17 



After lunch at the top of Parker Cabin Mountain, and en- 

 joying the extensive view, the beacon tower <>n High Tor being 

 plainly visible to the cist, the party descended to the Hemlock 

 Hill road for water at the brook mentioned by Mr. k. H. Torrey 

 in his Walk book. Here the find of the day was made, a colony of 

 Hydrothyria venosa. This species is found in clear mountain 

 brooks in the Appalachians. It is the only completely aquatic 

 lichen in our flora and as an especial adaptation to resist the 

 rushing waters has veins of tissue on the undersurface. 1 1 ^ 

 apothecia are orange in color and the lichen is olive brown. 



While returning through Parker Cabin Hollow, Cladonias 

 were especially noticed. C. cristatella, C. chlorophaea, C. verticil- 

 lata, C. coniocraea, C. mitrula, C. subcariosa and C. caespiticia, 

 all characteristic of the Highlands were found. Baeomyces roseus 

 and Peltigera canina were also rather common. Parmelia rudecta 

 and P. caperata were observed on tree trunks; P. conspersa on 

 rocks. 



Mosses of the Highlands were also observed, among them 

 being Buxbaumia aphylla still fruiting abundantly, Bartramia 

 pomiformis with the new capsules just formed, Weberi sessilis, 

 Hedwigia albicans, Grimmia apocarpa, Thelia hirtella, Dicranum 

 scoparium, Dicranella heteromalla, Catharinea undulata, Leuco- 

 bryum glaacum, Funaria hygrometrica, Climacium americanum, 

 and Pol yt rich um commune and pilijerum. 



The catkin bearing shrubs had already begun to flower, alder 

 and beaked hazelnut having their staminate catkins fully ex- 

 panded. The party examined the delicate pistillate flowers of 

 the hazelnut and remarked upon their beauty. 



The herpetologists too were not neglected; besides collecting 

 wood frogs and their eggs and water newts in the ponds along 

 the trail, a racer blacksnake was found in Parker Cabin Hollow. 

 The reptile was still sluggish after its long winter hibernation 

 and submitted to capture without much show of resentment. 



John \V. Thomson, Jr. 



