THE PLANT WORLD 49 



little vernal sedge {Carex Pe) in sylvan ica) is abundant, and along rail- 

 roads embankments and in old meadows tlie fertile and sterile plants 

 of the horse-tail {Eqnisetum arvense) are common. 



Among the earlj^ flowering shrubs and trees, the shad-bush {Ame- 

 lanchier Canadensis) is conspicuous, and more rarelj^ may be seen the 

 pale sulphur}^ twin flowers of the fly honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliata). 

 I have located only one bush of the moosewood {Dirca palustris), and 

 therefore conclude that like the Indians who made use of its tough 

 bark, it has nearly disappeared from its native haunts. In the depths 

 of the swamps the hobble-bush {Viburnum lantanoides) is to be found, 

 and occasionally in the same locality grows the fetid currant (Rihes 

 prostratum). 



I have found altogether 172 species of plants in bloom in this 

 region before the first of June, of wliicli those mentioned are the most 

 conspicuous. 



Shushan, N. Y. 



FUNGUS SPORES AS BEE-BREAD. 

 By W. H. Lang, Jr. 



WHILE collecting fungi in the vicinitj^ of Austin, Texas, on Feb- 

 ruary 26th, the writer had occasion to observe a very peculiar 

 and to him hithei'to unknown habit of the honey bee {Apis rael- 

 lijica). The bees were hybrids between the blacks and Italian, and 

 were working in considerable numbers on the leaves of the wild dew- 

 berry {Buhus t7-ivialis). A closer examination showed that they were 

 busy collecting the spores of the orange nist of blackberry {Caeoma 

 nitens) for bee-bread. They were observed in the act time and again of 

 collecting the spores and packing them on their legs, exactly as they 

 collect pollen from the flowers. This was again seen on March 2d, in 

 another locality. To avoid any possible mistake, one of the busy little 

 workers was captured and its load brought to the laboratory for micro- 

 scopic examination. The balls were of a very dark red, and proved to 

 be composed exclusively of the spores of this rust. Some flowers were 

 in bloom at this time, such as Anemone Vii'giniana, Bhus (Janadensi,H 

 var. frilohata, Berheris trifoliolafa and Draba ciotei/oJia, but none of 

 these flowers seemed to attract the bees, and no i:)ollen grains of any 

 kind were found mixed with the spores. Extended examination of the 

 pollen masses of the bees in various localities may show that fungi 

 other than this i^articular species may be used by them for a similar 

 purpose, especially during seasons of the year when pollen from flow- 



