Astronomy. 429 
tuberosus, grows in baa mine maths in the valley of the paige eee pa 
on the e right t bank of the river, above Point Mem 
discharges into Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, anes is quite easy of 
access from the United States. I saw the plant growing in abund- 
ance on the alluvial flats on the 12th July, 1869, and found the 
tubers of a cao size at that time. Whether my plant i is the true 
tuberosus or not, it is certainly the parent of the Indian tuber. - 
Where I got it was ae the old (high) road to the northwest. It 
would be worth while to have one of the American tourists get a 
few plants late in Au te ust. I Lave no doubt but I have hit upon 
the exact locality from which the French took the tubers, and it 
only remains to identify my plant with A. doronicoides,” 
It is well to know of this station; ie the Hurons of Sagard’s 
narrative doubtless dwelt much farther 
Dr, C. C, Parry 
of Wisconsin and Minnesota, publi in Owen’s Olea 
Survey of Wisconsin, Iowa an Minnesota, in nish. on page 61 
is the entry: “ Helianthus tuberosus L., Artichoke, river 
banks, St. Peter and St. Croix, es mative, and a well-known 
article of diet among the Indians, called by the Chippewas Ush- 
ke-baug.” An original specimen was kindly supplied by Dr. 
Tn regard to the other sort of root mentioned by Sagard as 
resembling pa di . eo they call Sondhratates, and which a 
much better,’ Dr. Macom is confident that not Sium lineare but 
Aralia racemosa is meant’ for the older inhabitants of that part 
of Canada affirm that the root of this Aralia was a favorite food 
of the Indians, and that they taught its use to the first settlers. 
In flavor this root (commonly called “spikenard” and “ = "y 
might well be said to resemble parsnips. 
13. Necrological.—There pete died during the past summer 96 
European botanists of note, namely, Henry A. WepbpDELL and 
Pure et notices of dines will $e given in the ong 
record of the yea ee a 
IV. ASTRONOMY. 
Discovery of a New Planet; by C. H. F. Perers. (From a 
ne to the editors, dated Litchfield oe of Hamilton 
College, Clinton, = Y., Oct, 15, 1877.)—I take pleasure in for- 
warding an observation | of a new planet found last night, showing 
the brightness of a ies of 10°5 magnitude: 
Oct. 14. 12h39m51sH.0.m.t. a(175)=1h6m4.73s, 6(175)= +8° 637°4", 
from 18 comparisons with Schj. 397. The daily motion ef the 
planet is about 36° in right ascension, and between 13’ and 14’ in 
declination toward the south. You are perhaps already aware, 
that the planet, of which the last number of the Journal contains 
