788 
Dinosaurs,’ contending that the supposed salta- 
torial habits of forms like Hadrosaurus and 
Iguanodon were physical impossibilities. Be- 
sides noting that the force of gravity would 
prevent so much action in such ponderous ani- 
mals, the speaker also mentioned structural 
characters incompatible with it—notably the 
absence of the calcaneum. 
WILFRED H. OsGoop, 
Secretary. 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 
AT the meeting of the Club on February 27, 
1901, the scientific program was introduced 
by Dr. Britton with a paper ‘On some Sene- 
cios of the Eastern United States.’ The criti- 
cal study of this genus dates from 1893, when 
Dr. Rusby collected in the Green Mountains a 
peculiar plant, described but not published in 
the middle of the century by Oakes and named 
by him Senecio Robbinsii. Dr. Rusby de- 
scribed this plant in the Bulletin in 1893. 
While working up the genus for the Illustra- 
ted Flora 1895-6, Professor Britton found that 
Senecio aureus of Gray’s Manual included the 
six following species: Senecio obovatus, S. dis- 
coideus, S. Balsomitae, S. Smailii, S. compactus, 
S. Robbinsii ; besides S. aureus with two varie- 
ties. Professor Britton showed specimens of 
the species discussed: Ist, S. awreus, common 
and known by its large cordate basal leaves, 
growing in wet meadows; 2d, var. gracilis, 
with smaller cordate leaves, considered by Pro- 
fessor Greene a distinct species. Professor 
Britton had on one occasion observed inter- 
mediate forms and thought the distinction not 
clearly established. Both forms are growing 
in the Composite beds inthe Garden. 34d, var. 
pauciflorus, smaller in every way than S. 
aureus, found in Newfoundland and Labrador ; 
4th, 8. Robbinsii, smooth, with thin and jagged 
leaves, belonging to New England and the 
Adirondacks ; 5th, S. Smallii, with long basal 
leaves and large corymbs of small heads. This 
occurs in the south, and is reported as far 
north as Pennsylvania. 6th, 8. obovatus, with 
obovate leaves, including two subspecies, the 
first elongatus from the Delaware valley, with 
the lower portion of the leaves elongated, and 
smaller heads almost devoid of rays; the second, 
SCLENCE. 
(N.S. Von. XIII. No. 333. 
rotundus, from Tennessee and Missouri, which 
may be a distinct species. S. discoideus and S. 
compactus, are western species, separated by 
Dr. Rydberg. 
Professor Britton quoted from a recently pub- 
lished study of Senecio by Professor Greenman, 
who distinguishes two additional varieties of 
S. balsamite, pauperculus and prelongus. Pro- 
fessor Britton said that there was much need 
of further material and observations in the 
field of all these forms. 
Specimens of the tomentosa group of Senecio 
were then shown: S. tomentosus of Michaux, 
common along the Atlantic seaboard as far 
north as New Jersey ; S. antennarifolius, found 
by Dr. Allen and Professor Britton at the White 
Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. This spe- 
‘cies is established in the Garden and flowers 
early. 
A peculiar and undescribed species was exhib- 
ited collected by Professor Earle in Henry 
County, Alabama, resembling the tomentosa 
group in general characters, but haying no 
tomentum. This differs from all other species 
in having the teeth tipped with round glands. 
Dr. Britton expressed the hope that field 
notes on this genus would be made during the 
coming season. 
The second paper, also by Dr. Britton, was 
on Eupatorium, and illustrated the three Lin- 
nan species, H. purpureum, E. maculatum, and. 
E. trifoliatum; the first two were collected at 
Copake Iron Works last summer on a field excur- 
sion of the Club. Of these, HE. purpureum, with 
thin almost glabrous leaves with sharp teeth, 
grows in woodland and copses; and HE. maculatum. 
has leaves thick and rugose, with prominent 
veins broader and more ovate, and not as sharply 
serrate as the last; stem rough and spotted ; 
grows in open meadows. 
E. trifoliatum has been found in the South, as 
far north as Pennsylvania; it was named by 
Elliott HE. ternatum. 
The essential distinction of this species is the 
erenate leaves; the stem is smooth, the leaves 
narrower and inflorescence often larger than E. 
purpureum. 
Dr. MacDougal showed an opened spathe of 
skunk cabbage found.in the Garden, which 
was greeted as the first authentic sign of spring. 
