LIFE IN FLOEIDA. 209 



odorata, Ait.) that I knew it must be a distinct species, 

 of which no mention was made in the text - books of 

 Gray or Chapman. 



I soon wrote to Dr. Asa Gray, our authority on bot- 

 any, and to Professor Sargent, director of the Botanic 

 Garden at Harvard, telling them of my discovery. They 

 seemed as much elated over it as myself, and informed 

 me that Audubon had figured a yellow water-lily in his 

 book of birds of the South, but had made no mention 

 of it in the text ; and so botanists had generally be- 

 lieved it to be simply a fancy of the author. But here 

 it was, acres and acres, a living testimony to Audubon's 

 truth and skill.* 



Its manner of growth is peculiar. How it maintains 

 a foothold in the soft oozy mud when the water is so 



* Since the above was written, I have received the following ad- 

 ditional information respecting the yellow water-lily from Profess- 

 or Sargent : 



"The authority for the name of Nymplwea flam rests on the fig- 

 ure of the white American swan in Audubon's 'Birds of America,' 

 in which there is a very good representation of your plant. Under 

 it, it says, ' Nymphaia flava (Lutren).' There is no description "oi 

 the flower or any character given, so that Nympluea flam has never 

 been published yet. It will, however, be proper to preserve Lutren's 

 name, and he should stand always as authority for the species, 

 whoever may draw up and print the technical description. You 

 know, I dare say, that Lutren was a young German who, years 

 ago, botanized in Florida, and who was killed there by the Indians. 

 He probably made notes of his discoveries, but, so far as I know, 

 these have never been published. " 

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