270 SPRING FLOWERS. [CriAP. XXXV. 



as all parts of New England. Here there were no 

 kalmias or azaleas, or sweet fern, or candleberry, or 

 other evergreens. The green carpet beneath the 

 trees was made up largely of mosses, and among 

 them was that beautiful European species of feather- 

 moss, Hypnum proliferum, in great plenty. The 

 trunks of many trees were spotted by a jet-black 

 fungus resembling a lichen. Below the brandies we 

 were pleased to gather several spring flowers, the 

 white anemone, the blood-root (Sanguinaria cana- 

 densis), the dog-tooth violet (Erytlironium america- 

 num\ and the spring-beauty (Claytonia viryinica). 



Though a large proportion of the mosses and other 

 cryptogamia are identical with those of Europe, we 

 saw no flower which was not peculiar to America. 

 Many European plants, however, are making their 

 way here, such as the wild camomile, and the thorn- 

 apple (Datura Stramonium) ; and it is a curious fact, 

 which I afterwards learnt from Dr. Dale Owen, that 

 when such foreigners are first naturalised they over 

 run the country with amazing rapidity, and are quite 

 a nuisance. But they soon grow scarce, and after 

 eight or ten years can hardly be met Avith. 



We spent several days very agreeably at ISTew 

 Harmony, where we were most hospitably welcomed 

 by Dr. and Mrs. Dale Owen. The town is pleasantly 

 situated in a valley watered by the Wabash, which 

 here divides the States of Indiana and Illinois. Some 

 large buildings, in the German style of architecture, 

 stand conspicuous, and were erected by Rapp ; but 

 the communities founded by him, and afterwards by 

 Robert Owen of Lanark, have disappeared, the prin 

 cipal edifice being now appropriated as a public 



