86 NATURE STUDY. 



An Aristocratic Family. V. 



BY FREDERICK W. BATCHELDrR. 



In the last article I suggested that a species of the true 

 Orchis, O . spectabilis, might possibly be a resident of the 

 Merrimack basin. Since that was written I have been in- 

 formed on good authority that the species has been found 

 in Holderness. Having as yet no specimen as a voucher. 

 I am not prepared to claim it as a resident even of the val- 

 ley of the Pemigewasset river, which is a tributary of the 

 Merrimack. 



As one mission of Nature Study is to elicit and diffuse 

 information concerning our native flora, I take this oppor- 

 tunity to ask any persons who may know that the above- 

 named species has been found in New Hampshire east of 

 the Connecticut valley to communicate with the editors, 

 and, if possible, furnish specimens, with notes of date of 

 collection, locality, the collector's name, and such other 

 facts as may be of interest. Notes unaccompanied hy 

 specimens as vouchers are of very little use for scientific 

 purposes. In this matter botanists have the advantage of 

 ornithologists. A rare plant may be taken without dog 

 or gun, and, at present, without transgressing any statutes 

 except, possibly, those enacted for the protection of pri- 

 vate property. 



Continuing the July list of orchids in flower, I come 

 next to two species of Habenaria which are quite different 

 in habit from the rest of the genus. The most of these 

 have a leafy stem. The two under consideration have 

 only two root-leaves, which are large and nearly round, 

 and a scape which bears a spike-like raceme of flowers. 

 In M. oj'biculata the flowers are greenish white and have 

 rather long, spreading pedicels ; in H. Hookeriana they 

 are yellowish green and have shorter, erect pedicels. The 



