90 



FIELD TRIPS OF THE CLUB 



Trip of February 11 to the Paleobotanical Museum of the 

 New York Botanical Garden 



Fourteen members and friends of the club assembled at 1.30 

 p.m., for a short classroom introduction to the subject of the fossil 

 plants of New York and New Jersey. The general geologic setting 

 of the Triassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary deposits of the region 

 was presented and the problems of identification of fossil plants 

 were discussed. 



The party thereafter was conducted through the paleobotanical 

 hall of the museum and was shown representative specimens of 

 many of the plants which formerly inhabited the Atlantic seaboard. 

 Special emphasis was placed on those families and genera which 

 reached their climax of abundance, diversification, and distribu- 

 tion many millions of years ago and which today survive only ^s 

 relicts of their glorious past. Among the notable examples seen and 

 discussed were : the Cycadaceae and Araucariaceae of both the 

 Triassic and Cretaceous, and Sequoia, Ginkgo, Liriodendron, 

 Sassafras, and Platanus of the Cretaceous. It was further pointed 

 out that certain of the Cretaceous species, notably of the conifers 

 Moriconia and Brachypliyllum, were of types which have apparently 

 left no survivors in our modern forests. 



This observation led very naturally to a consideration and 

 examination of other extinct groups, chiefly of Carboniferous age, 

 which are on display in the museum. Among the groups examined 

 and discussed were specimens of seed ferns, and of Lepidodendron, 

 Sigillaria, and Calamites. 



For their courtesy and cooperation, the club is indebted to the 

 New York Botanical Garden, which was represented by Dr. H. N. 

 Moldenke. Erling Dorf 



> 



MoHONK Sugar Bush Trip, March 8-10 



The sugar bush outing proved to be a unique experience for 

 the score of people who attended. The grip of winter had not been 

 broken in the Shawangunks, so winter sports were thoroughly en- 

 joyed. There was fine skating on the lake and coasting and skiing 

 on the hills. A hard crust on top of sixteen inches of snow made 

 walking easy and pleasant. 



