6 



camp with the geologists already on the spot, near the village of 

 Tower. The endeavor had been to form a small party of special- 

 ist s. who were adepts at collecting plants in general, and also 

 able to exert unusual powers of observation toward certain 

 groups, and thus insure more important results than could be 

 hoped for from the ordinary collector. The survey was fortunate 

 in securing the assistance of Professor L. H. Bailey, Jr., of the 

 Agricultural College of Michigan, well known for his critical 

 study of the difficult genus Carex, and of Mr. E. W. D. Holway, 

 of Decorah, Iowa, an acute observer, and especially interested in 

 the pyrenomycetous fungi and the slime moulds. These two and 

 the writer, with the necessary assistants, spent nearly two weeks 

 in botanical exploration of the region already indicated. 



The camp was situated at the southern end of Vermilion 

 lake, at about 48° north latitude, and daily excursions were 

 made within a radius of some half a dozen miles from camp. 

 On the twenty-third of the month the point was visited where 

 the Iron Eange railroad crosses the head waters of the St. Louis 

 river, a distance southward of about thirty miles, and all plants 

 gathered upon that excursion are marked accordingly. On the 

 twenty-fourth Professor Bailey, with an assistant and an Indian 

 guide, started on a five days' trip to the British boundary at 

 Hunter's island. Collections were made at intermediate points, 

 given in the catalogue as Mud river, Mud lake, Burntside lake, 

 Long lake, Fall lake, and Basswood lake. Collections were also 

 made, although not large ones, at Duluth and Two Harbors 

 (Agate bay), on the north shore of lake Superior, both in going 

 and coming. 



The vegetation of this region appeared ample enough when 

 looked at casually, but a systematic search showed a discourag- 

 ing paucity of species, doubtless aggravated at the time of our 

 stay by the rather severe drought which was prevailing. The 

 lower plants were especially meagre, and none more so than the 

 pileated fungi. Although but a few days were occupied in this 

 exploration, yet so thorough was the search, that it is believed 

 a large proportion of the flowering plants were secured and are 

 included in the following list, some of them being necessarily 

 gathered in fruit or only in leaf, with a fair showing also of the 

 less conspicious part of the flora, the mosses, liverworts, fungi 

 and alg;e, including many microscopic plants. 



The region has only been inhabited by Indians and hunters 

 till about three yeans ago, when the opening of iron mines near 

 the southern shore of Vermilion lake, and the construction of a 



