131 



Some of the largest specimens of the Poison Sumach, Rhus 

 Vernix, I have ever seen, with butts six inches in diameter, occur 

 in this swamp. Most of the trees are Acer rubrum, but here and 

 there are hummocks with more upland species, Fagus grandi- 

 folia, Sassafras variifolium, Quercus palustris and Prinus, even a 

 few Q. alba, and Betula populifolia, the Gray Birch common in 

 higher, dryer locations. The United States Geological Survey 

 map shows the area in white but with no contour line, which 

 indicates it is above high tide, but it cannot be more than a 

 few feet. The water in the ditches after the thunderstorms was 

 flowing outward toward the salt marsh. The occurrence of Beech, 

 Birch and Chestnut Oak suggests that it may have been drier 

 than now, and that it is sinking to tide level, either by a general 

 sinking of the Atlantic Coast or by disturbances in the meadows 

 due to diking and collapse of dikes years ago. Maianthemum 

 canadense, and Aralia nudicaulis, which seem more like Hudson 

 Highlands species than inhabitants of a swamp so near tide, 

 also occur among the beeches and birches. Mr. James L. Ed- 

 wards, of Montclair, who knows the swamp well and assisted 

 our leader, Mr. \Y. Lincoln Highton, has found Coptis trifolia, 

 the Goldthread, a northern plant, found but rarely in the High- 

 lands, in the Moonachie locality. 



The commonest shrub is Vaccinium corymbosum, the 

 Swamp Blueberry, which makes these woods a resort for pickers 

 in late summer. It is so dense that some have been lost and a 

 few years ago two berry pickers could not get out for two days. 

 Amelanchier canadensis was in fruit, pleasant to the taste. Some 

 Ilex verticillata survives. 



Two species of the Chain Fern, Woodwardia virginica and 

 areolata, are both common in this swamp, which is not often 

 the case north of the moraine. The Massachusetts Fern, The- 

 lypleris simulata; Marsh Fern, Thelypteris palustris; New York 

 Fern, Thelypteris noveboracensis ; Osmunda regalis, cinnamo- 

 mea and 0. claytoniana; and the Sensitive fern, Onoclea sensi- 

 bilis are plentiful. A little Spinulose Spleenwort, Aspidium 

 spinulosum, was found on a dry spot. Mosses were not numerous 

 in species, the only ones noticed being Sphagnum, Leucobryum, 

 Aulacomnium (probably, capsules immature), and an infertile, 

 uncertain Hypnum. Lichens were not common, at least at this 

 time; they may be better defined at other seasons. Cladonia in- 



