its sterile frond. The smallest divisions of the sterile frond were, a few of them, changed to fertile clusters. In this connection I would state that a smaller, delicate form of B. lanceolatum Angström, having the sterile segment less dissected, appears to me a decided variety. I have collected both forms on Lake Superior.

The remarks in the February number on Onoclea sensibilis var. obtusilobata Torr., lead me to say that this variety was found by me some seasons ago on the banks of the Bloody Run, Detroit. To my observation it is quite rare. Mr. Crittenden's plant does not seem to me to differ essentially from mine, in which some of the segments of the pinnæ are much contracted and revolute, though most of them preserve the foliaceous character, particularly at and towards the summit of the frond. Intermediate states and partially developed forms would naturally be expected.

To the white varieties, or albinos, which I have already noticed, I would add the following, since contributed to my list: Cirsium muticum Michx., abundant in 1868, and the rare Arethusa bulbosa Linn., and Calopogon pulchellus R. Brown, in former years.-HENRY GILLMAN, Detroit.

DOUBLE THALICTRUM ANEMONOIDES. -Enclosed is the photograph of a double flower of the Thalictrum anemonoides Michx. I found it in the woods at "Cedar Ridge," a locality known to all readers of the NATURALIST who have been in Poughkeepsie. It was growing in the midst of other plants of the usual form of T. anemonoides. Every stamen and pistil was transformed, so that the flower was completely double; and both for its exceeding and exquisite beauty, and the rarity of a double natural flower, I had its picture taken. -M. M. SHATTUCK, Poughkeepsie.

BOTANICAL NOTES.-The mention of certain species in your botanical notes has reminded me of an individual of Trillium erythrocarpum gathered here, having the parts in fours, viz.: four leaves, four sepals, four petals, and eight stamens. I have never met with another, and do not know whether such variation is common or not. Also of the occurrence of Saxifraga aizoon and several other northern species on Kennebeckasis Bay. Altogether, we know of the occurrence in this Province and in Eastern and Northern Maine, of twelve arctic and subarctic species, sixty boreal or high northern (ranging by Lake Superior to the Arctic Circle) and sixteen western or continental species, rare or wanting in the United States, east of New York.-G. F. MATTHEWS, St. John, N. B.

IS THE ELDER A NATIVE PLANT?-Looking over the NATURALIST for March, 1868, I find that an enquiry has been made whether Sambucus Canadensis is a native plant. If the question is not already settled it may not be useless to state, even at this day, that both that and S. pubens, or their Western representatives, are common in Washington Territory and Oregon, and that one of them, if not both, extend as far South at least as Humboldt Bay, California, where I have seen a tree as large round as a man's thigh. George Gibbs, New York.

ZOOLOGY.

NORTH ATLANTIC DREDGING EXPEDITION.-On page 278 (paragraph next to last) of the July number of the NATURALIST, reference is made to deep sea-dredging by Dr. Carpenter and Wyville Thompson, of England, a government steamer having been placed at their disposal for the purpose. Upon the back of a letter recently received from my friend Dr. P. P. Carpenter, of Montreal, he writes that "Buccinum undatum was found living at a depth of 1300 fathoms!! by my nephew and J. G. Jeffreys, on H.M. ship Porcupine." The donkey-engine was used to hoist the dredge. The deep-sea dredging operations of the late Prof. Edward Forbes, of Sars, and MacAndrew, disclosed facts entirely inconsistent with the theory that prevailed previous to their investigations, in reference to the depth below the surface of the sea at which animal life could exist. With the data already in our possession, it is highly probable that farther investigations will show still more surprising results, and that life will be found to exist at depths greatly exceeding that mentioned by Dr. Carpenter. Humboldt, climbing Chimborazo, found flies buzzing around him at a height of over 18000 feet, and scientific research may yet show life from an equal depth below the sea-level.-R. E. C. STEARNS.

PARASITES OF ASCIDIANS.-In the Ascidians of Northern Europe a great number of parasitic Crustacea, mostly small Entomostracas, have been observed. Some of these are of peculiar interest, but in this country very little attention has been devoted to this subject. In dissecting a specimen of the commonest Ascidian (Ascidia callosa) of the coast of Maine recently, I found in the interior an interesting amphipod Crustacean, not yet determined specifically. Its length is about a quarter of an inch. Doubtless many other species of Crustaceans might be found by carefully searching this and other common Ascidians. Dr. Stimpson, in his "Shells of New England," p. 12, observes that in Europe the species of Crenella (Modiolaria) have the habit of burrowing in the test of Ascidians, while on this coast the same species do not have this habit. We found, however, at Eastport last season, a specimen of Ascidia callosa, with a small specimen of Modiolaria discors completely embedded in its test.-A. E. VERRILL.

