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this year. Among these were the wild geranium, sessil-leaved bell- 

 wort, blue cohosh, columbine, and shad bush. Sixteen ferns were 

 seen, except for those with evergreen leaves, all in the fiddle-head 

 stage. Fronds of the rattlesnake fern, Botrychium virginianum, 

 were pushing their folded sterile leaves through the soil, or were 

 straightening out and unfolding. Botrychium obliquum and the 

 variety dissectuni had last year's leaves still showing. In the stream 

 bed Conoceplialmn was found with the fruiting stalks and pendant 

 capsules fully developed. Attention was directed to the plants with 

 imperfect flowers, either monoecious or dioecious — the aspen, 

 sweet fern, bayberry, blue beech (Carpinus) and hop hornbeam 

 (Ostrya) growing close together and giving splendid opportunity 

 for comparison, red maple, spice bush, pussy toes (Antennaria 



plantaginifolia) and others. ^ t- tt 



' -J J '' George i . Hastings 



Week-end Trip of May 3 to 5 to Mohonk Lake 



The outstanding impression of this trip was the lateness of the 

 spring. The last of the ice had disappeared from Mohonk Lake on 

 April 29. Bird arrival dates have averaged later than the latest 

 previous date during fifteen years of observation and few indi- 

 viduals have been present of most species. First flower dates were 

 equally behind. Arbutus was at its height and very abundant. Shad- 

 bush and violets were not yet out. 



Saturday's walk was down the east side of the mountain. On 

 the way, in a north sloping ravine, considerable porcupine damage 

 was noted. A previous survey had shown that all twenty-six trees 

 from which bark had been eaten in this mixed second growth stand 

 were hard maple. The threatening showers held off until we were 

 eating our lunches in a log cabin. A visit was made to one of the 

 Mohonk dairy farms where both Guernseys and Shorthorns are 

 kept. 



For those who did not wish to go out for an all-day walk, Mrs. 

 A. Keith Smiley, Jr., conducted an afternoon walk. In the garden a 

 beautiful specimen of Cornelian Cherry (Coniits mas) was seen. 



In the evening we enjoyed an informal concert given for the 

 Mohonk School Spring Carnival. 



Sunday morning started with a before-breakfast bird walk. 

 Later we headed for Rhododendron Swamp where we found red 



