2l6 



THE MUSEUM. 



the open ground; and it is desirable 

 from the horticultural as well as the 

 botanical point of view that they should 

 be studied under the most favorable 

 conditions. These can only be found 

 when all the forms of the genus plant- 

 ed side by side in some favorable re- 

 gion carefully selected for the purpose 

 are studied by a competent botanist in 

 all their stages of development. This 

 is the only way the limits of the spe- 

 cies can be determined and their S3'n- 

 onymy satisfactorily settled. The as- 

 tronomical observatories of some of 

 our universities establish posts of ob- 

 servation in remote countries in order 

 to study certain phenomena of the 

 heavens under the best possible condi- 

 tions, and the great scientiiic gardens 

 of the world might in the same way in- 

 crease their usefulness by establishing 

 in regions of peculiar climates, collec- 

 tions of certain groups of plants which 

 cannot be studied in herbaria, or un- 

 der the artificial conditions afforded by 

 the glass-houses. For example, all 

 the Agaves, Dasylirions, Beaucarnias, 

 Yuccas, Nolinas and Cacti would 

 grow to perfection in a garden in south- 

 ern New Mexico or Arizona, and in 

 such a garden a good botanist would 

 be able to learn, in the course of a few 

 years, more about these plants than 

 has ever been learned before. Agaves 

 will never be known until this method 

 is adopted, and Cacti certainly will 

 not, for a Cactus in a pot rarely fruits, 

 and often changes its appearance to a 

 degree that makes it unrecognizable. 

 For the satisfactory elucidation, 

 therefore, of the flora of northern Mex- 

 ico and the adjacent parts of the 

 United States, where such plants are 

 the conspicuous and most interesting 

 features of the vegetation, a well- 



equipped local station is essential, and 

 we hope some day to see this plan put 

 into operation. In the mean time, la- 

 bor expended in herbaria on the study 

 of the plants we have mentioned is 

 practically thrown away, as it can only 

 be partial and never final. 



There aije not many species of Agave 

 that grow spontaneously in the terri- 

 tory of the United States, but some of 

 these are very beautiful. 



The Agave Huachucensis one of the 

 handsomest of the family grows 

 in large masses, usually along 

 the upper edge of the mesa and below 

 the forests of Live Oaks which clothe 

 the lower slopes of the mountains. 



It resembles, however, in many 

 respects the Agave applanata of Le- 

 maire, and is not readily separable 

 from Engelmann's Agave Parrii, which, 

 in its young state at least, is not always 

 distinguishable from the Agave Palmeri 

 of the same author, or from a species 

 of western Texas into which, perhaps, 

 this plant also ranges. The 'name, 

 however is not important for our pur- 

 pose, which is to call attention to a 

 very beautiful plant which seems to be 

 still little known in cultivation. — (har- 

 den and Forest. 



Collecting Carolina Paroquet. 



C oni/rus carolijioisis. 



During my recent trip to Florida I 

 had been told numerous tales of Paro- 

 quets, which failed to materialize on in- 

 vestigation, so I had become quite 

 skeptical when told of localities where 

 they were sure to be found. 



While preparing to return home, I 

 made the acquaintance of an old trap- 

 per, a man perfectly familiar with the 

 country and having a general knowledge 

 of its birds and mammals. Of course 



