Griffiths : Anthurus borealis Burt 629 



The first collection imadc the past season was on the eighth of 

 October, in a rectangular plot of ground at the rear of tlic Library of 

 Columbia University. The area is planted with ornamental shrub- 

 bery, and is completely covered with a thin layer of manure and 

 rubbish used as a mulching for the young shrubbery. The sur- 

 face of the ground has not been disturbed since early spring. 

 The soil is a yellow clay mixed with considerable sand. There 

 are surrounding the library four of these rectangular areas, one at 

 each of the four angles of the building. The treatment of the soil, 

 the planting and the mulching has been practically the same on 

 the four areas during the season, but the two rear ones alone fur- 

 nished crops of AntJiurus. The one at the northeast corner pro- 

 duced but about a half dozen plants, but the one at the north- 

 west corner furnished a great number. The locality where the 

 plants were developed in abundance was, therefore, a shaded one, 

 partially protected on all sides by buildings and trees. 



It is certain that some plants matured and decayed before their 

 presence was discovered ; but the activity of several collectors in 

 the vicinity would reduce the probability of their appearance to not 

 earlier than the first of October. The last mature plants were col- 

 lected on the 20th of the same month. On two occasions after 

 this date, however, good sized eggs were secured. The last eggs 



+ 



were obtained on the 26th. These elongated in a moist chamber 

 on the 29th. We can then say that th 



fc> 



We can then say that the plant appeared approxi- 

 mately during the entire month of October. Doubtless the sud- 

 di^w decline of the temperature from the 19th to the 22d, the 

 drouth which prevailed from this period onward, and the continual 

 disturbance of the ground in search for the eggs all contributed to 

 prev^ent further development after the 20th. 



An abundance of material in various stages of development has 

 been preserved. No less than two dozen eggs were allowed to 

 develop in a moist chamber. One not over i ^^ cm. in diameter 

 produced an apparently normal plant of but 6 cm. in length. Sev- 

 eral smaller ^SIZ'^ than this were secured, but none of them de- 



veloped. The smallest cg^ seen was 3 mm. in diameter. The 

 largest plant secured was one which developed naturally on the 

 campus. It measured a little more than 19 cm. in length. The 

 largest plant in the accompanying cut developed in a moist cham- 



