322 Field Museum or Natural History — Reports, Vol. V. 



subtropical garden was a scrubby tree of the Strychnine family, Strych- 

 nos spinosuSy with large green or yellow fruit superficially resembling a 

 grapefruit, but with a hard shell and chocolate colored pulp of pleasant 

 taste and a clove like fragrance. A flowering and fruiting branch of this 

 has also been added to the exhibits. One of the main lines of investiga- 

 tion and experimental culture pursued at the garden concerns Avocadoes, 

 or Alligator Pears. Numerous varieties from diverse localities are 

 being tried out here, with a view to the introduction into Florida of 

 those found most suitable and valuable for general cultivation. Three 

 thoroughly well-defined types, a Guatemalan, a Mexican and a West 

 Indian, together with a Guatemalan-Mexican hybrid, were considered 

 of sufficient public interest to be added to the collection. Of these 

 reproductions were made. A number of other plants especially desired 

 by the Department for its exhibits were collected and cast or modeled in 

 part during the period in Miami. Such are the Seven-year Apple 

 {Casasia)y PandanuSy the Screw-pine, in flower; Casuarina Australian 

 Pine or Beef-wood tree. Long staple Cotton, Water Hyacinth, etc. 

 A pitcher-plant of the southern large-leaved, yellow flowered species, 

 Sarracenia flava,wa,s collected on the return to Chicago in the latter part 

 of May. A single pitcher of this plant, measuring 38 inches, has since 

 been reproduced and placed on exhibition. Some tubers and plants 

 which were brought back in a living condition are being grown for the 

 Museum by the Garfield Park greenhouse. Among these are a large 

 Yam, a Zamia, etc. A Spider Lily {Hymenocallis caribcBo) from Florida, 

 grown at Garfield Park, has been reproduced as a type of Amaryllid lily. 

 Within the last few months a Banana plant (a flowering and fruiting 

 specimen) has been reproduced complete and has been installed tempora- 

 rily on the gallery. Also a sprouted Cocoanut showing the relation of 

 the seedling plant to the seed and old husk; a Cocoanut flower enlarged; 

 the flowers of Casuarina enlarged; enlarged flowers of Scrophularia; 

 enlarged flowers of Sagittaria; a branch of a Quince from Fort Valley, 

 Georgia; awitches'-broom on the Sand pine; a mounted dry specimen of 

 air plant (Tillandsia) ; a reproduction of the Natal Plimi, a branch with 

 fruits and flowers. A set of tomatoes, parasitized by the different fungi 

 that constitute the main pests of this industry, were obtained at the 

 Miami Laboratory, where this matter was being investigated, and were 

 reproduced for the economic collections. At the same time pure cultures 

 of the fungi in question were furnished by the plant-pathologist, and it 

 is the intention of the Department to exhibit in connection with the 

 affected fruit a model of each fungus sufficiently enlarged to make its 

 structure plain to the naked eye. A longitudinal section of a common 

 Fig enlarged, together with a corresponding model of the male fig, or 



