236 
thickets and two species of the climbing night-blooming cactus, 
Selenicereus, were obtained, one of them bearing a beautiful pink 
fruit. 
The expedition was wholly successful; our collections are en- 
riched by living plants, seeds, museum and herbarium specimens 
of 1,415 field numbers, the total number of specimens obtained 
being over 3,500. Dr. Gager was the photographer, and obtained 
over 120 negatives of plants, landscapes and characteristic Cuban 
scenes, which are valuable as records and for purposes of illus- 
tration. 
Scarcely any real discomfort and no illness whatever were 
experienced and we received the most courteous reception and 
cordial attention throughout. 
Respectfully submitted, 
N. L. Britton, 
Director-in-chief. 
THE FRUIT OF THE GREAT re AS FOOD 
FOR GRAY SQUIRRELS. 
The ragweeds form a group of plants that have long forced 
themselves unpleasantly upon the attention of that suffering 
portion of humanity which is annually subject to hay-fever. 
is the pollen of the ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L., with that of 
certain other plants, which is regarded as the cause of this most 
annoying affliction. Naturally, there are many people who are 
interested in the extermination of these troublesome plants, and 
in some sections of the country (in the Adirondacks and on 
Marthas Vineyard) more or less organized efforts are made to 
eliminate the ragweeds and golden-rods from the local floras- 
To those engaged in this work, and to most of those suffering 
yearly from hay-fever, the assistance of any ally will probably 
be gladly welcomed. 
Such an ally seems to be the common gray squirrel. During 
the latter part of September, a gray squirrel in Bronx Park was 
observed running up the trunk of a young tree, with a leafy stem 
of Ambrosia trifida in its mouth. Seating itself in a crotch of 
