207 



Messrs. Eugene P. Robbins and Hiram S. Sliurtleff, of 

 Boston, and Dr. Augustine Sliurtleff, of Brookline, were 

 elected Resident Members. 



March 4., 1863. 

 T. T. Bouve, Esq., in the chair. 

 Mr. Charles J. Sprague read the following paper : — 



Is THE Heath indigenous to the United States? 



In a paper laid before the Society in February last, I endeavored 

 to show that the evidence adduced to prove the Calluna vulgaris to be 

 a native of this country was neither direct nor conclusive. Since 

 then I have examined this evidence more closely, and have become 

 still stronger in my unbelief The only testimony, which appears to 

 possess any real weight, is a mention of it said to be made by De la 

 Pylaie in an enumeration of the plants of Newfoundland. De la 

 Pylaie is the authority quoted by various botanists for its publication as 

 an American plant, and he seems to be the only authority. No other 

 evidence rests on a scientific basis, or emanates from an authentic 

 source. 



Dr. Gray says that Dr. Don told him many years ago that a sur- 

 veyor once brought a specimen from the interior of Newfoundland. 

 Dr. Gray and Dr. Don are, of course, unimpeachable authority ; but 

 the engineer might have been deceived, especially as to its being 

 native, if, indeed, he ever collected it. 



This alone would scarce suffice to establish the fact of its being 

 native here. I was told that Mr. Elias Durand had a specimen of 

 Calluna collected in Labrador. He answers my inquiries on the sub- 

 ject by saying that he is convinced, on further investigation, that the 

 specimen in question did not come from Labrador. 



Hooker publishes the plant in the Index to the "Flora Boreali- 

 Americana," p. 281. After the name in the list, " Calluna vulgaris, 

 Salisb.," is an asterisk, referring to the following foot-note : — 



" This should have been inserted at p. 39, as an inhabitant of New- 

 foundland, on the authority of De la Pylaie." 



Not being able to obtain a copy of De la Pylaie's paper, I wrote to a 

 literary friend in Paris, requesting him to refer to it, and to send me 

 a copy of everything written by De la Pylaie in reference to the Cal- 

 luna. In his answer, he says : — 



