1894. ] 
Briefer Articles. 159 
Iwas for a time puzzled by a certain uniformity in the direction of 
the leaves—not by any means always with the edges north and south. 
Especially was I puzzled in noting that the first opening of a flower of 
Helianthus mollis was to the south-east. But” here came in what I 
think is a point I have established, that growth is rhythmic and not 
.continuous, and that growths that start together are likely to rest 
together. A quantity of seeds, starting at the same time under the 
same day’s warm sun, would naturally have similar resting phases. 
Seeds starting at other times, or under some peculiar conditions of 
vital power, would disarrange total uniformity in results—THomas 
MEEHAN, Germantown, Philadelphia. 
An additional poisonous plant.—D. T. MacDougal (Bulletin 9, part 
!, Jan. 16, 1894; Minnesota Botanical Studies) gives in a convenient 
reference list the plants of Minnesota known to be poisonous, pro- 
ducing the symptoms called by physicians dermatitis venenata, or rhus 
Poisoning. He mentions two species of Ranunculus in his enumera- 
lion, R. septentrionalis Poir. and &. sceleratus Linn. Ranunculus acris 
L. must be added to the list of known or reputed skin irritants, as the 
following account will show. This species, preserved in alcohol for 
over a year, was distributed to a university class for study, and in 
hol ‘ hands were frequently immersed in the alco- 
pore ass Olive-green color. A day or two afterwards an intense itch- 
after the inflammation had disappeared, the skin of the fingers began to 
in my cag ywere chapped. These symptoms were exactly similar, 
*, to the effects produced by contact with the poison ivy, 
culads (diss; ton. The watery acrid juice, so universal in the Ranun- 
¢ plants a in many forms in drying), had been extracted from 
Precipitat. - ¢vaporating on the surface of the hands left behind the 
'pitated active irritating principle. 
by re vi distribution of the poison sumachs has been accomplished 
<a me drupes in the stomachs of birds. An instructive 
Stomachs, js “i come to light recently through the examination of crow 
Renata, and . discovery that the fruits of the poison sumach, Rhus 
bers Polson ivy, Rhus toxicodendron, are eaten in large num- 
‘row. W. B. Barrows has in one case recorded that 153 
Stery at A li excrement taken from a roost in the National Cem- 
\ ington, contained by actual count 1041 seeds of Rhus tox- 
r ick = 341 seeds of Rhus venenata, in addition to 3271 seeds 
florida and achs, 95 seeds of Juniperus Virginiana, 10 seeds of Cornus 
*rsity of R. eo of Nyssa sylvatica.—_Joun W. HarsHBERGER, Unt- 
“ansyloania, Philade iphia. 
