THE PLANT WORLD. 15 



In reply to Mr. Pollard's query in reference to the Hndinir of 

 A(ju!(<(//a ('(UKiihiist's in moist meadows in Central New York, I would 

 say that so far as the main valley of the Susquehanna in Southern 

 New York is concerned, this seems to be the })lant's usual habitat. It 

 may be occasionally found on our ledjjes of shale rock, but <renerally 

 it grows in low meadows, often so aljundantly that it api)ears like a 

 tire in the grass. — Willakd N. Clute. 



The llofaii'n-dJ <i({:ittfi' for October contains a brief account tjf the 

 ancient Botanical Garden of the University of Padua, Italy, which was 

 instituted by the Venetiaji Senate in a decree of June 21>, L545. 

 Among the classic })lants now living in the garden may be mentioned a 

 fine [)alm tree about 30 feet in height, ('hamwi'opx JnuiitJlx nrJntreHtu vx^ 

 which was planted about L585, and which was visited by Goethe on 

 September 27 1796, whence it is known as Goeth</^ -s pal lu tret! There 

 is also a plant of Tucomo <fran(lif*n'a admired by Goethe for its beau- 

 tiful tloweriuir, and a specimen of Vitix A(/fi)t.s-c(/sf>/s about 345 years 

 old. 



Mr. A. C. Seward of Cambridge University, England, has re- 

 cently published [Philosophical 'J'ransactions, vol. 191 1, a valuable paper 

 ''On the Structure and affinities of Matonia pectinata''\ This is a 

 very rare fern, found only on Mount Ophir, near Malacca, in the 

 Malay Peninsula, and bears large spreading palmate fronds on slender 

 stems, 6 or 8 feet high. Matonia has usually been placed among the 

 C'yathHice<.c:^ but Seward finds abundant reasons for regarding it as 

 forming a different subdivision — the M<ii<niin\ Ferns of this type were 

 abundant in Europe during the Jurassie and Cretaceous epochs, and 

 this is the last living representative, which lingers in this out-of-the- 

 way place. 



Mr. M. W. Gorman, of Portland, Oregon, who has traveled and 

 botanized in Alaska for many years, left Fort Selkirk last July with a 

 l)arty of four on an expedition across country to the upper waters of 

 White River. In the latter part of August, Mr. Gorman, in attempt- 

 ing to descend the White River to the Y'ukon on a raft with an ill com- 

 panion, was wrecked at the confluence of the two streams, on Septem- 

 ber 1, Mr. Gorman's companion was drowned, but he, after being in the 

 water for four and one-half hours, was opportunely rescued by some pass- 

 ing hunters. His provisions had previously became exhausted, and 



