100 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Nov. 



selected by this fern is a mucky, springy soil, shaded by hemlocks 

 and cedars, with an occasional mountain maple In this same 

 locality the fern was found near the edge of a spring creek or on 

 mossy logs overhanging the water. When growing under 

 these conditions it is often the most convenient vegetation that 

 can be found to line a trout basket. The bulblet loaded tips of 

 this fern often approach so close to the water of the creek that 

 it almost seems a legitimate conclusion that the running water 

 is an important factor in the dispersion of these bulblets. At 

 Credit Forks it grows along the base of the limestone cliff wherever 

 springs issue. 



C. fragilis is found associated with C. bulbifera along the 

 base of springy clay*, banks and cliffs. It is found, also 

 where that species will not grow, in crevices of shaded limestone 

 and sandstone rocks, where spring water is not present. It does 

 not stand exposure to the sun. It is found growing in mucky 

 loam, shaded by cedars and basswood, often associated with 

 C. bulbifera, if the station is springy. In this case it selects the 

 drier locations around stumps and logs. 



AN UNUSUAL COLOURED RUDBECKIA. 



It is well known that plants are liable to produce progeny 

 unlike the parents, in some striking particular, such as those 

 with additional petals, odd shapes or variations in colour. 

 A well known example of the latter is found in the brown- 

 blotched Lepachys, which occasionally turns up among the 

 yellow ones, and though a mere colour variety has been given 

 the name pulcherrima. An homologous example, which 1 have 

 not observed recorded, was discovered this summer near here 

 and consists of a blotched form of Rudbeckia hirta, in which 

 the raws had about a third of their basal portion rich brown, 

 being in fact almost identical to the Lepachys in that respect. 

 The plant consisted of seven heads, all alike, which 1 had 

 marked with the idea of securing seeds, but being close to a 

 roadway they were unfortunately destroyed before reaching 

 maturity. Fortunately, however, the species is perennial, and 

 so, if all goes well, will flower again next year. 



Norman Criddle, Treesbank, Man. 



