13 



Bispham's Mill Creek, Skits Branch, Nancy Geiffert's one time 

 farm, and a large savanna along Mechescatauxin Branch were 

 found to be profitable collecting places. 



An\' visit to the pine barrens finds it characterized by some 

 botanical aspect such as the conspicuous flowering of some spe- 

 cies. We noticed the frequency of Gerardia (purple and yellow), 

 Polygala, Polygonella, Sabatia, Lobelia, Bidens, Liatris, Utri- 

 cularia, Aster, Chrysopsis, Solidago, Lycopus, and Eupatorium. 

 Species less frequent and perhaps more noteworthy \vere Deco- 

 don verticellaris, Bartonia petmicidata, B. virginica, Breweria 

 pickeringii, and Eupatorium resinosum. Two striking grasses of 

 the wet places were Calamagroslis cinnoides, and Erianthus 

 saccharoides. Such familiar favorites of the region as Lygodium 

 palmatum, Schizaea pusilla, and Gentiana porphyrio, and Nar- 

 thecuim americana (Abama) were seen. 



One of the pleasantest parts of the trip was a visit to the 

 stockrooms of James Bassett and William Bassett who market 

 certain pine barren plants through the florist trade. On Sunday 

 night we saw some Kodachrome pictures of the pine barrens as 

 they appear at other seasons. 



John A. Small 



Trip of September 11 to Belmont 

 Lake State Park 



The field trip to Belmont Lake State Park, north of Babylon, 

 L. L, led by Miss Farida A. Wiley of the Department of Edu- 

 cation, American Museum of Natural History, proved to be 

 very interesting. The trip followed around the lake in the Park 

 and along Carlls River, the stream which enters it from the 

 north and flows south into Great South Bay, for the study of 

 wet forest and aquatic plants. 



A notable feature of the fern flora is the presence of frequent 

 stands of both species of the Chain Fern, Woodwardia (An- 

 chistea) virginica, and Woodwardia (Lorinseria) areolata, along 

 the well designed and well maintained Nature Trail, on the 

 east side of the lake; and along the stream above and below it. 

 The Massachusetts Fern, Aspidium simulatum, is also more 

 abundant than at any other station I recall in our range. The 

 New York Fern, Aspidium noveboracense, and the Cinnamon 

 and Royal Ferns are also abundant. 



