176 _ THE PLANT WORLD. 



Sound and noteworthy as are the results already secured by Pro- 

 fessor Kincaid in the studv of it, we must direct our attention 

 to the plant life of the region. We were fortunate in having 

 with us Dr. F. T. Harper, of Chicago, who possesses a wide 

 knowledge of species of plants, and are especially indebted to 

 him for his aid in the study of the mosses and fungi. Dr. Har- 

 per found that fungi are not so numerous on the islands as on the 

 mainland in portions of Western Washington where he had bot- 

 anized earlier in the season. Whether this is mainly due to lack 

 of moisture on the islands, or is more largely the result of isola- 

 tion, we are not able to decide. Of the Basidiomycetes. the 

 writer saw most commonly Polysfichis Jiirsutus, Polystictu.'^ pcr- 

 gamenus, Fomes angulatus, Fohjstictus suhsericeus, Poria suha- 

 cida, Polyporns volvatus, Por'ui fci-nu/'uiosa and Polystictus ver- 

 sicolor. Polyporus volvatus, especially interesting morpholog- 

 ically, is very common on pines, but is, as usual, so badly injured 

 by insects that good botanical specimens are secured with diffi- 

 culty. Besides the Basidiomycetes named above, Tramctes (il)ie- 

 tis, Trametes pini, Fomes carneous, Polyporus picipes, MertiJnis 

 niveus, Clavaria mucida and Thelophora proculaforrnis were 

 seen more or less frequently.. The Agaricaceae were absent at 

 the time of year when we were at the station, but are doubtless 

 common enough during the wet season. 



Time was so limited that no effort was made to collect any 

 of the seasonal fungi as rusts, smuts, mildews, etc., but a fcAv 

 Discomycetes may be mentioned. First of all, the common and 

 pretty little red Lachnea scutellata was seen in great profusion 

 on old boards along a stream on Orcas Island. Also we were 

 fortunate enough to find Chlorospleniiim aeruginosum, which so 

 commonly makes bluish or greenish stains on logs, in fruit. Two 

 or three unkno^^^l Discomycetes were collected, which are still in 

 the hands of Dr. E. J. Durand for determination. Among these 

 is one found very commonly on the leaves of Gaultheria shallon 

 and Berheris nervosa. 



The tree known as the Douglas spruce or the red fir, Pscii- 



