62 



Committee on Program : N. L. Britton, M. A. Howe, L. M. 

 Underwood. 



The membership of" the Field Committee will be announced 

 later. 



The first paper on the scientific program was by Dr. Hollick 

 on "Fossil Figs, with Description of a new Species from the 

 Dakota Group of Kansas." In the author's absence, it was read 

 by Dr. Howe. The paper is published in full in the February 

 number of the Bulletin. 



The second paper was by Mrs. Alice R. Northrop on " The 

 Flora of Nashawena Island, Massachusetts." 



This is one of the Elizabeth Islands lying southwest of Woods 

 Holl. It is about three miles long by one mile wide. It is 

 owned privately and was formerly largely in cultivation, but is 

 now used as a sheep pasture, and is much grown up with bushy 

 thickets. The soil is glacial drift, being part of a terminal 

 moraine, like Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, etc. The surface 

 is quite uneven, with many knobs and undulations and with 

 numerous small ponds in the depressions. The south shore is 

 steep and abrupt, rising to an elevation of 70 to 80 feet and grad- 

 ually sloping to the northward. The greatest elevation at any 

 point is 1 20 feet. 



The forest areas are confined to the depressions. The tops of 

 the trees are much flattened owing to the strong winds, and none 

 of them reaches above the level of the protecting hills. The largest 

 trees are not over 30 feet high and 12—15 inches in diameter. 

 While the trees are stunted, the shrubs and bushes growing in 

 their shelter are often unusually large and vigorous. 



The plant-covering of the island can be conveniently classed in 

 four groups. First, the halophytes along the shore. Second, 

 the hydrophytes occupying the numerous ponds and marshy 

 places. Third, the forest areas, and fourth, the plants of the 

 open downs. 



The halophytes include the usual beach plants of the region. 

 Two of special interest were a Teucrium and a Plantago, both of 

 which have been recently described as new by Mr. Bicknell. 



The hydrophytic vegetation of the ponds and their border was 



