﻿Hill : Vitis labri sca and its westward Distribution 343 



drils." * Since Dr. Engelmann was a very careful student of this 

 genus, the question may be legitimately asked whether the deter- 

 minations of the western forms were in all cases correct, and a 

 careful inquiry should be made in those regions where it is said to 

 occur. It is easy to confound V. aestivalis with V. Labrusca in 

 the dune region if one were to base the determination on som< 

 forms of the leaves of the former species But the arrangement 

 of the tendrils and especially the fruit clearly distinguish the two. 

 I was greatly surprised that it had been overlooked so long in a 

 region which is often visited by collectors, and was at first inclined to 

 regard the vines as escaped from cultivation. But they were found 

 in several localities, covering quite an area in one place, with vines 

 running up on the trees thirty feet or more. But the fruit con- 

 formed in all respects to the wild type, and it would be necessary 

 to assume a complete reversion to the wild state to explain their 

 presence in the Lake region by this hypothesis. They were met 

 with both in the dryer sands and damp thickets, the latter takin 



the greater number, seen. As the sands are siliceous the two hab- 

 itat 



a 



•s agree very well with those given by Dr. Kngelmann. The 

 fruiting vines were relatively few. The berries were large, even 

 larger than the average Concord grape of the market. Some 

 were slightly depressed-globose, others a little elongated or plum- 

 shaped. They varied in color from black to vinous purple, 

 were without bloom, and though of good flavor and quite pala- 

 table they had the tough skin and pulp and the large seeds of the 

 Wild form. Some were sent to Prof. L. H. Bailey, who expressed 

 surprise that they were found in this locality. 



* Ball. Torr. Bot. Club, 6 : 234. 1878. 



