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FIELD TRIPS OF THE CLUB 



The joint outing at the Pines in Branchville on May 18-20, 

 led by Mr. and Mrs. William Gavin Taylor, was attended by 

 sixty-five members and guests of the Torrey Botanical Club 

 and eighteen members of the Sussex County Nature Club. 

 The nature study leaders were Dr. Oliver P. Medsger, in charge 

 of the bird census; Mr. A. Tennyson Beals, authority on mosses, 

 and Mrs. George A. Anderson, who led in the collection and 

 study of lichens. Dr. Will S. Monroe made a special trip from 

 his farm in Vermont as the Honor Guest of the party. 



The inn is situated in the largest group of indigenous 

 white pines in New Jersey. Being rich in limestone, it has a 

 large variety of spring flowers, including the yellow lady's slipper, 

 Cypripedium parviflorum ; the rock clematis. Clematis verticil- 

 laris; and the green orchis, Coeloglossum bracteatum. The 

 limestone ferns are abundant, including walking leaf, maiden- 

 hair spleenwort, wall rue, purple cliff brake and fragile bladder 

 fern. Seventy-six species of birds were identified, including 

 twenty-one species of warblers. The damp weather was es- 

 pecially favorable for lichens, and a large number was collected 

 and exhibited. 



Mr. Beals says of the mosses: 



Pine Hill is located on an outcrop of limestone and many of 

 the mosses of this region are quite naturally those that thrive 

 on a limestone habitat. The most conspicuous masses of moss 

 are the Anomodons, golden green or yellow green in color. There 

 are three species of this moss about the place — Anomodon 

 rostratus (Hedw.) Schimp. found on the base of trees as well 

 as on rocks; Anomodon atteniiatus (Schreb.) Hueben, has 

 branches that become thread-like toward the ends; and Anomo- 

 don viticulosus (L.) Hook. & Taylor, a coarse, stringy moss on 

 rocks. All three species are found on the ledges in front of 

 and below the house. Also on these ledges there are two patches 

 of Forsstroemia trichomitris (Hedw.) Lindb. in good fruiting 

 condition. This plant is more commonly seen on the bark of 

 living trees in damp forests. 



Under the trees in the grounds between the house and the 

 lake is found Catharinea undtdata (L.) W. & M. with long erect 

 capsules, Pohlia nutans (Schreb.) Lindb., and Amhlystegium 

 Kochii B. & S., small plants with long curved capsules com- 

 pletely covering the small damp stones over which it is growing. 



