THE?PLANT, WORLD. 



« 



elor's button {Polygala lutea?) Avonld flash out from the damp sand. 

 In similar situations the two woolly comrades, Lojyhlola Americaiui 

 and the Redroot^(Z«cA??«/?i^A<^« tinctoria) were often noted. Lophiola 

 was just coming into bloom, and the flecks of orange and red amid the 

 white flannel-like buds were singularly beautiful. The coloring of 

 these blossoms, indeed, is very rich. The anthers are orange, and 

 each reddish brown sepaliis exquisitely crested with lines of tufted yel- 

 low wool. When fully out, the sepals are reflexed, and look like tiny 

 cushions of golden down, stuck with orange-headed pins. 



The curious little fern Schhmi j>'(-'^'f^" was found in two localities, 

 but was too young to be observed to best advantage. Its graceful 

 boon companion, Lycopodivm Carolhiianvni, was also collected. At 

 Quaker Bridge, the southern laurel-leaved smilax grew, with smooth, 

 leathery leaves delightful to the touch. Two interesting plants of the 

 dry sand were the milk pea {Galactia glahelhi), whose vines creep close 

 to the ground and bear beautiful, reddish pealike blossoms, and the 

 sand wcrt [Arenaria OaroUnia7ia) growing in mats as big as one's hat 

 from one root that strikes straight down a foot or two into the pure 

 sand. In the stream at Quaker liridge, we noted a little island of 

 bloom displaying the national colors; there was red furnished by the 

 meadow beauty [Rhexia Virginica), white by the lance-leaved sabbatia 

 and blue by the massed spires of the pickerel weed. Two days before 

 had been the Fourth of July, and it was as though nature had remem- 

 bered the day ofl" there in the wilderness, with a little special decora- 

 tion. 



OBSERVATIONS ON A WOODLAND FIRE. 

 By Wm. T. Davis. 



The fall of 1892 was very dry, and a piece of woodland near 

 Oakwood, Staten Island, N. Y., was burned over. Some of the 

 swamps included in the area continued to burn for about two months 

 in spite of several rains. To walk in one of the burnt swamps after 

 the fire was out, was like tramping in the snow; the ashes were ankle 

 deep and soft and fine. Many red maples two feet in diameter had 

 fallen. There were also a few trees of other kinds. Their roots had 

 been burned and a strong north wind, that came later, had blown them 

 down. 



Some of the most interesting facts connected with the above men- 



