486 4 BOTANY. 
Rich, Pursh, Bigelow, Nuttall, Barton, Elliot, Torrey and Dar- 
lington, the latter of whom is spoken of as giving them his assist- 
ance, while a member of the House of Representatives. 
Should such an example be imitated, and Natural History Socie- 
ties spring up in every city or even village, not ambitiously 
seeking to accumulate large collections, but simply to make as 
complete as possible local collections of the fauna, flora, etc., of i 
the vicinity, how many youthful naturalists might be trained, and 
what valuable additions might be made to our stock of knowledge 
respecting the inhabitants of our fields, woods and waters! 
Another item of interest is found in this little book, “ It would 
appear from recent observations, that some plants are periodical in 
their eflorescence; or from some unknown cause, disappear for 
several years at a time; for instance, Orchis spectabilis was found 
‘by members of the late Botanical Society, eight or ten years agd; 
and although the most diligent search has been made for it, for at 
least five years past, it has not been discovered until this season, 
when it is very abundant, and has been found in various parts of 
the District, by different individuals. I have also observed that 
Arethusa bulbosa is very abundant some years, and during others 
extremely rare. About five years since, Batschia canescens, Wis 
found in great abundance, near the Race-course, but has _ 
been seen since.’ b 
The writer has had many similar experiences. In TA 
found Subularia aquatica, growing very plentifully, on the e 
banks of a canal basin, near Portland, Me., but has never been # 
to find a trace of it since. oe ride . 
Cypripedium arietinum was found some years ago, Several 
ity of Portland, quite plentifully, by Dr. Wm. ec eae 2 
times during the next five years we visited the | ality, is ns. 3 
not a plant, till 1869, when we gathered some twenty Bier in : 
Again, the writer botanized in the vicinity of Seneca per " 
Company with Prof. Wm. H. Brewer of Yale ae sered 
summers, and collecting over seven hundred species. sappari : 
biks, Per 
Ranunculus Purshii, Aplectrum hyemale, Orchis apoen 
spora andromedea, and others not now remembered. 
