[The testimony of early travellers touching the existence of _Cucurbita maxima_ in America before the arrival of Europeans has been collected and supplemented by Messrs. Asa Gray and Trumbull (_American Journal of Science_, 1883, p. 372). They confirm the fact already known, that the natives cultivated species of _Cucurbita_ under American names, of which some remain in the modern idiom of the United States. None of these early travellers has noted the botanical characters by which Naudin established the distinction between _C. maxima_ and _C. Pepo_, and consequently it is still doubtful to which species they referred. For various reasons I had already admitted that _C. Pepo_ was of American origin, but I retain my doubts about _C. maxima_. After a more attentive perusal of Tragus and Matthiolo than I had bestowed upon them, Asa Gray and Trumbull notice that they call _Indian_ whatever came from America. But if these two botanists did not confound the East and West Indies, several others, and the public in general, did make this confusion, which occasioned errors touching the origin of species which botanists were liable to repeat. A further indication in favour of the American origin of _C. maxima_ is communicated by M. Wittmack, who informs me that seeds, certified by M. Naudin to belong to this species, have been found in the tombs of Ancon. This would be conclusive if the date of the latest burials at Ancon were certain. See on this head the article on _Phaseolus vulgaris_.—AUTHOR’S NOTE, 1884.] +Pumpkin+—_Cucurbita Pepo_ and _C. Melopepo_, Linnæus. Modern authors include under the head of _Cucurbita Pepo_ most of the varieties which Linnæus designated by this name, and also those which he called _C. Melopepo_. These varieties are very different as to the shape of the fruit, which shows a very ancient cultivation. There is the Patagonian pumpkin, with enormous cylindrical fruit; the _sugared pumpkin_, called Brazilian; the vegetable marrow, with smaller long-shaped fruit; the _Barberine_, with knobby fruit; the _Elector’s hat_, with a curiously shaped conical fruit, etc. No value should be attached to the local names in this designation of varieties, for we have often seen that they express as many errors as varieties. The botanical names attributed to the species by Naudin and Cogniaux are numerous, on account of the bad habit which existed not long ago of describing as species purely garden varieties, without taking into account the wonderful effects of cultivation and selection upon the organ for the sake of which the plant is cultivated.