BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 349 



bicolor. I have observed, however, that there is no certain rule 

 by which the different species of the white, oak section may be 

 "invariably distinguished from one another. It is true that each 

 has a more or less characteristic bark in a majority of cases, but 

 individuals of each, perfectly typical so far as fruit and foliage 

 are concerned, are not unfrequently met with, which, if the bark 

 were the only guide, would be unhesitatingly referred to one or 

 another of the other species. 



Page 83. Quercus palustris. According to Dr. Schneck 

 (Botanical Gazette, June, 1883, pp. 242-3), there exists, 

 "within three miles of Mount Carmel," a tree of this species 

 u which commences with two roots," but so close together at the 

 surface of the ground as to appear as one. " The two bodies, 

 however, start separately and are several inches apart for nearly 

 10 feet, when they unite and form a single trunk, making in all 

 a tree nearly 70 feet high. The two trunks, where they are 

 separate, are about 6 inches in diameter, round, straight, and 

 appear to be solid and perfect." 



Page 83. Quercus rubra. The largest red oak in North 

 America is said to be in Louisiana, 1 8 miles from Natchitoches, 

 on the road to Opelousas. It stands in the midst of a rich bot- 

 tom, on the Bayou St. Barb. Two feet from the ground its cir- 

 cumference is 41 feet, and at six feet it is 32 feet around. The 

 trunk is perfectly sound and 50 to 60 feet to the first limb. (I un- 

 fortunately neglected to record the reference to the above infor- 

 mation). 



What Bartram, in his " Travels through North and South 

 Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida," etc. (1791), mentions 

 under the name "Quercus tinctoria" seems to be this species, 

 rather than the black oak. His remarks are as follows : " To 

 keep within the bounds of truth and reality in describing the 

 magnitude and grandeur of these trees, would, I fear, fail of cred- 

 ibility, yet I think I can assert that many of the black oaks meas- 

 ured 8, 9, 10 and 11 feet in diameter, 5 feet above the ground, 

 as we measured several that were above 30 feet girt, and from 

 hence they ascend perfectly straight, with a slight taper, 40 or 50 

 feet to the limbs, but below five or six feet these trunks would 

 measure a third more in circumference, on account of the pro- 

 jecting jambs or supports." 



Page 83. Quercus phellos. In Professor Worthen's " Geology 

 of Illinois," vol. I, p. 433, I read as follows: "North of Brook- 

 lyn, Schuyler county, 1 observed numerous willow oaks (Q. 

 phellos), a tree which I have seen nowhere else in Illinois. Part 

 of these woods are open, free of undergrowth, and the ground 



