Throtigh the Swamps in August. i8g 



The Gerardia purpurea or purple ^erardia, a parasitic plant 

 that haunts wet places especially near the coast, belongs to the 

 same family as the Chelone and exhibits the same general features. 

 It bears very handsome flowers and on account of its great beauty, 

 has been often experimented with, with a view to cultivation, but 

 being a parasite of course all efforts have been in vain. Another 

 handsome flower found with the preceding is the American cen- 

 taury (Sabatia stellaris). It bears a forked raceme of large star 

 shaped red flowers, and is truly grand. 



We find a very common, though not at all handsome, yet very 

 conspicuous flower in the Vernonia Noveboracensis or Iron weed, 

 a tall coarse weed of August; with many purple heads; it is a com- 

 posite. 



Other plants which may be observed in damp spots during the 

 last month of summer are the Verbena Hastata (Vervain) which 

 bears a handsome spike of blue flowers; the Hypericiun mutilum 

 whose cute little yellow star flowers often form a perfect mass in 

 swampy ground, while near at hand the diffuse panicles of small 

 white flowers are borne upon the Water Plaintain (Alisma plan- 

 tago). The Impatiens fulva, known as Touch-me-not, Balsam 

 and Jewel weed, grows tall and rank everywhere and the Mimulus 

 ringens or monkey flower is also very common. The Peppermint 

 Mentha peperita exhibits a spike of fragrant purple blossoms, and 

 when a full and perfect spike is formed nothing can be prettier. 



There are many, many other plants, no less worthy of mention, 

 that may be found at this time, but a sufficient number have been 

 cited to clearly demonstrate to the skeptical that th? summer 

 months, August being the case in point, are not wanting In. flowers, 

 and that one may collect and observe as many plants, and enjoy a 

 days outing with the summer j^lants, If he will, as thoroughly as 

 he may in balmy spring. Geo. E. Briggs. 



CHARLES L. M' KAY. 



Prepared for the meeting of the San Diego Society of Natural History, held April yth, '87. 



In the Spring of 1881, Mr. Charles L. McKay was sent to 

 Alaska, by Professor S. F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 to make biological collections, to study the ethnology of that re- 

 gion, and to take charge of a United States Signal Station. 



The position appeared to be a most favorable one for a young 

 Naturalist, for, in addition to a good salary his expenses were 

 paid, and materials and books furnished for the expedition ; and, 

 what was of more importance, the collections made were to be 

 stored at Washington, until his return at the end of three years, 

 when the collector might describe all the new species secured, and 

 he would be entitled to the first "set" of specimens after the Na- 

 tional Museum had been supplied, 



