A SUMMER DRIVE IN THE LAKE COUNTRY. 221 



he made known his poAver of usefulness to the Indians, 

 who immediately turned his services to account. They 

 compelled him to carry this immense stone far back into 

 the deep woods, and under guard, in a rude cabin, to 

 use it as an anvil. Here for many months he ham- 

 mered out rude implements for his wily captors. He 

 finally escaped and made his way back to his friends, 

 but so emaciated with hard work and poor fare that he 

 was not at first recognized by his friends. 



Mrs. McNair is an enthusiastic and practical bot- 

 anist, and is the local correspondent for various botan- 

 ical clubs in the State. Under her guidance we have 

 ransacked miles of woods, fields, and ravines in quest 

 of rare plants and flowers. 



The flora of Mount Morris and vicinity is one of the 

 richest in the State. The showy orange-colored flower, 

 butterfly weed {Asclejnas tuberosct\ grows here in great 

 abundance. Also that rare and interesting plant Pin- 

 guicula vulgaris. On Murray Hill opposite, the high 

 banks, we find the grass of Parnassus {Parnassia Ccvr- 

 oliniancb)^ and near by are broad patches of the delicate 

 starry catchfly {Sllene stellata) adorning this notable 

 hillside. In the vicinity we find the following, some of 

 them common, many of them rare : Sickle-pod { Ar- 

 abia Canadensis)^ greenbriar {Smilax hisjnda)^ celan- 

 dine {Chelidoniumniajus)^ henbane [HyosGyamiis niger), 

 dogbane {Apocynum cannaMmim), horse balm {Collin- 

 sonia Canadensis), bell wort {Campamda rotundifolia), 

 monkey flower [Mirnulus ringens), skullcap {Scutel- 

 laria lateriflora), and that elegant milkweed {Asdejpias 



