wide-spread species, however, being plentiful in Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, and, doubtless, in other localities; more or less abundant all over the west and northwest, extending east also to Connecticut. The species may be easily known by its small contracted panicle and round seeds, and especially by its strong odor when bruised. It is inclined to grow in bunches or stools, and where most abundant it nearly occupies the ground. The relative proportion of species as they occur in the localities mentioned below, will pretty fairly represent the Graminea in those regions. In one hundred square feet on a high prairie in Jefferson county-Andropogon furcatus, 80 per cent; Andropogon scoparius, 8 per cent; Sorghum nutans, 6 per cent; Koeleria cristata, 4 per cent; Bouteloua curtipendula, 2 per cent. In the same area in another locality in Jefferson county: Sorghum nutans, formed 20 per cent; Andropogan scoparius, 60 per cent; Sporobolus heterolepis, 8 per cent; Panicum virgatum, 8 per cent; Panicum pauciflorum, 4 per cent. Same area in Franklin county, high prairie:-Andropogon furcatus, 6 per cent; Andropogon scoparius, 30 per cent; Sorghum nutans, 45 per cent; Bouteloua curtipendula, 10 per cent; Panicum virgatum, 8 per cent; Panicum dichotomum, 1 per cent. Same area in Anderson county; a thin soil, high prairie:Andropogon scoparius, 50 per cent; Andropogon furcatus, 2 per cent; Sorghum nutans, 40 per cent; Koeleria cristata, 7 per cent; Panicum pauciflorum, 1 per cent. These stations are all on the prairie, where no local conditions determine the character of the vegetation, the soils not affected by alkali or a superabundance of lime, but are good agricultural soils. Other stations are occupied with special species. The strongest alkaline places are almost exclusively occupied with Vilfa cuspidata and V. depauperata, two low-growing species, with very fine leaves thickly set on the ground; probably. nearly worthless for grazing purposes. Another peculiar feature of the country consists of the rocky places, so-called. These are generally found in the vicinity of streams on the ground grading from the high prairies. Their peculiarity consists in being everywhere distinctly lined out and occupied abundantly by a very notable Helianthus, (sunflower,) H. orgyalis, a species peculiar to that region of the country and southward. These localities do not reach the northern portion of the State. These rocky lands furnish the botanist with his richest treasures. Another very notable plant of the southern and middle portions of Kansas, and peculiar to those regions, is Amphiachyris dracunculoides. This is an annual, resembling Solidago linifolia, but bearing an abundance of showy, yellow flowers in September. It has spread from its native habitat,-the rocky soils, to the road sides and into the fields of the farmers, where it has already become a formidable weed. Imagine a field of flax in full bloom, and you have a picture of many fields of the Kansas farmers, only differing in appearance by the flowers being yellow instead of blue. It has different local names, such as Butterweed, Tumble-weed, etc. A shopkeeper in Humboldt, to whom I applied for information, rather contemptuously replied, "Curious any body didn't know tumble weed." Let not our readers imagine that the plant is Amaranthus albus, or Cycloloma platyphylla, that so often tumble over the fences and hedges in Illinois in the autumn months. But the Kansas plant does tumble some, too. When not growing too thickly, it forms a rather bushy, round head. But probably the most notable plant on the prairies, at this season of the year, the most universally distributed, and the most showy, is Salvia Pitcheri, a species of sage, three to five feet high, bearing spikes of copious, rather large, blue flowers. These give coloring to the prairie landscape more or less abundantly (except in the northern counties, where it becomes much rarer) as far as the vision extends on either side, towering above the grasses and most other plants, crowning the whole verdant plain below with a canopy of blue. Another species of Sage (Salvia trichostemoides) is common also. This is more of a weed in appearance, and even threatens to become troublesome to the agriculturist. The general herbaceous flora is largely represented with the Helianthi. Helianthus lenticularis, a showy species, much resembling the common annual sun-flower, is too abundant, being more or less troublesome as a weed to the farmer. Helianthus petiolaris, another annual species, is less common. H. grosseserratus, H. Maximiliani on most rich soils. H. rigidus everywhere abounds, and H. mollis occurs in all the southern portions in immense quantity, but entirely disappears northward. Only Silphium laciniatum was seen. The other notable prairie species of "rosin weed," Silphium terebinthinaceum does not probably occur. These plants I find are looked after by land hunters as indications of a good soil. I find the one species here of all heights, from a foot to six feet; the general average is about three feet this wet season, which is much below the ordinary stature of the plant as seen on the prairies of Illinois. Some other Compositæ are largely represented: Aster multiflorus, Solidago rigidus, S. linifolius, and S. Missouriensis being exceedingly abundant in specimens. The Vernonia fascicularis that gives so much character and notability to the bottom lands and wet prairies of Illinois in the autumn months, is here represented by an allied species, Vernonia Arkansana, but in much fewer specimens. Lespedeza capitata, of the Pea family, is everywhere abundant on the prairies, and cut with the hay often forms too large a portion of tonnage for the interest of the buyer; which also must be said of Liatris scariosa and L. squarrosa; the former sometimes equal to a fourth or fifth of the gross weight of a stack. Two other species, but less abundant, are represented in the State, L. punctata and L. pycnostachya. These noble plants empurple the landscape on thousands of acres in August and September. Gerardia asperifolia is abundant almost everywhere on the prairie, and contributes a good share to the weedy character of the hay. Eryngium Leavenworthii in the extreme south is a showy, handsome plant, and, though a biennial, well deserves a place in ornamental grounds. Mamillaria vivipara and a form of Opuntia Missouriensis represent the Cactaceae, so far as seen. WEEDS.