66 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
but it is quite possible to produce the symptoms of hay fever 
in the winter by snuffing up one of the toxic pollens. 
Production of Cocoa. — Fifty years ago, the inhabitants 
of the United States seem to have known very little about 
cocoa and chocolate. The consumption of this food averaged 
about three-fifths of an ounce for each person. Since then 
the use of cocoa in the United States has become twenty times 
as great. In 1903 it is estimated that we used more than two 
hundred and eighty million pounds. 
The Sunflower and the Sun. — A writer in a current 
natural history magazine scouts the idea that the common sun- 
flower constantly keeps its head of flowers turned toward the 
sun. It is quite likely that a plant whose flower heads are as 
large as those of the garden sunflower would find it difficult 
to turn them daily through half of a circle, but the smaller 
and lighter species of sunflowers seem to do so. 
Orientation of Solomon's-seal. — One can hardly fail 
to notice 'in a patch of Solomon's-seal {Polygonatum giganfe- 
um) that practically all the fruiting stalks bend in the same 
direction. Further observation will be necessary to determine 
whether the direction in which the stalks bend is due to light, 
wind, or warmth. Observations on this point will be welcome. 
In sunny swamps the fronds of the common chain fern ( Wood- 
war dia Virginica) usually face the sun, and many a colony of 
sunloving plants on the borders of woodlands face away from 
the shadows, but the Solomon's-seal is ordinarily a shade 
plant and possibly some other explanation of its turning must 
be found. 
An Unfortunate Sunflower. — There is an old story 
of a country boy who caught an owl and finding that the bird 
could apparently turn his head completely around, was able 
to wring its neck by the simple expedient of attracting its 
attention and then vv^alking around its perch several times. A 
