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there, because the region is highly cultivated and available 
collecting grounds not very readily reached, and also because 
Dr. Shafer had previously done work in the vicinity. On April 
I, we proceeded to Camaguey by rail and devoted a week to the 
study of the extensive savanna tracts to the north and east of 
that city. We had spent one day here three years ago and at 
that time observed so many plants of interest that we desired 
to make the study more complete. These savannas are very 
extensive, many square miles of country being devoid of forests 
and the sterile soil uncultivated, except at widely separated points 
where smail areasof arable land occur. Most of the area is rela- 
tively level, but there are some hills and the region is traversed by 
a number of small streams and brooks, ‘‘ arroyos ” of the Cubans. 
Palms of several species abound and two of these, species of 
Copernicia, are of special interest because we found at a number 
of points where the two grow in proximity, many trees quite inter- 
mediate in features between the two species and apparently of 
hybrid origin. Inasmuch as hybrid palms in the wild state are 
unrecorded, so far as my examination of literature has gone, 
and in any event they must be very rare, this observation is one 
of the most interesting and important made during the trip. 
Except for the palms, the dominant tree of the savannas is a 
species of Pisonia, of the four-o'clock family, with dioecious 
small green flowers. A rare and beautiful orchid (Laeliopsis) 
was abundant on many of these trees, the roughish bark evi- 
dently being wholly acceptable to the orchid which clung to 
the trees in large masses, even covering portions of the trunk 
and branches, its clusters of large purple flowers forming a 
wonderfully fine floral effect. A wild vanilla vine, another 
orchid, climbs to the tops of the palm trees; it was not in bloom, 
unfortunately, but we obtained specimens of its pods. A very 
interesting sensitive plant, yellow-flowered and with prostrate 
stems, was attractive, and a supply of its seeds were obtained for 
cultivation; it is much hoped that these will grow, because an 
additional sensitive plant would be valuable for experimental 
purposes, and the species here found is not in cultivation. Two 
species of shrubs with showy pink flowers (Tabebuia), related to 
our trumpet vine, were abundant and conspicuous; this genus 
