18 
(B. 629. ) 
The following paper by L P. Gratacap 
was read: 
NOTE on Erythronium Americanum KER. 
In examining the flowers of Hrythron- 
ium Americanum Ker., the well known 
‘‘Yellow Adder’s Tonugue,’’ in a wet 
swampy depression on the east side of 
Pine Hill, and just southwest of Clove 
Lake, I have noticed an adjustment in 
the periods of pollination of the anthers 
of some interest. I venture to write out 
the note since I cannot recall, and a 
slight search in the literature fails to re- 
veal, that the process has been hitherto 
recorded. 
The flower of the ‘‘Yellow Adder’s 
Tongue,” as is well known, is liliaceous 
in structure, and the tripartite arrange- 
ment of its sepals, petals, stamens and 
pistil, is perfectly obvious. The anthers 
rise hypogynously around the pistil, 
which at first they exceed in height, but 
to which they approximate as they ripen 
and undergo a longitudinal shriukage of 
the greatly extended anther lobes. Usu- 
ally the six anthers seem nearly identical 
but an examination of the earlier stages 
of flowering show that the anthers, in re- 
gard to their periods of pollination and 
maturity, fall into two groups of three 
each, their members alternating with 
each other in the flower. 
The first group is in full pollination 
when the involuted edges of the anthers 
of the second group are still unwrapped. 
This was the fact noted and an exami- 
nation of a number of flowers accentuat- 
ed and repeated this diversity of matur- 
ation. There is room here for further 
study in relation to the synchrony of the 
of the two groups of stamens and the 
pistil, but whatever the details of this 
disparity of period are, the generalization 
seems warranted that the device is in the 
order of economy by which tie energy of 
pollination of the entire flower is usefully 
separated into two cycles. 
The division was sharp and even, three 
stamens maturing and withering together 
and three, their alternates, following in 
exact sequence. 
The irregular ripening of the anthers is 
familiar in many flowers or all, but the 
particular interest in this case, possibly 
true of all lilies, is the even division of 
the anther periods, in analogy with the 
tripartite arrangement of the plant. 
MINOR NOTES. 
The Association has received from Mrs. 
A. C. Wood, of West New Brighton, 
through Mr. J. B. Hillyer, part of vol. I, No. 
25, of the Richmond County Mirro,, dated 
July 7, 1838, containiug an accouvt of 
the Fourth of July celebration held that 
year on Staten Island, a celebration 
which seems to have been a notable one 
in many ways. Beginning with exercises 
in the village church at Port Richmond 
opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. 
Browulee, including in the program an 
oration by Ogden P. Edwards and the 
reading of the Declaration of Independ- 
euce by Major George Howard, ‘‘a vast 
concourse of people, greater than upon 
any former occasion on the Island, 
witnessed the proceedings of the day,”’ 
which concluded with an elaborate cou- 
cert by a local amateur band (Mr. Bar- 
rett’s) and a parade of the Militia. A 
banguet followed in a marquee in the 
rear of the Port Richmond Hotelat which 
200 covers were laid; the number of 
toasts, forty-two, gives an idea of the 
length and importance of the banquet and 
an interesting feature of the list is the num- 
ber of old Staten Island names contained 
therein; Dr. Ephraim Clark, Maj. Gen. 
Van Beuren, Goodrich, Cropsey, Little, 
Vermilye, Gen. Denyse, Dixon, Hitch- 
cock, Hagadorn, Howard, Edwards, 
Arnsley, Capt. Wood, Judge Coddington, 
Capt. Hungerford, Crocheron, Van Pelt, 
Barrett, Miller, are some of the many 
familiar names that appeared. The 
name of Washington, at that time more 
than a memory, the recent death of 
Lafayette, the recent achievements of 
the Navy in the war of 1812, Jackson, as 
President of the Uuited States, Tomp- 
kins, as Governor of New York, patriot- 
ism, rampant and vigorous in thought 
and expression—all these impress the 
reader of the stained and faded sheet. 
Mr. Thos. Craig exhibited a living spec- 
imen of Batrachospermum moniliforme, 
found by Messrs. Wm. T. Davis and 
Louis Joutel, in a stream at Oakwood— 
afresh water alga not before recorded 
from the Island. 