-The Kansas farmer has already introduced his quota of foreign weeds; but he also has some formidable natives to combat, plants that thrive exceedingly with cultivation. Amphiachyris dracunculoides, before mentioned; Croton capitatum, and, perhaps, worst of all, Solanum rostratum, a species that probably combines the bad characters of Datura Stramonium, the clot bur and the sand bur. The plant is an annual, and is already easily established, particularly in the neighborhood of Leavenworth City. The common native Polygonums in many localities have grown so abundantly and so large in the fields as to make them almost inaccessible to a nervous pedestrian. Setaria glauca, (the fox tail) was plentifully introduced on almost every farm in some localities, and flourishes exceedingly. Some of the farmers believe it to be native, so unaccountably has it appeared on their farms. But, like purslane, it insidiously marches westward, and often, doubtless, the seeds are abiding their time for the conditions of soil necessary to their development, for years in advance of the agriculturist. But of the introduced plants we sought in vain through all the Middle and Southern counties for Poa pratensis, the Kentucky blue grass. Why a plant that is so profitable to agriculture, so tenacious of life, and so encroaching on the neighboring species that few things are able to survive its neighborship (even the hazel with the aid of grazing stock is gradually dying out before it in Illinois, and in most parts, especially of central Illinois, the native grasses have long since yielded to its persistent encroachments),-why this species should be entirely absent was left to us without explanation. The residence grounds in the city of Lawrence, many of them tastefully, elegantly, and expensively improved with buildings, were waving with Panicum capillare, varied with species of weeds. AM. JOUR. SCI.-SECOND SERIES, VOL. L, No. 148.-JULY, 1870. Can it be that all this comes from simple neglect of introduction? In the bushy regions in the neighborhood of Leavenworth and Atchison, some blue grass is met on the roadsides; a few pastures near Leavenworth (looking as if doing well) and the city residence lots are frequently occupied with it; but in no other parts of the State was the plant seen. PRAIRIE VEGETATION.-The following catalogues represent the entire native flora on the areas and at the localities mentioned. Soon most of these things will have passed away before the restless plowshare and the all-devouring kine. I give them as a natural history record. 66 One hundred square feet on high prairie in Jefferson county: Sorghum nutans, 20 per cent. Andropogon scoparius 60 per cent. Sporopolus heterolepis 5 Helianthus rigidus 10 per cent. Euphorbia corollata 3 plants. Asclepias tuberosa 1 plant. Petalostemon candidum 3 plants. Coreopsis palmata 1 plant. Panicum virgatum 6 plants. Salvia Pitcheri 1 plant. Solidago Canadensis 1 plant. Solidago rigida 1 plant. Solidago linifolia 1 plant. Same area in Franklin county, high prairie. Sorghum nutans, 60 per cent. Aster oblongifolius 3 plants. Erigeron canadense 1 plant. Bouteloua curtipendula 8 plants. Solidago rigida 1 plant. Panicum virgatum 6 plants. Same area in Anderson county, high prairie, thin soil. Andropogon scoparius, 40 per cent. Linum Boottii 10 plants. Same area in Linn county; high prairie. Liatris squarrosa 8 plants. ART. V.-Notice of some Minerals from New Jersey; by Prof. W. T. REPPER, of Bethlehem, Pa. 1. Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Chrysolite. THE Stirling Hill, Sussex county, N. J., which with its neighbor, the Minehill, seems to be an inexhaustible storehouse of interesting minerals, both scientifically and commercially, has furnished an antitype to Prof. Brush's Hortonolite from the adjoining Orange county. Some years ago I examined a black crystalline massive mineral from this locality, and found it to be a unisilicate of the protoxyds of iron, manganese, zinc and magnesium, and as it showed many of the characteristic physical and chemical properties of chrysolitic minerals, especially that peculiar mottled coloring, which is so marked in olivines, I supposed it a variety of tephroite, that peculiar subspecies of the group having shortly before been rediscovered by Prof. Brush. During a visit to the locality in the course of last year, I succeeded in finding distinct crystals, which at once ranged the mineral unmistakably among the chrysolites. Crystallization. The crystals occur in great numbers, grouped together, and of all sizes, from an eighth of an inch to two inches in length and nearly one inch in breadth. They are mostly rounded, owing to an incipient alteration of the surface through meteoric waters, black and dull on the outside, but with lustrous and brilliant cleavages on being broken. Some of them, however, are sharp, and allow of a measurement of angles at least by the hand-goniometer. The dominant forms are: 12 (angle over u, 130°), i (izɅu, 115°), 1ī (angle at top, 77°). Generally subordinate I have observed the following forms: 2, 1-2, 1-2, O, and a face replacing combination edge i-21-7 with parallel |