276 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [Oct., 
low-rock, Carroll Co., West’ Tennessee, collected first in fruit, September, 1867 
in flower, July, 1886, Gattinger ; also, ‘‘ W. Mississippi or E. Tennessee,” Dr. J. 
TZ. Stewart, 1863. Dr. Gattinger describes it as “growing in a swampy region 
difficult to penetrate, amidst Rosa Caroliniana and Nyssa aquatica.” He found 
two shrubs, and no more. The Stewart specimen is in the Harvard herbarium, 
and is simply a fragment of a fruiting specimen which has remained undeter- 
mined, but it is undoubtedly this species. The great peculiarity consists in the 
deeply five-lobed capsule, which is more differentiated than in any other mem- 
ber of the genus and serves well to distinguish the species. Some species are 
slightly lobed, but in this case the carpels seem almost distinct and are simply 
held together by their attachment to a central axis, from which they fall away 
at maturity. The size and general habit of the plant are like H. densiflorum, 
with perhaps even denser flower clusters, while the broad leaves are exactly those 
of H. prolificaum. Mr. Canby has collected New Jersey forms of H. densiflorum 
bearing the leaves of H. prolificum, which closely resemble H. lobocarpum, ex- 
cept in the capsule characters, Dr. Gattinger is to be commended for the per- 
sistence with which he urged the claims of this species to recognition—JouN 
TER, 
How the humble-bee obtains nectar from Physostegia Virginana.— 
While passing through a patch of the “ False Dragon-head,” I noticed that a 
goodly number of a large species of humble-bee were alighting on the flowers 
and darting their heads deep in between the calyx and corolla, at the upper 
side of the latter. At first I thought they were collecting nectar from between 
the calyx and corolla, and commenced to look for the glands. But on inspec- 
tion, I found that on the upper side of many of the corollas, near the base, was 
a longitudinal slit, usually near one-third inch long. This was the case in 
opening, the slit was usually absent. On gently pressing down on the outer 
portion of the slitted flowers, I found that the sides of the opening were thrown 
apart, thus exposing the upper portion of the four-lobed ovary and lower parts 
of the pistil and stamens, and making access easy to the nectary glands at the 
base of the ovary. In addition to the humble-bee there were a number of other 
insects visiting the flowers, but they entered in the usual way, through the 
corolla. It is not unusual to find tubular flowers, especially the closed gentians 
and Tecoma radicans, with holes eaten through them near the base, through 
which insects pass in and out, which holes are nearly always made by ants. 
* But I do not remember to have seen any record of instances where an insec 
made a slit, through which to collect the sweets of a flower.—J. ScunecK, Mt. 
Carmel, Til. 
Home-made bacteria apparatus.—For the cultivation of bacteria and 
other microscopic organisms certain utensils are essential, others are very Set- 
viceable without being indispensible. The German investigators have give? 
much attention to the construction of incubators, sterilizers, culture vessels of 
various kinds, implements and accessories in great numbers, and of convenient 
utility. Ii it is desired to fit up a complete laboratory for the study of these 
