BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 102 



same number found in the Indiana flora, and arranging as before in 

 the order of importance, the result is as follows . 



1). V. Iiuh ■ 



1. Carex 1. Carex 



2. Aster 3. Solidago 

 ;5. Panicum >>. Aster 



4. Solidago 4. Polygonum 



.'). Quercus "). Viola 



(j. Polygonum 0. Quercus 



7. Desmodium 7. Desmodium 



8. Salix 8. Heliaotlins 



9. Juncus 9. Salix 



10. Viola 10. Juncus 



11. Cyperus 11. Panicum 



12. Ranunculus 12. Ranunculus 

 1-5. Eupatorium l-). Euphorl)ia 



14. Heliantlius 14. Cyperus and Potamogeton 



l--). Asclepias 15. Galium and Scirpus 



It will be noted that in the second list Eupatorium drops out, appear 

 ing in the Indiana flora as No. 25 ; Asclepias also drops out, being No. 

 20; Panicum drops from 3 to ti, and F/<r?/a rises from 9 to 5. It 

 would seem that Panicum is the characteristic genus of the vicinity of 

 Washington, while no single genus can be so ranked in the flora ot In- 

 diana, Hdianthus, Etiphorbia, Viola and several others being equally 

 characteristic. — J. M. C. 



Beginning" Botjiny. — 1 want to tell you a little about my mode 

 of teaching botany to beginners. Before long I will send you a copy 

 of a lecture on this subject. 



I set a student on the very start to studying some natural object, 

 as a plant, a seed, a flower, a vme. He is asked to state to the class 

 on the following day what he has discovered. One of the first points 

 is to teach him to see and to become reliable and independent. To 

 acquire this habit he is set to looking. To help him he is often asked 

 to c 'mpare two branches of different trees, or two flowers of different 

 species or genera, or two seeds or t"ruits. 



I require students to write out more or less their observations. 

 For this work credit is given, as well as for class recitations. This is 

 not only done in the botany class, but our Professor of the English 

 language, finds such topics among the best he can select for the prac- 

 ticeof young students. Many of the essays required are accompanied by 

 drawings which help to explain certnin points. As an example of this 

 work, I send a short paper prepared by a member of the Freshman class. 

 It must be remembered that he is a beginner ; that he used no books, 

 Init went to the plants to get his facts. He had been studying plants 

 for a few weeks. He had been referred to an elementary book for some 

 names. He had received some hints on some points from his teacher 

 while in the class room. Of course, he picked up more or less from 

 his classmates during recitations, in which they spoke of kindred 

 topics : 



TiiK Fkktimzation of tuk Tuumi'KT-Crkeper, by GEOKfiK Sprang. — 

 Til lliebud tlie calyx of ilH-Trumpct-Creeper isvalvate and encloses the other 



