BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 91 



79. Olcrmdra nodosa, Pi"esl. 



80. CiiriLlien: — not identified, and ])Ofisili)y new, 



81. P(diipiidiuiii svvniUitum, Metteiiius. 

 84. Dichnniiiii cicutaria. Swart/.. 



86. Hiimc.iiopbyUarii ciliahim, 8\vai"tz. 



89. Lindscvii atricta, Dryaiider. 



93. Acrosticltitm Jhircidum, Fee. 



9.5. iJiivaUiii Siii:i-(d(nm(, Sproii^el. 



9S. Plit'iiojderiii jldvo-pihiclat'i, Fee, 



lOS. S(d(((jin<:lla. (not recognized.) 



110. Ltndncea tiapezifurmis, Drj'ander, vav, falcdtn, Baker. 



114. Oleandni neriiformis, Cav. 



Leaa^es of Dahlingtonia Califokxica and thkiu two Skchetions. — Tlirougli 

 the kindness of Dr. Gray we are pei'initted to pnhiisii the foliawing interesting 

 comnninication from Mr.<. K. >i. Austin, of Pratteville, Plnnias Co., Cal. 



"Found the sweet secretion, or lure, on all the new leaves of Dirlingtonia 

 having tiie orifices of the hoods open, and captured insects in the liquid at tlie 

 bottom of the tubes. The sweet secretion was confined to the inner and rough 

 portion of the hoods, the rim or fold around the ori'ices, and on the outside of the 

 hoods, corresponding in extent to the rough inner part, on botli sides of the '-fisii- 

 tails," and extending down the wing to whei-e it makes the outward bend. Thi.s 

 bend can be seen in dried sjieciniens. In no instance have I found the lure below 

 this. I was fortunate in finding about a dozen new leaves having the orifices still 

 closed, and the process of secreting the clear liquid going on. I noted carefully 

 the places of secretion and manner, as well as I could. The liquid is poured, or, 

 apparently, oozes out of the lower or halnj part of the tubes, tiie rough part of the, 

 hoods, and whei-e the translucent dots are on the petioles there are minute globules 

 of clear liquid. The little globules are not easily broken up or separated, but 

 when I would touch them with the point of a pin or a pine leaf, would roll down 

 over the velvety part of the tube, as little globules of mercury do on glass. I tried 

 holding the tubes horizoutally, and touching tiiem. In this position the drops 

 would move about and not be broken up. 1 then rubbed my fingers ligiitlv over 

 the velvety portions of the tubes, thereby removing the fine Ijloom that covers 

 this portion of the tubes. Now, when I would touch the little diops with my pin 

 they would be broken up and wet the suiface. The velvety part of the tubes :ire 

 always dry and clean, in new and old leaves. 



I did not find any of the white larvjo in the leaves having closed oiificcs, 

 but there were many in the new leaves having the orifices open, and also in the 

 old leaves of last year. iMany of the old leaves were pretty well smeared with the 

 lure, which must have been secreted this season, as it could not have remained 

 upon them during the heavy rain and snow storms of last winter." 



The Big Tkees, by J. G. Lemmon [Concluded from Oct. 'So.].—Lcriji(han, another 

 prostrate monster, is about the same size, being 270 feet long, and 14 in diameter, 

 but his bodv is not cut across or so broken as to reveal liis rings. 



The Father of the. Forest. — Armed with the rule, derived as above stated, on the 

 third day I approached the shattered trunk of this famous tree, fabled to have 

 sprung from the earth soon aftei- the deluge of Noah, over 4,000 years ago. 



This huge patriarch has been shamefully overiated every way — his size given 

 at 40 feet in diameter and his length at 4.50 feet. Exact measurement shows the 

 diameter as only 18 feet at a distance of six feet from his roots, and his length 

 about 300 feet. His trunk is broken or burned out in places, thus exposing cross 

 sections where the rings of annual growth may be examined. \Vith a hatchet and 



