BOTANY. 427 
more than a small fraction of the amount of this life-dust covering 
with its thick sulphur-colored coat a single square mile of the 
surface of Lake Huron or Lake Superior—Henry GILLMAN, 
Detroit, Michigan. 
Dovstr FLOWERS or RANUNCULUS RHOMBOIDEUS.—Specimens of 
this are sometimes found in Floyd County, Iowa, with perfectly 
double flowers. I have found several plants, and one of these I 
transferred to a bed in the flower-garden, where it thrived finely 
and increased to a clump six inches in diameter, which the next 
spring was perfectly enveloped with the little bright yellow flowers. 
Yo seeds were produced; and during the two or three seasons in 
which the plant was cared for there was no sign of change to single 
flowers, The plant was quite attractive; and as it blooms very 
early and profusely, it would seem to have some of the qualities 
required to entitle it to a place among cultivated flowers. — J. 
C. Artur, Towa Agr. College. 
[To be sure; being a dwarf species, it would be desirable, and 
| f. A. might make a little money, while doing a good thing, by 
Propagating the plant, and introducing it through the florists. In 
i nowledgment of the hint, send us, please, a good root of it.— 
“DS. | 
Quercus ALBA, VAR. Gunnissonu.— In Watson’s report, Hall 
and Harbor’s Rocky Mountain Quercus Douglassii var. Neo-Mexi- 
“ana, is said to be Q. alba, var.. Gunnissomi. My specimens are 
as much like Hall- and Harbor’s as if they had been taken from 
_ the same plants. I can therefore speak of the living trees as I 
SN them, and, without regard to their identity with Q. Gunnis- 
cGy would suggest a doubt as to the propriety of their reference 
— OW. alba, 
oS Ihave had experience with trees in a living state of both Euro- 
Pean and American species, and the idea left on my mind after 
: Jouneying several days through tracts on which this oak in ques- 
_ on grew, was that it partook more of the character of Quercus 
than of Q. alba. Among the European species I have 
as à remarkable tendency in some plants of Quereus cerris 
~ aPproach Q, robur; and among these Rocky Mountain forms 
vere many which. had the leaves and general appearance of the 
oe much like Quercus cerris. This was especially the case 
Co me low growing plants (about three feet high), about a 
