Conopholis antericana, 7 
lis. Ut has also the two bracts. According to Chatin, there 
is a close correspondence in the peculiar histological charac- 
teristics of the two genera. He figures for both the same 
arrangement of bundles, and the same kinds and distribution 
of parenchyma. 
This seems to indicate that these two genera certainly, 
and possibly Afphyllon also, might be better included as 
species of a single genus. Unfortunately, as I shall show 
later, no reliance can be placed on Chatin’s work. 
Vio Tue Hose Piast 
The host of C. americana is given by Gray as the oak. 
Dr. Thomas Porter gives the same observation, as do the fol- 
lowing: P. H. Rolfs, L. C. Corbett and W. W. Ashe. Mr. 
Albert Norris reports to have seen it in two cases under maple 
trees, and Rolfs reports it under oaks and beeches. In all 
cases, where the parasite has been traced to its attachment, it 
has been invariably found to be parasitic on the oak. It is, 
however, frequently quite a distance from the trunk of its 
host, which may account for its being found under other 
trees. There is no positive evidence in favor of any other 
than an oak attachment. 
VI. DurRaTION oF LIFE. 
The flowering shoots are undoubtedly of annual develop- 
ment, probably from buds formed the previous year in tuber- 
cles whose length of life must depend upon the capacity of 
the host to feed the parasite. 
It was impossible to determine accurately the age of the 
tubercle. The relationship between its size and the age of 
the oak root was the only clue that I could get of the age of 
the parasite. Tubercles half an inch in diameter, with small 
buds which had apparently just pierced the cortex, were found 
on roots three and four years old. The oak root, whose 
photograph is shown in Plates I and II, is fully eleven years 
