THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



117 



less, than to know so much that ain't so." Our reflections are 

 directed anew to this observation by an article in Something 

 to Do^ in which a prominent New England author of outdoor 

 books attempts to direct children in a hunt for mosses, but suc- 

 ceeds in mentioning only plants that by no stretch of the defi- 

 nition can be regarded as true mosses. He lists the gray moss 

 (Usnea) which is a lichen, the club moss (Lycopodium) one of 

 the fernworts, the reindeer moss (C/aJoma ) another lichen, and 

 the scale mosses which are bryophytes but not true mosses. W e 

 cannot understand why our author w^as so moderate as to stop 

 here. He could, with as much warrant have added the Spanish 

 moss (Tillandsia), the flowering moss {Pyxidamthera) , the 

 ditch moss (Elodea), the rose moss (Portida^a) and the moss 

 pink {Phlox). All these are as much mosses as any that he 

 did mention. Never, even by chance, do the newspapers slip 

 in an authentic article on plants. A rather extended reading of 

 such literature inclines us to the opinion that the selection of 

 matter for reprinting is usually entrusted to the office boy. 



^ ^ ^ 



It has been recently proposed that we get together a group 

 of people interested in plants for the simultaneous recording of 

 certain facts about plants. The plan is to take up some ques- 

 tion and call for observations on it from all interested and from 

 these reports to make up a composite report to be published in 

 this magazine. Already a considerable number have asked to 

 be included in the list and we would be glad if all of our readers 

 who are interested would join us. There are no dues, fees, 

 or obligations of_ any kind. All we ask is such information as 

 each can supply as dif¥erent subjects come up. The subjects 

 will vary with the seasons. Perhaps it may be a list of the 

 fragrant flowers to be constructed, perhaps data on the time 

 certain flowers open or stay open, perhaps a list of herbs that 

 bear berries, etc., etc. Replies can usually be sent in on a post 

 card. Those who will join us in this new kind of botanizing 



