280 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



F. — The propagation of mould is one of the most curious 

 subjects in vegetable physiology. The seeds or germs of the 

 future plants are supposed to be continually floating in the 

 atmosphere, and do not spring up till a suitable degree of 

 heat and moisture developes their vegetative power. 



C. — The Puff-balls, so common in our pastures, are sin- 

 gular things. 



F. — They do not look much like plants, either when 

 the inside is a soft green mud, or when it is become ripe, 

 and resembles a lump of fine sponge, dipped in a box of 

 impalpable snuff. If these atoms of dust be the seeds of 

 the plant, as is supposed, it is surprising to me that the 

 land does not become completely covered with them, instead 

 of being scattered, as they are, here and there, half a dozen 

 on an acre. 



C. — Are they considered pernicious by agriculturists ? or 

 is any effort ever made to check their increase ? 



F. — Not that I am aware of; our farmers here do not 

 think them injurious, except inasmuch as they are useless 

 encumbrances, and draw nourishment from the soil : the 

 evil is not of sufficient extent to alarm the farmer's fears. 

 I believe their presence is considered, with what truth I know 

 not, an indication of land whose fertility has been exhaust- 

 ed, as they do nof infest the soil when in a high state of 

 cultivation. 



C — Here are two curious insects, with the fore wings 

 black, with two orange bands, and very thick pectinate an- 

 tennae : what are they ? 



F, — I have been puzzled by them myself ; having even 

 doubted to which order they should be referred ; but further 

 observation showed me that they are beetles, with flat and 

 very flexible broad elytra (Lycus Reticulatus J . I have 

 found another species, of about the same size, one-third of 

 an inch in length, and resembling it in every respect, except 



