THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



45 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The publishers of Popular Science News 

 have offered another microscope to the 

 member of the Agassiz Association 

 making the best report of his summer's 

 observations. Last year's prize was won 

 by Mr. J. E. Walter, Peru, Ind. 



The American Naturalist that was to 

 be issued by F. H. Banks at Stamford, 

 Conn. , has failed to appear. Several let- 

 ters to Mr. Banks have failed to elicit a 

 response, from which we conclude that 

 he never intended to publish the paper. 



The April number of the Semi-Annual, 

 published by C. C. Maxfield, Danbury, 

 Conn. , has just come to hand. The mag- 

 azine is now in its third volume the first 

 two being published by W. H. Foote, un- 

 der the title of The Ornithologists and 

 Oclogists Semi-Annnal. It is the official 

 organ of the Wilson Ornithological 

 Chapter of the Agassiz Association, 

 which is working in ornithology on 

 about the same lines as the Gray Me- 

 morial Chapter is in botany. The pres- 

 ent number is equal in all respects to 

 preceeding ones. About half of its 

 forty-four pages are devoted to the affairs 

 of the Chapter. 



We are in receipt of a copy of Geo. P. 

 Rowell & Co's "Book for Advertisers." 

 As its name indicates, it is a book that 

 no advertiser can read without profit. 

 The book contains over three hundred 

 and sixty pages, most of which are 

 given up to various lists of papers, such 

 as " the complete list of American papers 

 issuing regularly more than 100,000 cop- 

 ies," " class publications and trade 

 papers," " complete list of all news- 

 papers and periodicals publishing over 

 5,000 copies each issue" etc., etc. Scat- 

 tered throughout the book are points for 

 the advertiser and the chapter on news- 

 paper statistics will interest everyone. 

 The book bound in cloth, costs $3.00, in 

 paper, $1.00, and is published by Geo. 

 P. Rowell & Co., 10 Spruce St., New 

 York City. 



FLOWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 



BY A. C. POPE, BINGHAMTON, N. Y. 



Some few years since, there was on 

 exhibition in our city, a strange plant, 

 brought home by a traveller, and exhib- 

 ited to gratify the curious. Rough usage, 

 and a long journey had not improved its 

 appearance, and there was nothing at- 

 tractive about it but the flowers, and 

 they, at first glance, were no more at- 

 tractive than the plant. 



But a closer look, revealed something, 

 so pure, so beautiful, so wondrous 

 strange, as to hold entranced, even the 

 most casual observer. The flowers, five 

 in number, were not larger than a half- 

 dollar, four petaled, slightly curved, 

 forming a cup, of a pale yellow color, 

 almost white, enclosed the image of a 

 dove, head, shoulders, and outstretched 

 wings, so perfect in all the details, as 

 to excite a feeling of awe, as well as 

 admiration. Ah yes, here we had that 

 flower, the adoration of devotee and 

 poet, and in its home beloved of all, 

 •'The flower of the Holy Spirit." 



Surpassingly beautiful as is this flow- 

 er, it is no more so, than the legend 

 which gave it its name. The Holy Spirit, 

 in the form of a white dove, journeying 

 over the land of the Sun, at eventide, 

 became weary, and rested within the 

 sheltering foliage of a wayside plant; at 

 early dawn, rested and thankful, it flew 

 away and lo, at sunrise when the plant 

 unfolded its flowers — which before had 

 passed unnoticed — the petals embraced 

 a perfect image of the Holy Visitor, and 

 to this day, all flowers of its kind bear 

 with them this token. 



Its home is in Central America " the 

 land of the Sun. " It grows wild on every 

 rubbish-heap, along fences and broken 

 walls. 



Every creature, no matter how brave, 

 has sorne other creature to be afraid of; 

 otherwise how would the world get 

 on ? — Torrey. 



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