158 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



Say what you will about the old myths and fairy tales, 

 they pale into insignificance alongside of the modern myths 

 invented by the inspired but ignorant reporter. Here is a new 

 one about the ''Angry Tree" which one of our readers sends 

 us. It seems to be built up on the reputation of the sensitive 

 plant, except that the new myth concerns a much more sensitive 

 and ill-tempered species than ever occurried in Nature. "Did 

 you know that a tree can get angry ? There is a kind of acacia 

 in Nevada that not only is ''touchy," but, as the gardener puts 

 it, "goes very mad." It is about eight feet high, and is a very 

 rapid grower. When the sun sets it is ready to go to sleep, 

 shuts its leaves together and coils up its twigs just like a pig- 

 tail. If anyone pulls that tail — well, the tree doesn't squeal, 

 but it flutters and moves uneasily, and seems to be deeply 

 agitated. If it is ever disturbed by a shock, such as transplant- 

 ing, the leaves stand out in all directions and quiver violently. 

 Strangest of all, they send out a pungent, nauseating odor, that 

 is most unpleasant. It takes this bad-tempered tree an hour or 

 two to get back into good humor." Isn't it shocking that trees 

 in the uncivilized parts of the earth are just as wild as the other 

 denizens of the region? 



BOOKS AND WRITERS 



The title of Maud Going's new book "Our Field and 

 Forest Trees" exactly describes the contents, but no one need 

 expect to find between its covers an account of the botanical 

 characters of our native trees. There is not even a list of trees 

 in the book, nor a scientific name, and yet it very entertain- 

 ingly says all that may be readily said about trees as living 

 things, A good many authors seem to think that the really 

 significant facts about a tree are embraced in the scientific- 

 descriptions when, as a matter of fact, the technical stuff in 



