98 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [March 



thought best not to tax too highly the patience of the cook ; and 

 BO with the distribution of dried specimens of the fairj-ring 

 Champignon to all who wished it, the feast of Agarics was over 

 for the day. This excellent Agaric will keep well, when threaded 

 on string and dried and kept dry, through the winter, readily 

 imparting its flavour to soups or made dishes as required. — 

 Condensed from the Journal of Botany. 



Mimicry in Nature. — The few remarks on so-called 

 "Mimicry in Nature," which I introduced in my new work 

 on Central America, particularly relate to the predominance 

 of the Willow form on river-banks. It is almost unnecessary 

 to say that in the work from which the extract is taken it 

 was undesirable to insert more than a few names in support 

 of my observations, but it might not be diflacult to show that 

 most plants bearing leaves of a true Willow form do grow 

 by running streams. To say nothing of those species of Salix 

 having Willow leaves (or those Salices not having Willow leaves, 

 and not growing by running streams, as S. herbacea, etc.), I 

 would remind you of the different species of Nerium (Oleander), 

 our Epilohium angustifoUum (yulgo, Willow herb), Lytlirum 

 Salicaria, etc. That some plants are found by rivers which do 

 not have Willow leaves (as pointed out) has, in my opinion, 

 nothing to do with the question, how it comes to pass that the 

 Willow form predominates to so great an extent in such 

 localities. The answer may be very simple, but at present it has 

 not come forth. About the term ' mimicry' there should be a 

 clear understanding. It is, so far, a thoroughly objectionable 

 one, as by employing it either in zoology or botany, the whole 

 question is prejudged ; indeed, it is assumed — 1, That organisms 

 have the power to mimic other organisms; and 2, That they have 

 come in contact with those organisms which they are supposed to 

 mimic. Employ the terms 'outer resemblance' instead of 

 mimicry, and we are on neutral, undisputed ground. The subject 

 of these external resemblances of species and whole genera to 

 others having an entirely different organic structure, is a wide and 

 complicated one ; and I think that the best way to approach it is 

 to go through the whole vegetable kingdom, and take note 

 of every case where the outer features of one species or genus are 

 reflected in any other. Some years ago my late lamented friend. 

 Dr. Schultz-Bipontinus, read a paper on his favourite order, the 



