State Museum of Natural History. 81 



that the fung-us would have killed it in a short time. It would be 

 interesting to know if the fungus could be communicated to healthy 

 mice in their food or otherwise, but my efforts to obtain a subject on 

 which to try the experiment were unsuccessful. 



Zygodesmus violaceofuscus, Sacc. 

 Boots of beech. Selkirk. August. 



(D.) 



EEMARKS AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Nymphsea odorata, Ait. 

 A form with very large leaves and flowers, equaling in size those of 

 N. tuberosa, grows in the inlet of Beaver lake. Number Four, Lewis 

 county. It has the decided and delightful fragrance of the ordinary 

 form. 



Rubus villosus, Ait. var. humifusus, T. & G. 



Professor Dudley finds this variety near Ithaca. The variety /roTi- 

 dosus is much more plentiful, and from it most of the cultivated varie- 

 ties appear to have been derived, if we may judge by the character of 

 the fruit offered for sale in the markets. It is less cylindrical, more 

 acid and has larger seeds than the fruit of the typical form. I am 

 quite confident that the true B. villosus would produce a fruit of far 

 better quality, if brought under successful cultivation, and it seems 

 strange that some of our enterprising nurserymen have not succeeded 

 in introducing it into more frequent cultivation. 



» Vaccinium Canadense, Kalm. 



A black-fruited variety of this valuable little shrub is plentiful at 

 Number Four, Adirondack wilderness. There is also a black-fruited 

 variety of V. vaccillans. 



These varieties do not appear to have been designated by name, 

 but they corresjDond to variety nigrum of V. Pennsylvanicum and 

 variety atrococcum of V. corymbosum. Thus each of our common 

 edible blueberries has its black-fruited variety. These black fruits 

 are destitute of the bloom of the ordinary ones, and have a shining 

 luster, but are scarcely different in flavor or quality from the ordinary 

 blue ones. The black huckleberry, Gaylussacia resinosa, also has its cor- 

 responding variety, in which the fruit is jet black and shining. It also 

 sometimes differs slightly in shape from the ordinary dull black 



fruit, 



11 



