317 



lied oaks, — Leaves mostly with deep-spreading lobes, bristle-pointed or shar^). 



10. Spanish oak — Quercus falcata, Micbaux. — This is a large tree, 

 having a pretty wide range from New Jersey southward and westward, 

 being most abundant probably south of the Ohio Eiver. The leaves are 

 usually long-stalked, large, and of peculiar shape, having on each side 

 one or two long, narrow, somewhat hooked or sickle-shaped lobes, the 

 point of the leaf generally- with several long pointed teeth. The bark 

 is said to be excellent for tanning The acorns are small, roundish, and 

 in shallow cups. 



17. Eed oak — Quercus ruhra, L. — The oaks of this division are much 

 confused by common observers, and are indiscriminately called black 

 oaks or red oaks. It is desirable, if possible, to have each common name 

 specially applicable to one species. This will be done only as the result 

 of closer discrimination of the different species. The red oak of the bota- 

 nist {Q. rubra) is one of the largest of the family. Very large trees of 

 this kind may often be found in bottom lands, having a trunk three feet 

 or more in diameter and without branches to the height of 20 or 30 

 feet. The bark on large trees is very thick and deeply checked, aud is 

 valuable for tanning. The wood is coarse aud poor. The leaves are 

 usually large, with about four lobes on each side, which point forward 

 <iuite uniformly toward the apex. The acorns are much larger than in. 

 any other oak of this division, and are quite constant in shape and size. 

 The cup is always shallow, and about as wide as the acorn is long. The 

 species is found over nearly the whole of Eastern North America. 



18. Scarlet oaks — Quercus coccinea, Wang. — This species is probably 

 more variable in leaf and fruit thau any other of our oaks. It includes 

 several varieties which some botanists consider distinct species. Its 

 range is as wide as that of the preceding, and it is much more abun- 

 dant. The leaves are usually more deeply cut, with more side lobes, 

 the acorns smaller, and the cup smaller and deeper. 



19. Pin oak — Quercus palustrls, Du Roi. — The pin-oak has a wide 

 geographical range, but is abundant only in certain localities. It is 

 found in low and swampy ground, and in general appearance much re- 

 sembles the scarlet oak. The leaves are shorter and more deeply di- 

 vided, with only about three lobes on each side. The acorns are small 

 aud roundish, about half an inch long, and the cup very shallow. It 

 extends, according to Dr. Cooi^er, from Massachusetts to the mountains 

 of Georgia, and from Missouri to Texas. 



20. Turkey oak — Quercus Cateshwi, Michaux. — This is a small tree oc- 

 curring in dry pine barrens in North Carolina aud southward to Florida. 



21. Greorgia oak — Quercus Georgiana, Curtis. — This is a shrub, grow- 

 ing G to 8 feet high, which seems to have been observed only on Stone 

 Mountain, Georgia. It produces an abundance of .small acorns. 



Several of the above-named species present well-marked varieties, 

 and there are also a number of somewhat local forms which are consid- 

 ered to be hybrids. The best time to study the oak is about the time of 

 the maturing of the fruit, when fully developed leaves and well-formed 

 fruit may beobtaiued from the same tree, and specimens of both should 

 be collected for identification. 



MICROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION. 



By Thomas Taylor, Microscopist. 



Fiji Island Cotton. — When water is poured from a pitcher it 

 ..generally partakes of a spiral motion, sometimes from left to right, at 



