94 THE PLANT WOELD 



bery ! Tliis remarkable plant belongs to tlie heath family ; and is one 

 of those strange organisms, that, like the fungi, seem to subsist upon 

 decaying matter. There is no green foliage, but the stiff asparagus-like 

 stem is clothed with rather rigid scales, which are of a pale flesh color 

 near the ground ; but farther up they assume the same brilliant hue as 

 the flowers, and there merge into floral bracts which curl gracefully 

 about among the crimson bell-shaped blossoms. 



In early summer the snow-plant may be found at an altitude of 

 three or four thousand feet ; but as the season advances and the snoAv 

 fields recede they will be found higher, rarely, if ever, gi owing upon the 

 snow, but always where it has just melted away. — Wm. S. Rice, Man- 

 heim, Pa. 



The Wild Flower Preservation 



Society. 



A most enjoyable lecture, on the topic, " Some Wild Flowers in 

 Need of Preservation," by Dr. N. L. Britton, Director-in-chief of the 

 New York Botanical Garden, was delivered in the lecture hall of the U. 

 S. National Museum at Washington, on the afternoon of May 22d. The 

 audience, consisting of about seven hundred people, including many 

 teachers and pupils from the public and private schools, completely 

 filled all the available space, and many people were turned away at the 

 doors. Dr. Britton's lecture took the form of a running commentary 

 on the beautiful colored lantern slides, the joint work of Mr. and Mrs. 

 Cornelius Van Brunt, which were arranged in chronological order, illus- 

 trating first the flowers of earliest spring, and so on through those of 

 summer and autumn. It was explained how easily many plants that 

 appear common, like the dogwood, may be plucked in such quantities 

 that the vitality of the shrub is destroyed, and gradual extermination in 

 the vicinity of the larger cities is the result. 



The action of the Board of Managers in admitting to charter mem- 

 bership all who enrolled on or before May 22, caused many persons in 

 the audience to avail themselves of the pri\dlege after the lecture, and the 

 membership in the National Capital is now most encouraging. Chap- 

 ters are to be formed at once in the larger cities and towns throughout 

 the country, and every one interested in helping on this work is invited 

 to correspond with the Secretary. We want to establish funds for 

 several distinct lines of activity ; first, the printing and distribution of 

 essays and other reading matter for the use of schools particularly ; the 



