red alira [ TrlchoOtsihhnn erytlir<n(i,i\ in its waters," ii;<ts hazarded 

 ))y Elirenborg, if wo mistake not, at the time of its discovery. 

 The late Dr. M. A. Curtis, oui- American mycologist, informed 3Ir. 

 Berkeley, as we remember, that lie and his neighbors whom he 

 instructed, procured no small supply of excellent food from the 

 edible Fungi, which grew around his home, in tlie center of Xorth 

 Carolina, so abundantly that he opined he might have sup])orted 

 a reghnent on them. This, we suppose, is tlie whole foundation 

 for the extraorduiary statement that, " During the latter part of 

 the American war, when meat was scarce and dear, fungi, which 

 grow in immense profusion and varietv in America, formed the 

 principal food of the Southern annv."' ' a. (;. 



3. .seeds that float in icater have a certain interest in connec- 

 tion with questions abcmt dissemination. -Many ranked as such 

 are fruit-^, botanically S[)eaking, with spongy or cellular ])Ci-icar[», 



But there are a considerable number of true seeds Avith specific 

 gravity less than that of water, some as low as O'Vo. Van 

 Tie<zliein (Ann. Sci. Nat., scr. 0, i, 3s:5) finds that this is due to 

 dimrerit c.-.uses. Afore commonly the seed owes its lightness to 

 It- coats, either by a separation in drying ])etween the two, or 

 between the inner and the kernel, leaving an air-spa<'e, or by 



nnirh lighter as to t 



loat tlie seed. This 



comes from a 



separation 



<'!• tlK'twocotyledo 



ns durinu- the natui 



•al desiccation, 



.leaving a 



•■on.id.rablecaNitv 



tilled with air. 'Vh\^ 



: i. strikingly 



tlie ease in 



tliMarge, ihu, and 



verv dcMise-coated se 



eds of Eatadc 



i scandoi.% 





wn "to have been w 



afted across the Atlantic 



fr.Mu tlie West hull 



es to Northern Kun^] 



.e and left in j 



I condition 



tit for germination ; 



while ii» those of Gi 



Olandlnn lion 



././-, which 



have been known to 

 between the emhryc 



' accompany the f.>rn 

 > and the bony coat. 



.ler, the air is 

 The embrvo i 



;:'Ki;! 



such cases, is heavie 



r than water.' But t 



o this rule Va 



n Tieghem 



now brings to light a few exceptions, : 



md these in I 





seeds. In those of 



Ervthrina n-hta-mUK the sneciric 



""S-'n-ityof 



the whole seed is 0-91. that of the emb 



,-vo itself 0-S7. 



• Those of 



our Apioa tuherosa -. 



are a little li-hter, ot 



•our W;,tnTUi 



frut.srcns 



a little heavier than 



this, but still lisihter 



tiiaii water; a 



.,d various 



common leguminous 



seeds, although hea^ 



-icr than water 





lighter than would 



be suppose*!. This 



proves to be 





very loos, .-uul op.n 





v!:tr';.;ti!' 



le iniHT or 



upper side of the cot 



vledou" Uh!lt whiili : 





npp.r face 



of the U-af), leavin. 



;' abundant intercelhi 



jlirspacJs an.i 



I pa>s:igos, 



filled with air, vvhicl 



r. renders this spongy 



• stratmn light 



enough in 



certain cases to float the otherwise heaVj 



- seeds. 





