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along the crest of the ridge to study the wild flowers. Some 

 25 species of early spring flowers were found. In a marshy 

 brook the golden saxifrage, Chrysosplenium antericanum, was 

 flowering, the reddish disk and bright orange stamens above 

 the green sepals giving a pleasing bit of color when closely 

 observed. A patch of trailing arbutus was found among the 

 rocks, covered with dainty blossoms that the members of the 

 group bent over to get the delightful perfume. The plants had 

 probably been set out in recent years, but in a location where 

 arbutus grew naturally in earlier days. It looked as if it had 

 always been there. 



The woods have been kept in their original state with the 

 native flowers and ferns undisturbed. Only in open places was 

 there signs of the setting out of some local plants that had dis- 

 appeared from the region, and of others, such as the holly, 

 Ilex opaca, that never had grown there. 



Many ferns were noted — the three Osmundas, Christmas, 

 marginal-shield, marsh, sensitive, lady, and New York, all with 

 fronds only partly uncurled. The rattlesnake fern, Botrychium 

 virginianum, was found to be rather common in places on the 

 hillside, the sterile fronds in varying stages of development, none 

 of the fertile as yet expanded. Besides the flowers and trees 

 some members of the group enjoyed observing birds that had 

 recently arrived from the south. 



George T. Hastings 



