1889.] NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 51 



of suffering among the hay-fever subjects at the retreats we are 

 dealing with. These winds bring up from the valleys of the 

 Saco and the Connecticut the fine plant dust and pollen, chiefly 

 that of the Ragweed. But a fact often overlooked is the acute 

 distress caused to the super-sensitiveness, or so-called hyperces- 

 thesia of the intra-nasal, and respiratory passages, by any kind 

 of dust, even the effluvia of fruit, and the odor of flowers, and 

 domestic animals, especially horses. In some of these mountain 

 retreats so excellently conducted, one sometimes finds a certain 

 aesthetic taste, without the sanitary judgment. Bouquets on the 

 tables and festoons of Lycopodium, however prettily they set off 

 a room, are to the subject of .^^^stivis torture in disguise. 



As affecting Hay-Fever the flora of the White Mountains is 

 less deleterious than that of many other regions. The wet 

 places produce the large Bull-rush, or Cat-tail. Typha latifolia. 

 Ladies will buy these showy objects of the boys to decorate their 

 bed-rooms, thus unconsciously inviting nights of suffering. The 

 most notable native flowers are two Spiraeas, the purple Hard- 

 hack, Spircea tomentosa, and the white Spiraea, ^. salicifolia. The 

 Goldenrod is quite prevalent in a number of species, the com- 

 monest being Solidago altissimum. This fine plant creeps up the 

 mountains, with the Ferns taking possession of any untimbered 

 spot, and also asserting itself on the road-sides, with the showy 

 Aster, A. Nov<z-Anglice. To these we may add the Northern 

 Fire-weed, or Great Willow-herb, Epilobium angusti/olium, and 

 the tall Butter-cup, Ranunculus acris. These, I think, suf- 

 ficiently complete the list for the purpose of our inquiry. They 

 all keep in bloom until the frost arrests them. It is observable 

 that every one of these plants seeks cleared or tilled localities. 

 As yet the Rag-weed, Amb)-osia artemismfolia, is an innovator, 

 being only found at the railroad stations, where it is doing its 

 best to obtain a start. It was supposable that my catch of 

 pollen on the slides would be from these plants, with possibly, 

 when the south-wind prevailed, some from the Ragweed of the 

 valleys south. 



The catch of my aerial traps proved a surprise. Of the 

 nearly fifty slides only two showed any pollen whatever. One 

 contained, with some mineral particles and vegetable fibres, five 

 grains of Aster pollen, and another, with like associations, had 

 three grains of pollen of Spiraea. The slides however were inter- 



