52 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



the American Tropics, the rest being found in the warmer 

 parts of the Old World. The only other American species 

 that is at all common is a pinnate plant, H. pinnata, 

 which so closely resembles Gvmnogramma rufa that it is 

 hard to separate them. The star fern is found nearly 

 throughout the West Indies and occurs on the mainland 

 from Mexico to Peru. In Jamaica it is sometimes called 

 strawberry fern, for what reason is not apparent. In no 

 way does it resemble a strawberry unless by a long stretch 

 of the imagination, the leaf maybe said to be like a straw- 

 berry leaf. — Willard N. date in Fern Bulletin. 



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Wanted, — Short notes of interest to the general bot- 

 anist are always in demand for this department. Our 

 readers are invited to make this the place of publication 

 for their botanical items. 



Chemicals from Wood. — Forest Leaves notes that in 

 the making of charcoal the condensible gases from one 

 cord of wood amounts to 224 gallons of liquor. This 

 liquor is known as green liquor or pyroligneous acid. It 

 is largely made up of water but contains also, alcohol, tar, 

 ammonia compounds, acetone (alyl-alcohol, ethers, alde- 

 hydes) and acetic acid. Alcohol, acetic acid and formalde- 

 hyde are the substances usually separated out of the 

 liquor. 



Plants Protected by Law. — Hereafter, according to 

 Gardening, any person in the State of Massachusetts, 

 who cuts down or destroj^s any timber on the land of 

 another or removes therefrom any roots, nuts, berries, 

 grapes, sedge grass, hay, ferns, flowers or shrubs, is liable 

 to a fine of $500 or imprisonment for six months. Such 

 laws are a step in the right direction. Any ambitious 

 plant protection society can do much for the cause by 

 securing the enactment of similar laws in other States. 



