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separate tombs of brick or stone ; but others have less commodious 

 resting places. Around all sides of the cemetery is a wall at least 

 ten feet high, inside of which are rows of burial places, tier upon 

 tier to the top of the wall, like a great set of pigeon-holes, each 

 two feet square. When a burial has taken place the entrance 

 to the pigeon-hole is built up with masonry and it is in the 

 crevices of this work that Pteris longifolia has established itself. 

 The plants thrive luxuriantly — too luxuriantly, in fact — for the 

 sexton tells me that if unhindered they cover the face of the 

 tombs and obscure the inscriptions. Several times he has been 

 obliged to tear them down and carry them away literally by cart- 

 loads. It may be questioned whether the species is native to the 

 State or not. I am inclined to believe that it is. While it is pos- 

 sible that the first plants may have arisen from fronds used in 

 funeral decorations, the probabilities are not very great, as this 

 species is rarely if ever used in such work. Girod is the oldest 

 of the "American" cemeteries, and has long formed a congenial 

 home for the species. It is possible that an examination of 

 similar situations will show the fern to be fairly common in the 

 State. I have since found it plentiful in the "Old St. Louis Ceme- 

 tery," the most ancient of the French burial places. In January 

 the young fronds were fast uncoiling and its fruit must ripen 

 early in the year. 



Pteris longifolia comes through the Louisiana winter with 

 many fresh green fronds, though the oldest fronds die by the 

 frost. While changing the driers upon some fronds of this 

 species, a heavily fruited frond attracted my attention by giving 

 out a crackling sound which I found was caused by the opening 

 of thousands of spore-cases. The sound was plainly audible at a 

 distance of two feet, and may be likened to the sound of a heavy 

 storm of sleet beating upon the panes of a distant window. When 

 we reflect how very small the individual spore-cases are, the fact 

 that the noise of their opening and shutting may become audible 

 to human ears is remarkable. 



Second Louisiana Record for Pteris serrulata — This 

 species has been recorded from Louisiana by Langlois as an 

 escape, but when a species is not only able to maintain itself in a 

 wild state, but to constantly increase the area it occupies, it is no 

 longer proper to apply this term to it. Langlois apparently found 



