1887. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 229 
OPEN LETTERS. 
Relation of moisture to plant diseases. 
The object of this note is that of inquiry, especially as to the value of 
the following opinions and observations : 
e prevailing opinion that wet weather is favorable te the 
growth of parasitic hatigh: and this is no doubt true in some cases at least. 
The spring of 1882 was a rainy one in Illinois, and a large number of 
Peronospore were collected. This year a large amount of rain has fallen 
in New England cae 7 uly and August, and Uredinez and Erysiphex 
are less abu ndant ‘han in on er Penson, ap dry autumns like that of 
tiful. Water rps nts have few W parasites, id plants of wet so see than 
those growing me Hees ser il. 
Cambridge, Mas 
Bees mutilating flowers. 
ay number of the GazeTTE, in a note o n Mertensia, Dr. J. 
ilegi ia vulgaris L. is mutilated by soe The insects punc- 
ture me nigh nf eer above the bulb at the 
micera parviflora Lam. is punctured peo above the calyx. 
We ig (0: ervilla, cult. eck }, Sida igh humblebees. Honey 
bees ee the tube. 
b. 
ensia Vi: irginica DO. In May number of BoraNnicaL GAZETTE Mr. 
Schneck nientions Mertensia as being mutilated. e 
ing the note I happened to find a patch of that plant and watched the 
bees at work. They generally punctured the tube, but occasionally a bee 
would light on the mouth of a tube, insert his head, and then by a sud- 
en movement of the wings cause the mee to drop down upon his head 
and then suck it up through his pro 
onicera grata Ait. Reported by ‘Nathan Banke from Roslyn, L. I. 
Tropoeclum major. Reported by Nathan Banks. “Often 2-5 punc- 
tures in nthe same spur.” 
Impatiens fulva Nutt. Sometimes the end of the spur is bitten off. 
Lin maria vulgaris Mill. Slits are made in the spur. ‘ 
Puughkeepsie, N. Y. GILBERT VAN INGEN. 
CURRENT LITERATURE. 
Revision of North American Linacee. By William om algaan\s Beomeenre 
oi ~~ uis Acad Sci., Vol. v., no. 1, pp. 1-20, wit 
nty-one species are desoribed, the two plates representing ¢ the 
fruit - ie genus and the petals and filaments of the section Hespero- 
inon. L. perenne of American botanists becomes L. Lewisii Pursh. lL. 
Floridanum is brought to specific rank from a variety of L. casei 
