of 

 the plane of the fruiting body through 90 had taken place the 

 succeeding season. Another specimen exhibited showed the 

 effects of the mycelium in changing the colour of the wood 

 fibres from the normal shade to a brilliant green. 



During the discussion which followed Mr. Eastham's address 

 Mr. Gussow referred to several peculiar uses of the tissue pro- 

 duced by the fruiting bodies of certain fungi that grow on 

 wood. He cited an instance which had come under his own 

 observation where the silk-like fibres from the under or spore- 

 breeding surface of a polypore had been used in the making of 

 a remarkably good cap.. He also referred to the peculiar way 

 in which rude fire-arms were discharged at the time of the 

 Thirty Years' War in Europe. Some of the dry and spongy 

 fibres collected from the fruiting bodies of certain wood fungi 

 were used somewhat after the manner of a fuse. This was 

 ignited bv sparks from a steel and flint and "eventually" the 

 gun went off. J. W. G. 



NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF INTERESTING 

 FORMS OF CYPERACE^E IN QUEBEC. 



By Bro. Victorin, Longueuil College, Longueuil, Que. 



Very little is known of the distribution of our local Cyper- 

 aceae. Being of slight or no economic value, these plants 

 are of no interest to the average man, and even botanists them- 

 selves frequently overlook them. 



Apart from any utilitarian consideration, the sedges play 

 an important part in nature. It is by means of this type of 

 organism that plant life takes hold of marshes, shoals, river- 

 banks and damp places generally. If the finality of, the 

 multitude of individuals appears obvious,. that of the immense 

 number of species is yet an unsolved problem. It is to be 

 remembered that the study of the Carex species alone, number- 

 ing about 1,000, constitutes a whole science by itself, and 

 demands the labour of numerous specialists. 



The object of these notes is to make known several species, 

 or varities, of this family, collected by the writer, in Quebec, 

 which are, he believes, mostly new for that province, if not for 

 Canada. 



