258 



SCIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. VIII. No. 191. 



spread southward and westward, but ap- 

 pears to be absent from the Mississippi 

 Valley. 



This bulletin is largelj' concerned with a 

 discussion of the results of spraying with 

 various fungicides. The conclusion is that 

 spring spraying is of little if anj^ practical 

 value, since the reduction in the amount of 

 rust is not proportionate to the cost of the 

 work. Experiments are now in progress to 

 determine whether autumn treatment by 

 spraying or burning will be of any avail. 

 Two natural enemies, both parasitic fungi, 

 Darluca filum and Tuhercularia ■perdcina, have 

 been observed the past year, ' both of which 

 may be expected to assist materially in the 

 checking of the ravages of the asparagus 

 rust.' 



POISONOUS PLANTS. 



The Division of Botany of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture has is- 

 sued a bulletin (No. 20) , by V. K. Chesnut, 

 upon the principal poisonous plants of the 

 United States, which should be of the ut- 

 most use to all who have to deal with 

 plants, from botanists and collectors to 

 hunters and farmers. Only the plants to 

 which attention has been particularly called 

 are included, and it is not to be supposed 

 that the list includes every poisonous 

 species. Good illustrations are freely used, 

 and in all cases general descriptions, pop- 

 ular names, habitat and discussions of the 

 poisonous properties serve to render the 

 account of the greatest value. The plants 

 noticed ai-e the following : 



Family Agaricaceae : Agaricus muscaria, 

 Fly amanita ; Agaricus phalloides, Death 

 Cup. 



Family Melanthaceae : Veratrum viride, 

 American false Hellebore. 



Family Convallariaceae: Convallaria ma- 

 jalis, Lily-of-the-Valley. 



Family Orchidaceae : C]i2mpediuin reginae, 

 Showy lady's slipper ; Cypripedium hirsutum, 



Larger yellow lady's slipper ; Cypripedium 

 parviflorum, Smaller yellow lady's slipper. 



Family Alsinaceae : Agrostemma githago, 

 Corn cockle. 



Family Eanunculaceae : Aconitum colum- 

 hianum, Aconite ; Delphinium tricorne, Dwarf 

 larkspur ; Delphinium geyeri, Larkspur ; 

 Delphinium menziesii, Larkspur ; Delphin- 

 ium recurvatum, Larkspur ; Delp>hinium trol- 

 liifolium, Larkspur. 



Family Prunaceae : Prunus serotina, Black 

 cherry. 



Family Csesalpiniaceae : Gymnocladits dio- 

 iea, Kentucky coffee tree. 



Family Papilionaceae : Astragalus mollissi- 

 mus, Woolly loco weed ; Astragalus lambertii, 

 Stemless loco weed ; Crotalaria sagittalis, Rat- 

 tlebox. 



Family Euphorbiaceae : Euphorbia lathy- 

 rzis, Caper spurge ; Euphorbia marginata, 

 Snow on the mountain. 



Family Anacardiacaee : Rhus radicans, 

 Poison ivy ; Ehus diversiloba, Poison oak ; 

 Bhus vernix, Poison sumac. 



Family Sapindaceae : Aesoidus p)avia, Red 

 buckeye. 



Family Apiaceae ; Cicuta maeulata, Water 

 hemlock ; Cicuta vagans, Oregon water hem- 

 lock ; Conium macidatum, Poison hemlock. 



Family Ericaceae: Kalmia latifolia, Broad- 

 leaf laurel ; Kalmia angustifolia, Narrow-leaf 

 laurel; Rhododendron maximum, Great laurel; 

 Pieris mariana, Stagger bush ; Leucothoe 

 catesbaei, Branch ivy. 



Family Loganiaceae : Gehemium semper- 

 virens, False jessamine. 



Family Solanaceae : Datura stramonium, 

 Jimson weed ; Datura tatula, Jimson weed ; 

 Solanum nigrum, Black nightshade ; Solanum 

 dulcamara, Bittersweet ; Solanum trifiorum, 

 Spreading nightshade. 



Family Carduaceae : Heleniumautmnnale, 

 Sneezeweed. 



EDIBLE AND POISONOUS FUNGI. 



Another bulletin (No. 15) from the Di- 



