8 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



parent tree in this way and so too with 

 myriads of other seeds. 



An examination of the mud sticking to 

 the feet of birds will frequently discover 

 seeds which have been thus picked up and 

 would without doubt be deposited in more 

 or less distant situations. 



My attention was drawn some time ago 

 to four curved lines running across a bare 

 spot — in fact a tennis court. They were 

 readily observable because of their green 

 appearance which was due to large num- 

 bers of seedlings of grass and other plants 

 growing along them. The curves were 

 continuous and even and on clossr ex- 

 amination showed that they were wagon 

 tracks. The tires and felloes of the 

 wheels, while the wagon was being driven 

 through the wet grass, had picked up 

 numerous seeds and these, deposited in 

 the soil of the tennis court, had germinated 

 along the tracks. 



These few examples have been given to 

 stimulate if possible the habit of observing 

 such facts, Those interested in birds 

 would find many opportunities to collect 

 data on the subject of seed dispersal. 

 FRANCIS E. LLOYD. 

 Professor of Biology. 



Forest Grove, Or. 



AN INTERESTING MEDAL 



For'the benefit of such readers as m iy 

 be interested in numismatics, I present 

 herewith a sketch of a medal now in my 

 possession, which has been in possc^sson 

 of members of my family for several gener- 

 ations. The medal was cast in commem- 

 oration of the burning at the stake of John 

 Huss, who was burned for heresy by the 

 Catholics in the town of Constance, in 

 Bohemia, in 1415. 



Huss was born about i ^69 at Hdssin.^cz, 

 not far from the B ;ranai frontier. His 



parents were without wealth or position. 



His pious mother thought only of educa- 

 ting her son. After great sacrifices and 

 by prodigious industry the young man 

 was graduated from the University of 

 Prague and ordained to the ministry at the 

 are of 30. .He was elected rector of the 

 University at Prague and confessor to the 

 queen. 



Meeting with the writing of Wyckliffe, 

 he was deeply stirred against the errors of 

 his time. But he was concerned more with 

 the practice than with dogma. He dwelt 

 with great force upon the claims ^of this 

 life, and urged more complete imitation of 

 Christ and his apostles. Huss was a 

 preacher of righteousness in daily life. 



He dwelt upon practice and upon the 

 conduct of life. The weight of his rebuke 

 fell whenever he thought men ought to 

 mend their ways. This earnestness 

 brought him into conflict with some of the 

 more selfish spirits of his time. He was 

 denounced as a heretic. But from his im- 

 passioned plea for right living he had noth- 

 ing to retract. His position was misunder- 

 stood or his zeal was dreaded, until at last 

 he was summoned to the Council of 

 Prague; unfairly tried, degraded of his 

 priestly office and sentenced to be burned. 



He was gentle and forgiviug to the last 

 and prayed for the forgivness of his ene- 

 mies. 



The medal is of silver, and was cast in 

 a mold. The inscription is Latin, and in 

 high relief, as are also the bush and figure 

 on the reserve. Surrounding the bust] is 

 the inscription, ECCLESIAM SANCTAM 

 CATOLICAM CREDO VNAM ESSE, and 

 separated by the bust the name lOA HVS 

 The reverse side reads, in the inner circle: 

 NATO 1415 iO HVS ANNO A CHRISTO, 

 while twice divided by the figure are the 

 words, CON-DEM NA-TVR. 



The outer circle reads: CENTVM 

 REVOLVTIS ANNIS DEO RESPVNDEDITIS 



