NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 101 



wishing to continue the species, which was founded on a single tree, caused 

 acorns from it to be planted in different places, from which two living trees are 

 now known ; one at the Bartram garden mentioned in a former paper, and the 

 other in the old Marshall garden. 



The Hoopes tree is about 15 feet high and 23 inches in diameter, and its 

 leaves have a striking resemblance to Michaux's figure of the Bartram Oak. 

 This may be caused in part from a tendency in many young oak trees to have 

 lobed leaves, often quite different from those of mature trees of the same 

 species. This is well known to many observers. Mr. T. Meehan, of German- 

 town, has specimens similar to Q. heterophylla, from Townsend, in New Castle 

 County, Delaware, collected from the young shoots growing around a stump, 

 surrounded by living willow oaks, of which it had every appearance of having 

 been one. 



The following is an extract from a letter lately received from Mr. Hoopes : 



"There is a Bartram Oak in the garden at Marshallton, with foliage corres- 

 ponding to the figure in Michaux, yielding acorns, which produce trees having 

 foliage true to the original." 



Dr. Darlington lately told me what amounts to the same as that just quoted 

 from Mr. Hoopes. Should these trees maintain their present distinctive cha- 

 racters, and continue to produce trees of the same sort, it will be an example 

 of the formation of a new species from a form of an old one ; nor is it by any 

 means improbable that the Bartram Oak may become distinct from its parent, 

 the willow oak. It is believed by some botanists that new species have been 

 formed, and are now being made from varieties of old species ; but human life 

 is so short that we cannot perceive the long gradual changes necessary for 

 this creative process. These Bartram Oaks should be carefully preserved and 

 propagated, that future generations may see whether a good species of Quercus 

 heterophylla has been thus created. 



It is singular that acorns from the original Bartram Oak should yield trees 

 of such different foliage as the one at the old Bartram garden, and that at 

 Marshallton. The oak in the Bartram place shows a tendency to breed back 

 to tbe original stock of the willow oak, while the one at Marshallton seems to 

 keep most of the characters of its Immediate parent, the Bartram Oak. In 

 confimation of this I have just received the following note from Mr. Meehan 

 in reference to some Bartram Oaks now being raised by Mr. Buist. 



"Mr. Buist says his seedlings from the Bartram Oak all approach the 

 willow oak, but none quite like, all having a few lobed leaves. His seed was 

 gathered by himself from the tree in the Bartram garden which I pointed out 

 to you. T. Meehan." 



These seedlings as they acquire age will probably be much more like the 

 willow oak than at present, young trees often having foliage different from 

 mature trees, as before stated. 



March ith. 



The President, Mr. Lea, in the Chair. 



Twenty-eight members present. 



The following papers were presented for publication : 



Synopsis of the Cirrhitoids ; On the limits and arrangement of the 

 Scomberoids ; Descriptions of new species of Alepidosauridae ; and on a 

 new species of Priacanthus. By Theodore Grill. 



On a tropical Isopod found near the shores of Massachusetts, by "Win. 

 Stimpson. 



1862.] 



