THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 167 



stance, Ancmo-nc in Latin becomes aneni-une in l"*nj^lish. 

 Puslisia (Fevvksia) in Latin becomes fushia in Eng-lisb. The 

 ^reat common peoi)le have their rigiits." 



MoRK Common Namics. — There can be Httle doubt that 

 common names are constantly in the making. Aside from the 

 "b'nghsb"' names which are usuaHy mere translations of the 

 technical terms, new names are frecjuently made for no other 

 reason than that the maker calls the plants by the most sig- 

 nificant title he can think of. iVmong such are "feather- 

 plant" applied to l\Iui< C()fiiwidcs which is otherwise com- 

 monly known as "smoke-[)lant." The pond lily or spatter- 

 dock (Xyiiif^liara adzrna) in Northern Pennsylvania is oc- 

 casionally known as "yellow lanterns." Eurphorbia hctcro- 

 I'hylla usually known as "painted leaf" is also called "Mexi- 

 can h^ire IMant." "fire-on-the-mountain" and "hypocrite- 

 ])lant." "A correspondent in New ^'ork asks for the identity 

 of "Helen-by-the-walk." This may be a variant of "lady-by- 

 t he-gate" in which case it is Saponaria officinalis. If this 

 is not the correct identification, we should be glad to be cor- 

 rected. 



Thk Mousk Plague. — After tlie insects, the mice are 

 [irobably the most destructive animals with which the garden- 

 er has to reckon. Though small they are far from insig- 

 nificant. The meadow mouse, especially, does an immense 

 amount of damage annually, eating the bark from newly 

 planted trees and shrubs, destroying whole fields of clover 

 and alfalfa and taking heavy toll from nearly every other 

 farm and garden crop. Although it is preyed upon by coy- 

 otes, wildcats, badgers, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, ravens, 

 crows, magpies, shrikes and even gulls and herons, its re- 

 markable fertility enables it to keep its ranks full with S(jme 

 to spare and a mou>e plague, such has fre(|uently devastated 

 parts of the West seems ever just around the corner. Ac- 



