116 SUMMER IN A BOG. 



was bestowed upon the stranger. At first it 

 was supposed to be the ipomea pcmdurata, as 

 the leaves bore some resemblance to those of 

 that vine, save in arrangement, for that of the 

 stranger's was variable, being solitary, oppo- 

 site, triple, quadruple, etc., at the nodes. 



However, when the blossoms appeared the 

 doubt was settled. The clustered two or three- 

 inch-long racemes of minute greenish flowers 

 pointed in a new direction. The wiorks on bot- 

 any available had no mention of it; and, after 

 much search in books and inquiry in a variety 

 of directions, its true identity was gained: the 

 Dioscorea bulbifera. 



At the bases of the leaves, soon after the 

 blossoms withered, small round bodies ap- 

 peared, which became brown at maturity and 

 varied in size from a pea to a hazel nut. Some 

 of these, after falling off, were planted in flower 

 pots for future observation. 



At the same time some of these bodies were 

 sent to national headquarters with portions 

 of the vine, leaves, and flowers, for further 

 identification. In due time the reply came : the 

 Dioscorea bulbifera. "The small, round bod- 

 ies," concluded the report, "are galls, caused 

 by the sting of insects." 



On cutting a number of these "galls" open, 

 no trace of insect life was discoverable, but for 



