Si ANNUAL REPOKT. 



by a furry involucre and blossoms close to the ground, 

 but afterwards grows taller and is surrounded by the leaves 

 which did not at first appear. Soon after, up the 

 sides, we find the Blood-root wrapped in its sheltering leaf, 

 the Hepatica, forcing its delicate tinted blossoms through last 

 year's fallen leaves; Wind-flower, Rue-Anemone, Baueberry, 

 with graceful Columbine and Feathery Meadow-Rue growing 

 about rocks and roots of trees. Quite a rare species of Virgin's- 

 Bower (Clematis verticillaris) climbs over shrubs and small trees, 

 hanging purple bells from their branches. Beautiful pink-tipped 

 Dicentra, white Wake-Robin, which soon changes to rose-color, and 

 Canada Violet are among early flowers. 



Later, Two-leaved Solomon's Seal and Mitrewort send up little 

 white blossoms from their bed of moss. Beneath two soft velvety 

 leaves, the queer red-brown flower of Wild Ginger hangs its head. 

 In moist places are Blue Cohosh, Mandrake, and Wild Sarsaparilla, 

 and here Jack-in-the-Pulpit preaches a silent sermon. Farther up 

 are fern-like sprays of False Solomon's Seal and Bellwort, its droop- 

 ing flower of pale yellow, half hidden by the leaves. In some lit- 

 tle nooks the ground is carpeted with the shining leaves of 

 Wintergreen, one species (Pyrola secunda) with its one-sided 

 racemes, reminding us of the Lily of the Valley. Very common 

 is the Large Yellow Lady's Slipper and Calopogon, sometimes 

 called Grass Pink because of its grass-like leaves. In a few places is 

 the Showy Lady's Slipper, most beautiful of the genus, having two, 

 sometimes three, flowers on a stem. Last of all are Five-flowered 

 and Fringed Gentians which open their blue blossoms late in 

 October; with them is that strange species which always remains 

 closed. 



To ferns and mosses more than to flowers the bluff -sides owe 

 their beauty. Trailing over fallen tree trunks and draping rough 

 rocks with green luxuriance as though nature were trying to cover 

 all unsightly objects with lovely living forms. The little rock-lov- 

 ing brake (Pellseaatropurpurea) with dark green fronds in contrast 

 with the brown stems completely covers the shaded side of rocks. 

 More delicate (Pelltea gracilis) with fronds of lighter green grows on 

 mossy ledges, in the crevices of which Walking Leaf is occasion- 

 ally found. On the ground the long slender fronds of Cystopteris 

 tangle themselves with everything near, and the beautiful Maiden- 

 hair grows in all possible places. Then there are the Shield 

 Ferns and tall Spleen worts, with here and there a Moonwort Fern. 



