—17— 



English "A large species akin to E. Hyemale, grows on the banks 

 of the Mississippi River in large bushes rising about six feet ; the 

 stems are as thick as the finger : the cattle are fond of it in winter 

 and the joiners employed it to polish wood." 



There can be no doubt about the species. It is the only Bquise- 

 tuni found near New Orleans, where it grows in such quantities 

 on the banks of the Mississippi that the cattle still graze on it its 

 the winter and spring. I am told too that it is still occasionally 

 used by the darkies for polishing wood. — R. S. Corks, New 

 Orleans. 



VARIATIONS IN THE HABITAT OF TWO FERNS. 



I notice on page 81 of the July Bulletin, in your "Helps for 

 the Beginner," that you refer to Nephrodium spinulosum dilatatum 

 as a mountain fern. This is our form common at sea level. It is 

 not an alpine fern with us, nor is it so on the Aleutian Islands 

 nor on the coast about Nome City. I did not see it on the 

 mountains in Southeastern Alaska. Mrs. Parsons also speaks of 

 this as a mountain fern. What seems to be true in the East does 

 not hold good here. 



On the Prince of Wales Island I noticed that our common 

 Lomaria Spicant was perfectly at home above the snow line, while 

 it is not an alpine fern here. It is rather difficult to account for 

 these peculiarities. — /. B. Flctt, Tacoma, ]\ J ash. 



JAMES ANSEL GRAVES. 



Elsewhere in this number appears the portrait of James Ansel 

 Graves, a botanist of ability, and one who has played a most im- 

 portant part in building up the Fern Chapter. As treasurer, he 

 has, through the ten years of its existence, devotel much of his 

 time to the writing necessary to increase the membership, which 

 has resulted in making him a wide circle of friends. 



Mr. Graves was born at Blenheim, N. Y., Nov. 16. 1828, and 

 his boyhood was spent in this town and the adjoining one of 

 Roxbury, near the head waters of the Delaware. He received a 

 good common school education, and at 18 years of age obtained 



