178 



companied by descriptions of a largo number of new fossil plants. 

 Prof. Cope's report on the fossil vertebrates of Colorado contains 

 descriptions of several new species with eight lithographic plates 

 illustrating them. The zoology of Colorado is treated of in 

 papers by Lt. Carpenter, Baron Osten Sacken, Dr. Hagen, and 

 Messrs. Ulke, Smith, Vcrrill, Binney, and Packard. The report 

 on the geography and topography of Colorado, by Mr. James T. 

 Gardiner, possesses a high degree of interest, and is an important 

 contribution to American geography. 



BOTANY. 



The Lotus in the Detroit River. — Early in the summer of 

 1868, I attempted the introduction of the Lotus or Chincopin 

 (Ndumbium luteum Willd.) into the Detroit River, by planting the 

 seed in nine different places. In company with Mr. Richard 

 Storrs Willis, I planted (May 2, 18G8) some of the seed in three 

 places in the Bayou, at his residence at Belle Isle. Mr. Willis 

 subsequently informed me that one plant was the result of my 

 sowing ; but I do not know that it ever arrived at perfection. I 

 have not known of my other locations resulting in even this par- 

 tial success. But last summer, at a field meeting of the Detroit 

 Scientific Association, at Grosse Isle, several of the flowers of this 

 beautiful species were brought me for determination by Miss 

 Douglass, who had discovered and gathered them the day before 

 (August 11, 1874) in the Cannard River, Ontario (a tributary of 

 the Detroit) opposite Grosse Isle. They may have been over- 

 looked there a long time. The year previous a young lad had told 

 of finding, in the Cannard. a water lily different from all others, 

 which led to the above result. 



A gentleman has also succeeded in growing the plants from 

 seed in the Rouge River, which falls into the Detroit a few miles 

 below the city. They blossomed for the first time last summer. 

 Another friend, who sowed the seed a year or so ago, has bad us 

 yet no appearance of its growth. I am aware that it often takes 

 years to germinate after planting. On August 12, 1872. a seed 

 which I had planted in my aquarium, 4£ years before, rose to the 

 surface of the water in the act of germinating. It afterward 

 sank to the bottom, and settling in the mud, but not rooting, sent 

 out a long shoot, which (leaf and petiole), on August 17, in 21 

 hours, grew 4£ inches in length, the weather being very warm. 



