240 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [June 



great lustre and strength, and pronounced superior to Japanese and 

 all other silks, except the best Chinese, by competent judges. 



The silk is unwound by a simple process perfected by Mr. Trou- 

 velot, each cocoon yielding about 1500 yards. This insect is very 

 hardy, being found throughout the Northern States and Canada ; 

 and, as it feeds upon the leaves of oak, maple, willow, and other 

 common forest trees, may be reared easily in any part of the coun- 

 try. 



Mr. Trouvelot has gradually increased his stock from year to 

 year, by raising young from the eggs of the few individuals first 

 captured, until he has at present seven waggon-loads of cocoons, the 

 entire progeny of which he proposes to raise during the corning 

 season. 



The thanks of the country are due to the ingenious and perse- 

 vering author of this successful attempt to introduce a new and 

 interesting field for industry and enterprise, which cannot fail to 

 be a source of profit to these who intelligently engage in it, and of 

 increased wealth and prosperity to the people, should it be devel- 

 oped to the extent that now seems possible. 



The first public notice of his experiments with this insect was 

 given by Mr. Trouvelot at a meeting of the Institute of Techno- 

 logy, at Boston, about a year ago, when he exhibited specimens of 

 silk manufactured from it, both natural-colored and dyed. — 

 A. E. V. in SilUman's Journal. 



Botanical Notes. — A&pidium fragrans Swartz. Our corre- 

 spondent, Dr. Thomas, has had the good fortune to find this rare 

 fern at Riviere-du-Loup (en bas) ; its only other Canadian loca- 

 lity certainly known to me is " East shore of Lake Superior in 

 rocky open woods," where it was found by Mr. Barnston in 1859. 

 Asplenium viride Hudson, has also been found by Dr. Thomas at 

 the same place; the provincial range of this fern would thus 

 appear to be from Canada East and New Brunswick (Mr. 

 Matthew) to Newfoundland, 



Our correspondent, Mr. Macoun, has found Myosurus minimus 

 Linn., near Belleville— a very interesting discovery : he also an- 

 nounces Potamogeton abrutus Wood, and Cardamine hirsuta var^ 

 Virginica as natives of that neighborhood. W. 



Published, Montreal, June 16, 1865. 



