176 



Higinbotham, Dr. Thomson, and other members who were present 

 and contributed. Mr. Nearing reported good lichen collecting. 



Abundant water tumbling over the falls makes a cloud of spray 

 which gives attractive rainbow effects and at the same time bathes 

 the steep slopes of the opposite side of the gorge in a perpetual 

 blanket of cool mist. This limited area, and this alone, supports 

 a luxuriant growth of Hyloconiniuin prolijerum, associated with 

 the gold-thread, Coptis trifolia, suggesting a bit of the cold north 

 woods. On the sides of this gorge, both above and below the falls, 

 the liverwort Rehoulia heniisphaerica flourishes, together with such 

 mosses as Aulacomniunt palustre, the apple-moss Bartramia pomi- 

 forniis, the fern moss Thuidium delicatuliim, as well as many 

 others. Ebony and maidenhair spleenworts are tucked securely in 

 the crevices. 



The morning was spent mostly in the rather moist ground above 

 the falls. Rhodobryum rosemn grows abundantly there, while 

 Mnium punctatum var. elatuin and Mniuin hornum reach unusually 

 large size. In the drier places Tortella can be found, while Hed- 

 wigia albicans grows on the stones. Thelia hirtella is wrapped about 

 the bases of the trees, and the tiny liverwort Frullania eboracensis 

 traces cryptic writings higher up on the trunks. A growth of the 

 giant water moss, Fontinalis gigantea, that had been left carefully 

 uncollected a year ago, in a small brook, did not fail us ; close by, 

 its less corpulent cousin, Fontinalis dalecarlica, is abundant. 



In the early afternoon the members of the group wandered 

 slowly down through the gorge and past the falls, studying the 

 bryophytes especially. Somewhat later, those who had a full day 

 at their disposal left the beaten paths and scrambled up over the 

 rocky clififs, where the early saxifrage was wasting its sweetness 

 in profusion, and then continued up along a second stream, with 

 its own smaller gorge and falls. Collecting is permitted there, and 

 most of our characteristic liverworts, such as P cilia, Pallavicinia, 

 Porella, Ptilidimn, Trichocolea, and many others, can be found. 

 A soggy area, resulting from a spring in the side of a hill, supports 

 a luxuriant growth of Marchantia polymorpha, which showed male 

 and female receptacles abundantly developed. This plant is asso- 

 ciated here with Sphagnum. 



Buxbaumia aphylla, with young sporophytes, could be found on 

 the hillsides by anyone humble enough to get down on his knees 

 and search for it. 