LABRADOR DUCK.-In the August (1868) NATURALIST, A. R. Y. mentions that the Pied or Labrador duck, was shot on Long Island last winter. I would be much obliged to A. R. Y. if he would let me know if the specimens shot were full-plumaged males, and who has them? This is a very interesting bird to the naturalist, from the fact of its being so rare, and I had almost begun to think the bird had left us, as I had not heard of a full-plumaged male being taken for ten years. I have been shown two which were taken for the young, but one was a young albino Scoter, and the other I did not know. Not many years ago it was a common bird all along our coast, from Delaware to Labrador; and in the New York market there would at times be dozens of them; and then for a few years not

one. It would be very interesting to know where they have gone. Though so much has been learned of the distribution, summer and winter homes of birds within a few years, their breeding habits, line of travel north and south, and from the numerous collectors who have gone to Labrador, the fur countries and across the continent; yet not one word is said about the Labrador duck, a common bird a few years ago. So good a flyer and diver cannot be extinct like the clumsy Alca impennis (Great Auk), and any collector who may take a full-plumaged bird, or knows where they have gone, by letting it be known in the NATURALIST, would interest many of its readers.-GEO. A. BOARDMAN, Milltown, Me.

WINTER BIRDS OF NEW YORK.-I send you the following list of birds seen in the vicinity of Utica, N. Y., throughout the winter of 1868-'9:Pine Grosbeak (Corythus enucleator), have seen several flocks in the streets of the city. Barred Owl (Syrnium nebulosum), very common. Mottled Owl (Scops asio), not uncommon. Snow Bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis), very common after a snow storm. Lapland Bunting (Plectrophanes Lapponica), not common. Snow Bird (Fringilla Hudsonica), common, in severe weather becoming half domesticated. Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), common, though seldom seen out of the coniferous forests. White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera); this species, though often seen, is much rarer than the former. Cedar Bird (Bombycilla Carolinensis), not common. Lesser Redpoll (Linaria minor), abundant during autumn and winter. Downy Woodpecker (Picus pubescens), very common. Hairy Woodpecker (Picus villosus), not very abundant. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Carolinensis), very abundant. Black-cap Tit (Parus atricapillus), the commonest of our winter birds. American Crow (Corvus Americanus), common. Blue Jay (Corvus cristatus), not common. Canada Jay (Corvus Canadensis), uncommon. Ruffed Grouse (Tetrao umbellus), common, but becoming rarer every year. Redtailed Hawk (Falco borealis), common. Golden-eye Duck (Anas clangula), rare, I have seen but one individual this winter.-C. E. WILLIAMS, Utica, N. Y.

PREPARATION of Birds' Eggs. — Allow me to suggest a method that I now invariably employ. Instead of the two holes to blow the egg by, I make one hole in the centre of the side of the egg, always selecting the side that is the least spotted, or the most, or as any particular fancy suggests. It should be made by an egg-drill, such as is furnished by the Smithsonian Institution, and at natural history stores. It is like a carpenter's countersink, only much finer. After making the hole, if the egg is fresh, draw the contents with a small glass syringe; if nearly hatched, draw such parts through the opening with a fine hook, made of a fine needle set in a handle, and cut as fast as drawn with a thin sharp pair of scissors. With the syringe all liquid may be drawn nicely. I drew last summer thirty crow blackbirds' eggs in as many minutes, and did not hurry either. Is there any objection to my method?-BALDWIN COOLIDGE, Lawrence, Mass.

ON THE EARLY STAGES OF BRACHIOPODS.-The writer made a visit to Eastport, Maine, early in the summer, for the purpose of discovering the early stages of a species of Brachiopod (Terebratulina septentrionalis Couth.) so abundant in those waters. As little has been known regarding the early stages of this class of animals the facts here presented will be of interest, as settling beyond a doubt their intimate relations with the Polyzoa. As the subject will be fully presented at the meeting of the American Association, only the more important features will be mentioned here. In a few individuals the ovaries were found partially filled with eggs. The eggs (Fig. 65) were kidney shaped, and resembled the statoblasts of Fredericella. No intermediate stages were seen between the eggs and the form represented in Fig. 66. This stage recalled in general proportions Megerlia or Argiope in being transversely oval, in having the hinge-margin wide and straight and in the large foramen. Fig. 65. Fig. 66. Fig. 67. Fig. 68. Fig. 69. Fig. 70. Fig. 71.

