884 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 962 



pace with each year 's growth, and sending forth 

 new aerial shoots, from time to time. The stim- 

 ulus of the presence of this ramifying network of 

 the sinkers of the parasite causes an increase in 

 the number of buds and twigs produced by the 

 limb of the host attached and results in the forma- 

 tion of a more or less dense v/itches broom. The 

 ability of the mistletoe to grow out to the ex- 

 tremities of the limbs enables it to send out shoots 

 in the best illuminated portion of the broom, and 

 bear seeds under the most favorable conditions of 

 light. 



All species of mistletoe are considered injurious 

 in their final effect upon their host trees and 

 shrubs. The leafy Phoradendrons are no doubt 

 less injurious, owing to their increased chlorophyll- 

 bearing surface and consequent greater ability to 

 manufacture hydrocarbons. The leafless species 

 of Fhora-dendron are more injurious than leafy 

 ones. Species of Uazoiimofskya, owing to a very 

 greatly reduced chlorophyll-bearing surface, are 

 the most injurious of all. All species stunt the 

 growth of the hosts. Owing to the slow spread of 

 species of mistletoe in the forest, if all diseased 

 trees are cut down on areas where tim-ber sales 

 are conducted, it will be possible to greatly lessen, 

 if not entirely shut out these parasites from our 

 future forests. 

 Notes on the Botany of Trinidad: Professor A. 



S. Hitchcock. 



Mr. Hitchcock remained on the island of Trini- 

 dad from November 25 until December 31, except 

 a few days spent on Tobago. On Trinidad there 

 were collected 350 numbers of grasses, represent- 

 ing about 175 species. Grisebaeh (Fl. Brit. W. 

 Ind.) describes 87 species from the island and 

 Hart (Herb. List, Bot. Dept. Trinidad) lists 112 

 species. Several species known to grow in Trini- 

 dad were not obtained by Mr. Hitchcock, but 

 many species were added to the known flora. 

 Among the more interesting regions of the island 

 were the Pitch Lake, where several species of 

 grasses were found that were observed nowhere 

 else, including Fanicum chloroticum growing only 

 in the water-holding depressions of the pitch; 

 Aripo and Piarco Savannas, isolated low flat 

 grassy openings in the valley of the Caroni Eiver, 

 where were found a probably new species of Fad- 

 dia and Faspalum serpentinum Hochst. not found 

 since the original collection by Keppler in Surinam 

 nearly a century ago, and two new species of 

 Panicum; and St. Joseph Savanna on the moun- 

 tain side near the ancient capital of the island, 

 St. Joseph. This savanna is of especial interest 



because the mountain sides are generally covered 

 with forest except where cleared for cultivation. 

 This savanna has occupied its present position 

 since an indefinitely early period, as shown by the 

 fiora. The dominant grass is Trachypogon plu- 

 7nosns, a species which has not been reported from 

 Trinidad. This species together with others of 

 the association are the common constituents of the 

 savannas found on the Pacific slope of Panama 

 and Central America. In this savanna was found 

 an undesoribed species of Axonopus, a beautiful 

 golden annual, allied to A. aureus. At Tabaquite 

 in the center of the island in the original forest 

 or ' ' High woods ' ' was found another undescribed 

 species of Faddia and the rare Fharus parvif alius 

 Nash. Several other apparently undescribed spe- 

 cies were found on various parts of the island. 

 Most of the species, whose types were from Trini- 

 dad, were recollected at their type localities. The 

 results of the expedition to Trinidad and to Ja- 

 maica, visited earlier on the same trip, were very 

 satisfactory and will supplement the large West 

 Indian collections previously incorporated in the 

 National Herbarium. 



C. L. Shear, 

 Corresponding Secretary 



THE anthropological SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 468th regular and 34th annual meeting of 

 the Anthropological Society of Washington was 

 held in room 43 of the new building of the 

 National Museum at 4:30 p.m., April 15, 1913, 

 the president, Mr. Stetson, in the chair. 



The minutes of the last preceding annual meet- 

 ing were read and approved. 



Obituary notices were presented as follows: 

 Miss Alice Fletcher for Miss Sarah A. Scull; Mr. 

 F. W. Hodge for Mr. W J McGee; Dr. Lamb for 

 Dr. Robert Fletcher. 



The following officers were elected and installed 

 for the ensuing year: 



President — Mr. George B. Stetson. 



Vice-president — Dr. John E. Swanton. 



Secretary — Dr. Daniel Folkmar. 



Treasurer — Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt. 



Councillors — Mr. George C. Maynard, Mr. Felix 

 Neumann, Dr. I. M. Casanowicz, Dr. E. L. Morgan 

 and Mr. Francis LaFlesche. 



Invitations to meetings of the National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences and the German Anthropological 

 Association were presented and accepted with 

 thanks. 



Wm. H. Babcock, 



Secretary 



