— 9 — 



ened and shot the spores out of the field. Anyone with even a 

 ''boys" microscope can see this by taking sporangia and letting 

 a drop of alcohol or glycerine run in under the coverglass. My 

 first surprise was with sporangia that had been kept moist some 

 days in a tin box. As they dried in the air the above mentioned 

 result was obtained. It can be easily seen that the spores will not 

 be shed in rainy weather, when they would be beaten down to the 

 ground without much chance to be spread with the wind. Several 

 other species besides Dropteris mariginalis has black sporangia 

 frequently. Woodwardia areolata, Cystopteris fragilis, Onoclea 

 sensibilis, O. Struthiopteris and Dicksonia punctilobula may be 

 mentioned. 



THE SPINY SHIELD FERN IN ALASKA. 



SPIDIUM spinulosum diiatatum (wood fern) is abundant in 



rich, open woods near sea level, and the rootstock or cau 



# * dex is highly relished by the natives who cook and eat it in 

 large quantities,, it being the first vegetable food which they ob- 

 tain in early spring The method of preparation is as follows : 

 The rootstocks are dug from the ground soon after the snow dis" 

 appears, before the fronds are developed, and are trimmtd and 

 washed. A round, well-like hole, three feet in diameter and two 

 and one-half feet deep is then dug, hot stones are placed in the 

 bottom, or stones are placed there and a fire built upon them un- 

 til they become hot. The fire is then removed, a layer of damp 

 moss or kelp is laid on the stones and the cleaned root-stocks plac 

 ed therein until the hole is full. A little water is then thrown on 

 the pile which is then hastily covered with a layer of damp moss, 

 or a couple of cedar bark mats are laid on and earth to the depth 

 of about ten inches is put over it. On this a fire is built and kept 

 up all night. The next day the contents are taken out and are then 

 read> to be eaten, the outer rind being removed with the fingers 

 or a small knife. It has a slightly sweetish taste but is too smoky 

 and tobacco-like in flavor for the average white man's palate ex- 

 cept under stress of hunger, though I have no doubt it is quite 

 nutritious — M. W. Gorman, in Pittonia. 



Mr. Stewart H. Burnham has a plant of Scolopendrium in cul- 

 tivation which has had more than forty living fronds at one time- 