Between this stage and the next the shell elongates until we have a form remarkably like Lingula (Fig. 67), having, like Lingula, a peduncle longer than the shell, by which it holds fast to the rock. It suggests also in its movements the nervously acting Pedicellina.

In this and the several succeeding stages, the mouth points directly backward (forward of authors), or, away from the peduncular end (Fig. 68), and is surrounded by a few ciliated cirri, which forcibly recall certain Polyzoa. The stomach and intestine form a simple chamber, alternating in their contractions and forcing the particles of food from one portion to the other. At this time also the brownish appearance of the walls of the stomach resembles the hepatic folds of the Polyzoa. Fig. 69 shows a more advanced stage, where a fold is seen on each side of the stomach; from this fold the complicated liver of the adult is developed, first, by a few diverticular appendages, as seen in Fig. 70.

When the animal is about one-eighth of an inch in length the lophophore begins to assume the horseshoe shaped form of Pectinatella and other high Polyzoa. The mouth at this stage (Fig. 70) begins to turn towards the dorsal valve (ventral of authors), and as the central lobes of the lophophore begin to develop, the lateral arms are deflected as in Fig. 71. In these stages an epistome is very marked, and it was noticed that the end of the intestine was held to the mantle by attachment, as in the adult, reminding one of the funiculus in the Phylactolæmata. No traces of an anus were discovered, though many specimens were carefully examAMER. NATURALIST, VOL. III.

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ined under high powers for this purpose, the intestine of the adult being repeatedly ruptured under the compressor without showing any evidence of an anal aperture.-EDWARD S. MORSE.

SARCOPSYLLA (PULEX) PENETRANS. - Having had some personal acquaintance with the doings of this insect, allow me to make a few observations suggested by the account of it in the "Guide to the Study of Insects," p. 390. "The best preventatives (Webster gives preventives) against its attacks are cleanliness, and the constant wearing of shoes or slippers when in the house, and of boots when out of doors."

As I was not in the habit of going entirely barefooted, I cannot say whether I would have been more troubled by the nigua (Spanish) — or jigger (Florida), or chigoe or chique (French); bicho is applied to almost any sort of bug-than with shoes, or with shoes and stockings; and as I never wore boots I am not sure how much protection they would have afforded in either case. I imagined too that I was not unmindful of cleanliness-in general. By this it is not to be understood that I was not at times hardly presentable. I may even confess that I was sometimes dirty-yea, very dirty. I went into the woods among the bushes and tall grasses often dripping with water. Sometimes I slid or rolled down the hills, or slipped up in the muddy roads. I had to climb trees, yes, shin up them, and when wet too,-or miss the flowers in their very tops. I waded in ponds of very dirty water and in creeks clear as crystal, till my feet were soaked, even parboiled; yet the niguas would bore into them. More than once too they have penetrated my fingers, and I will not suffer the imputation that these were habitually unclean, which would be the inference from the confession that jiggers entered them, if it were a fact that uncleanliness is favorable to their entrance. But the truth is that their entrance is due to their own instinct alonetheir continuance there to neglect. It may be that they take more to some persons than to others, as vermin generally are said to do; though this, again, is attributed to uncleanliness in the parties so affected. At all events it seems certain that some persons are less sensitive to these pests, or that they are less or not at all attacked by them. Some persons say that fleas do not get upon them. They may be of the hardskinned sort.

The male "nigua" looks like a small flea, but does not jump, only runs. These may be often seen in places much frequented by swine particularly, and in the mills for hulling coffee, much like old-fashioned cider mills, the area of which is dry and trodden to dust by the oxen which draw the wheel. I have seen them also where a pet deer was accustomed to lie.

The female is rarely seen till felt. It is she alone that penetrates the skin. The male causes no annoyance. After traversing woods frequented by swine have often had to extract some of the females on the following day, if I discovered their presence, which was not always the case. She enters the skin, vertically, just her own length. The tip