THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 97 
which I did with difficulty, as they were extremely rare. These 
confirmed his opinion as to its being a new species and he will pub- 
lish it under the name of Ciboria Dallasina E. and E. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
NOTE AND COMMENT. 
The Dwarf Blue Curls. — In connection with Mr. Terry's 
valual)le article in this issue, the editor would note that the 
dwarf blue curls {Prunella vulgaris nana) in his grounds appear^ 
to bloom as freely as the large plants of roadsides and ditches. 
AVith us it roots at nearly every joint and is thus able to spread 
with great rapidity. 
Onions as a Rival to the ANEROiD.--In some country house- 
holds there are to be seen at the present time twelve large onions 
placed in a row, with a pinch of salt on the top of each. What 
mission have these odoriferous roots to perform? They are 
there, the Agricultural World explains, as wxather prophets. The 
onions were set in position on Christmas Day. They will be kept 
on guard until Twelfth Night. Then the believer in their pro- 
phetic office will examine them with scrupulous care. On some 
onions the salt will have melted ; on others it will have remained 
dry. Each onion represents a month. A rainy month is indicat- 
ed when the salt has melted, and a dry month when it has kept 
intact. 
A New Local Botanical Club. — The constitution of the 
American Botanical club provides that when there are five mem- 
bers in one locality these may form a local branch which is tO' be 
given a number and the name of some flower, the latter chosen by 
the branch itself. Acting upon this, Mr. H. S. Clark has secur- 
ed for Connecticut the honor of possessing the first branch by es- 
tablishing at Hartford, Erodium Branch No. i. Mr. Clark has 
been elected president and Miss K. A. Bartholomew, secretary. 
The meetings will be held on the first Monday evening in each 
month. By forming a local club such as this students of plants 
can gain many new ideas that might not come to them working 
alone and the example of Erodium Branch is recommjended to 
others. Tb^^ 1 --^-^^h receives its name from the fact that the pre- 
sident recently found the first Erodium moschatum reported from 
Connecticut. 
