THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 63 



manuals mention the silvery markings on the halberd - 

 leaved species ? Oris it a local characteristic ? Noticeable 

 in early spring, they become more pronounced as the sea- 

 son advances and in midsummer the leaf is really orna- 

 mental. Tiarella and its near relative, bishop's-cap are, 

 with us, May and June blossoms. Though to the "casual 

 observer the former is more attractive, the fringed petals 

 of the latter are exquisite when viewed through a glass. 

 They are close companions, following the banks of the 

 brooks. The sweet-scented cleavers, "wild sweet clover" 

 the children call it, is now in its prime, filling the woods 

 with perfume. But like many other pleasures, distance 

 lends enchantment to its charms. When plucked there is 

 a rank odor quite unlike that wafted from the dewy leaves 

 undisturbed. 



The gleaming red of the partridge berry meets us at 

 frequent intervals; and soon, as shown by the deep red 

 twin-buds, the white plush florets will fill the air with 

 their arbutus-like fragrance. Did you ever try heating 

 sprays of the leaves and watching them swell out into 

 little inflated puff-balls ? This phenomenon plainly shows 

 the nature of the two leaf layers, the air between them ex- 

 panding. 



The brookside along which all the above flowers were 

 seen in a single day was once the home ol the large yellow 

 and pink Cypripediutns, but flower gatherers and root 

 diggers have nearly exterminated both. While they v^dll 

 live for a few years in cultivation, unnatural conditions as 

 a rule are not conducive to their increase. And like most 

 of our native orchids, their safety from extermination lies 

 in protecting them in their native wilds. If 3'ou know a 

 favored spot for them, keep j^our secret if 3'Ou would keep 

 your treasures. 



Conneant Lake, Pa. 



