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YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE 



[Vol. II. 



(Castalia odorata), but back in the shallower water. Lotus leaves and 

 flowers are borne above the water, while the white water lilies rest on 

 its surface. A photograph showing both species is shown in figure 71. 

 It was offered for sale in Prairie du Chien at fifty cents the dozen 

 blossoms. This species furnishes the lotus pods that the department 

 stores of large cities sell for painting. The "ghost fl.ower" industry is 

 making deep inroads on our native lotus. The cooked seeds were an 

 aboriginal Indian food. Here, too, we found the Partridge Pea or 

 wild sensitive plant (Cassia chamaecrista), with its bright yellow pea 



f*^#&ilfeL ^wJI^^ --^* 



Fig. 71. — Yellow Lotus and Sweet White Water Lily in Sunfish Slough of 

 the Mississippi river, at Prairie du Chien, Crawford Co., Wis. 



blossoms. So sensitive it is that we could hardly get it into the press 

 before it would wither its leaves. We had our press ready at the side, 

 and cut and placed the specimen in one second, but hardly before it 

 would start to wilt. There were several honey locust trees around 

 Prairie du Chien, but we believe they were originally planted. It has 

 escaped widely and some individuals have grown to two feet in 

 diameter. 



There were many points of interest around Prairie du Chien. One 

 was the Prairie City Canning Company, where at the foot of the bluff 



