The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist

1. FLORA OF CANADA.-Canadian botanists will be pleased to learn that the series of "Colonial Floras," now being published under authority of the Home Government, is rapidly progressing; and that Sir William Hooker is now desirous of receiving con. tributions to the projected Flora of Canada and other British American Provinces, of which Dr. Joseph Hooker is to be the author. As to the nature of materials desired, it may be stated generally that information respecting the occurrence in Canada of plants not hitherto recorded as Canadian, when accompanied by authenticated specimens, will be most useful. In a letter from Sir William, he observes: "Our own materials [at Kew] are very ample for the object in question; nevertheless I am far from discouraging any from sending to us well-prepared specimens, among which it is probable we should find some new things, and more still which would be useful as showing the geographical distribution of species. Most of all we desire, as far as Canada is concerned, that specimens be collected largely in the most southern districts, as there would probably be found United States species not yet recorded as Canadian. The oaks, the pines, and in general the forest-trees and shrubs, particularly of the South, require a careful study. You define clearly the plants we most desire to have, viz., VOL. I.

No. 1.

such as are not already published as Canadian, or as are of critical interest."

2. CANADIAN GINSENG.-My friend and former pupil, Dr. John C. Schültz, the active Secretary of the Scientific Institute of Rupert's Land, called attention some time ago to the trade which was then being carried on in exporting ginseng Aralia quinquefolia from Minnesota to China. In western Minnesota the root is collected by Indians, and sold to traders in St. Paul's for a dollar a pound, to be carried to New York for export. Dr. Schültz, seeing several barrels of it at St. Paul's, wisely suggested to Canadians the propriety of taking up this lucrative branch of industry. In a letter which I have received from Sir William Hooker, that veteran botanist observes: "I am glad to see the subject of the American ginseng alluded to. Is it the fact that it is still largely exported to China? and what are the statistics? Now would appear to be the time to send it. I can assure you, that, old botanist as I am, and with correspondents all over the world, with two collectors I have had in Manchuria, intimate with all the Russian botanists, I have never been able to procure even a dried specimen of the Chinese ginseng. With great

difficulty Dr. Bunge obtained for me a single dried root, for which three guineas was paid in the country. I have no doubt your ginseng is every bit as good as that of Manchuria, and certainly the Chinese once thought so."

3. CANADIAN NUTS AND GOOSEBERRIES.-I find that the common hazel-nut of central Canada is Corylus rostrata; that of the Northern States and of the plains west from Canada, C. Americana, which in Canada is local, occurring abundantly in some places however, as at Belleville, where it was pointed out to me by Mr. J. McCoun. The common smooth gooseberry of Upper Canada is Ribes rotundifolium. The more prevalent one in the New England States is, according to Prof. Gray, R. hirtellum.

4. CANADIAN HABITATS of Diplostachyum apodum.—Mr. Josiah Jones Bell, of Carleton Place, one of my former pupils, has given me specimens of this very interesting lycopod, collected by him at Dickson's Point, Mississippi Lake, C. W., August, 1863. The only Canadian localities previously known were Detroit River, C. W., where it was found by Dr. P. W. Maclagan; and Belleville, C. W., where Mr. McCoun pointed it out to me last sumI have since found it in a fertile state in the grass by the

mer.

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