158 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [June, 



voyage of Jacques Cartier to New France to 1800, was a period of very 

 slow scientific progress, and the names of those who in any way contrib- 

 uted to botanical work in Canada do not exceed 24. Regarding these 

 the author gives much interesting information, with notices of their work. 

 It is evident that it has taken much time and labor to search out these 

 facts, and the thanks of the antiquarian, as well as the historian and bot- 

 anist, are due to Professor Penhallow. 



An important contribution to the knowledge of the moss-flora of 

 New Guinea forms the last issued part of the Bibliotheca botanica. 6 The 

 collections on which it was based were made by Biluerlen in 1885 in the 

 south, by Chalmers and Bridge in the Cloudy Mts. in 1884, and by Lawes 

 in the Astrolabe Range. Eighteen new species are characterized and 

 eight figured on the beautiful plates. An appendix enumerates the 

 Hepaticse of the same collections, including one new species. 



Cypress " knees " have long been of special interest to morphologists. 

 Dr. W. P. Wilson found favorable opportunity to study these structures 

 while in Florida. A preliminary notice 7 describes two modes of forma- 

 tion, (a) by growing upward of young roots till they reach the air and 

 then turning downward again, the knee forming at the angle ; (b) by 

 local outgrowths from the upper surface of old horizontal roots. Similar 

 aerating organs were caused to form on Indian corn by keeping the soil 

 saturated. They were also observed on Pinus serotina, Nyssa aquatica 

 and Avicennia nitida. 



OPEN LETTERS. 



Flowers and Insects. 



I have been much interested in Mr. Robertson's article on Flowers 

 and Insects. Under Dicentra Cucullaria he refers to observations of oth- 

 ers and myself in regard IR the puncturing of the corolla by bees. I am 

 pretty sure that the holes were made by honey-bees, as a large hive is in 

 the next yard to mine, and my flowers constantly visited by its occupants. 

 I have observed the same puncturing this year in my yard and that of 

 Mr. George Hunt. It should be stated, however, that Dicentra is not in- 

 digenous here, and is only seen in cultivation. In the wilcTstate it may, 

 for all I know, be untouched. W. W. Bailey. 



Providence. R. L 



The National Herbarium. 



In the Gazette for April an allusion was made to the National Her- 

 banum, whic h, perhaps, was not sufficiently definite. An arrangement 



•Griikeb, Ar.i LHKRT.-Neae Beitriige zur Moosflora Nen -Gal Bibl. hot,, heft 13. 



Pp. 12. pi. 8. 4f«>. Cassel: Theodor Fischer. 1889. m. 10, 



• Wilson, Wm. P.— The product ti of BBrating organs on the roots of swamp and other 

 plants. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Apr. 2, 1889. 8vo. pp. 3. 



