January 26, 1894. 
Of these two forms Mr. Bowles simply remarks ‘‘ All 
things considered, the northern and the southern bird, 
when laid side by side, would hardly be taken for the 
same species.’ Mr. Bowles’s third or intermediate form 
is accounted for by Bendine, in his handsome work upon 
“‘ Life Histories of North American Birds,” where he 
says: ‘In the New England States north of Massachu- 
setts it (Bonasa umbellus) intergrades with &. wmbellus 
togata, the majority of the specimens found throughout 
southern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northern 
New York being scarcely referable to either form, birds 
found in the high lands approaching the Canadian ruffed 
grouse, while those in the valleys are nearer typical Aovasa 
umbellus.”” 
The charge of Mr. Bowles that ‘‘comparatively little 
has been frzted concerning the variety of colors worn by 
the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus),—which seems sur- 
prising, as it is a favorite game bird,’—can hardly be 
sustained. It would have been better had your contributor 
consulted the very extensive literature upon this genus 
before he undertook to frznt his article in Sczence on the 
coloration of the bird. R. W. SHUFELDT. 
Takoma, D. C., Jan. 23, 18094. 
Late-blooming Trees. 
THE remarks in a recent issue of sSczence on fruit-trees 
blooming in autumn are of much interest in that connec- 
tion, but when it is found that many of our wild-flowers 
show a tendency to bloom at this season, the causes 
suggested seem hardly sufficient to explain the phenom- 
enon. Some plants that bloom in spring habitually 
bloom again in September or October. In this class are 
the common blue violet (V. pa/mata var. cucullata) and the 
dog violet (V. canina var. mulenbergit). Specimens of 
these may be found in bloom every autumn, and often 
the arrow-leaved and Canada violets as well. It is not 
uncommon to find the red raspberry producing flowers 
and ripe fruit as late as the middle of October in this 
latitude. Among the twenty-two species of 
flowers that I have found blooming in late autumn may be 
mentioned Hepatica triloba, Epigaea repens, Houstonia 
caerulea, Ranunculus fascicularts, Rosa blanda, Hieracium 
venosum and Potentilla canadensis. When the whole list 
is examined it will be found that this trait of blooming 
twice runs through certain floral orders. The rose family 
(to which the fruit trees belong) is easily first, followed 
by violets, crowfoots, etc. ‘The list contains few, if any, 
representatives of those plants that spring from bulbs, 
corms, or: thickened rootstocks, although their buds are 
formed in autumn. Having a stock of food to draw 
upon, it would seem that these should be the first to 
respond to warmth and moisture. It appears to be quite 
rare for the trillium, dog-tooth violet, spring beauty, rue 
anemone or blood-root to bloom in autumn, and I should 
be pleased to hear from those who have found them in 
blossom at that season. 
Apropos of this subject it may be mentioned that the 
blooming of plants out of season has long been considered 
an unlucky omen. An old saw runs, ‘‘ When roses and 
violets flourish in autumn it is a sign of plague or pesti- 
lence during the coming year.’”’ In certain parts of the 
United States the blooming of fruit trees in autumn is 
supposed to be the precursor of a death in the owner’s 
family. WILLARD N. CLure. 
Binghamton, N. Y., Jan. 19, 1894. 
—Mr. A. C. Cowley, of Trinity College, Oxford, and 
Mr. T. G. Stenning, Magdalen College, Oxford, have just 
left for St. Catherine’s Convent, Mount Sinai, in order to 
continue the investigations begun by Mrs. Lewis and Prof. 
Rendel Harris. 
SOUNCE: 
spring - 
49 
Postage on Natural History Specimens. 
In Scéence for Nov. 17, 1893, p. 267, appeared a circular 
issued by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- 
phia, concerning the transmission of specimens of natural 
history by mail between different countries. This circular 
asked scientific bodies in certain countries therein named 
to request their respective governments to favorably re- 
consider a proposition, made by the United States Post 
Office, to admit such specimens to the international mails 
under the rates for ‘‘ samples of merchandise,” this propo- 
sition having been once rejected by those countries. 
In Science for Dec. 22, 1893, p. 348, a Canadian corres- 
pondent, Mr. W. Hague Harrington, criticises this circular 
as follows : ‘‘It is sought to throw the blame upon the 
countries in question, whereas the trouble arises solely 
from the fact that the United States have not yet advanced 
far enough to have a parcel post, as is in operation among 
these other countries. There is no difficulty in trans- 
mitting specimens from Canada to the most remote coun- 
tries, but the United States by their policy make it im- 
possible to receive or tosend them. The scientific societies 
should exert their influence at home, and endeavor to 
have the United States Congress adopt the more advanced 
and liberal postal arrangements of the countries which 
your correspondents blame for their troubles.” 
As chairman of the committee appointed by the Academy 
to prepare the circular, I have obtained from Mr. N. M. 
Brooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails, U.S. P. O., 
the following official information, which, it is believed, will 
sufficiently justify the means adopted by this Academy to 
secure the end desired. It gives me great pleasure to ac- 
knowledge here the unfailing courtesy of Mr. Brooks 
throughout our correspondence on this subject. 
The Superintendent’s letter, dated Jan. 12, 1894, reads : 
“‘ With respect to the criticisms (quoted in your letter 
under reply) upon this Department’s failure to more 
generally establish the parcels post service, it may be well 
to say that so far as sma// packages of natural history speci- 
mens are concerned, the parcel post would afford but few 
additional facilities over those offered in the regular 
mails if the rates were assimilated to those in force 
in Great Britain and Canada ; for instance, the 
lowest charge in Great Britain on a package weighing 3 
pounds or /ess addressed for delivery in Belgium is 1 
shilling 3 pence (=30 cents), and to France 1 shilling 4 
pence (=32 cents), while in Canada the charges for a 
pound or /ess would be to Belgium 46 cents, and to France 
48 cents. Whilethe sums named above may be low for 
the transmission of three-pound or one-pound packages, 
it must be remembered that these sums are the minimum 
charges and must be paid also on smaller packages, even 
on packages weighing only one or two ounces. If the 
proposition of this Department, to admit natural history 
specimens to the mails as ‘samples,’ had been adopted, small 
packages of such specimens would have been transmis- 
sible throughout the extent of the postal union at the rate 
of one cent for each two ounces, while the facilities offered 
by the parcels post for the transmission of larger packages 
would not have been curtailed. For example, under 
present conditions a package weighing 41/2 ounces may 
be sent from Canada to Belgium or France as a /effey upon 
the prepayment of 45 cents ; as a parcels post package the 
charge would be 46 and 48 cents, respectively ; as a 
‘sample’ the charge would be 3 cents.” 
It may also be mentioned that the United States ave 
a parcels post to certain American countries at the rate of 
12 cents per pound or fraction of a pound. 
Mr. Harrington’s criticism is inaccurate when he says 
that this Academy’s circular ‘‘ suggested that the various 
scientific bodies of the United States should use their in- 
fluence to induce the governments of certain enumerated 
