THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 79 



About a mile from where we reached the top we found 

 growing on the edge of the precipice the moss Hylocomniiun 

 (Hypnum) nigosuiii. This spot is one of the few known sta- 

 tions for this rare moss in the state. The bear berry, Arcto- 

 sfaphylos Uva-Ursi, grows here in abundance, forming dense 

 mats on the brow of the chffs. Other mosses found were 

 Anouiodon vificiilosiis, Raphidostegiiun cylindrocarpiiiu, and 

 Thuidium abiefimun. 



After Hngering for a while to gaze at the beautiful wa- 

 terfalls formed by the melting snows in the fields above the 

 cliffs we slowly took our way downward by a different path 

 than that by which we had ascended. Here I collected my 

 first wall rue, Aspleuiinii Ruta-inuraria, and was surprised 

 and pleased to learn that this was a new station for eastern 

 New York. 



Many fossils are to be found about the cliffs, mostly cer- 

 tain crinoids and fossil shells of Pentamerus goleatiis, more or 

 less perfect. We recalled our half-forgotten geology enough 

 to recognize some of them and others were carried away to 

 be farther studied with the aid of a text book. 



A downward plunge of several hundred feet was made by 

 hanging on to bushes which grew beside what might by cour- 

 tesy be called a path. However it was a short cut and saved 

 us two miles of hard walking. Twilight found us hurrying 

 to the little station to catch a later train to the city, well pleas- 

 ed with our afternoon tramp in the Helderbergs. 



Shushan, N. Y. 



OUR BIRD'S NEST FUNGI. 



IT is probable that most lovers of out-doors have seen at 

 one time or another various species of our bird's-nest 

 fungi. They are not uncommon on the earth or on old logs 

 and look like little cups or vases, less than an inch high filled 

 with small roundish balls. These cups are known as the peridia 



