
          847.

*In one of the spathes, I found a snail.

the other coming up.  While looking for the spathes* I found in one
place the ripened fruit still in good condition.  I broke it open and
took out three of the seeds.  I examined one to see if I could detect 
the embryo but failed to do so.  In this same swamp grows the
Chain Fern.  Woodwardis angustifolia.  The old stalks when touched now
send out clouds of spores.  Here, too, I found in several places
great heaps of the samaras of the Tulip-tree.  I examined these, and
found that in all cases the basal-cross-shaped end had been cracked
open and the seeds extracted.  Each samara contains generally two seeds,
flattish and slightly twisted, on account of their cramped quarters, about
the size of canary-seed.  These heaps were found generally at the base
of tree-trunks; at one place, thought I found these on either both sides
of a fallen tree, the trunk still partly raised from the ground.  I
think, on account of the smallness of the seeds that this is done by birds.
The space covered by these heaps was generally almost entirely around, at least
half-way around the trunk.  The tree selected was not always a Tulip-
tree.  It would be most interesting to see how these heaps are
really made.  Does one bird or animal or many help to form them.
No doubt many; but it seems strange that the remains should be
collected together in heaps.  In one place, where there was an
        