83 



The significance of these glands, as in harmony with the theory 

 that the scutellar epithehum is principally an organ of secretion, 

 was also indicated. The paper was illustrated by microscopic 

 preparations and photomicrographs, and will be published in full 

 in the Bulletin of the Club. 



A brief discussion followed. 



" Explorations in southern Florida," by John K. Small. 



The exploration was confined to the larger group of islands 

 lying between Miami and camps Longview and Jackson, and to 

 a wholly unexplored section of the everglades lying between the 

 present terminus of the Florida East Coast Railway and Key 

 Largo, including a portion of Cross Key. This latter island, to- 

 gether with a parallel and almost similar formation, constitutes 

 the only natural and approximately complete land-connection 

 between the Florida Keys and the mainland of the peninsula. 

 The chain of everglade keys is a miniature of the Florida Keys, 

 both in its crescent shape and its flora, and also of the West In- 

 dies in the character of its vegetation. It is surrounded by the 

 everglades, except where the upper islands touch Biscayne Bay 

 at points from Miami to Cutler. Before these islands were ele- 

 vated to their present altitude, they were probably surrounded 

 by a shallow sea, just as the Florida Keys are at the present 

 time. This being the case, the tropical American flora now in- 

 habiting them may easily be accounted for. After sufficient ele- 

 vation had taken place, the surrounding sea was transformed into 

 the vast spring now known as the everglades. Conditions be- 

 coming favorable, the plants of the flora of northern peninsular 

 Florida advanced southward and naturally took complete posses- 

 sion of the area that was formerly the sea, thus surrounding and 

 isolating the wholly different flora of the islands. In fact, the 

 two floras are so sharply delimited that one can often stand with 

 one foot on plants characteristic of the high northern regions and 

 the other on plants restricted to the tropics. It is not an uncom- 

 mon experience to see colonies of plants common in Canada, such 

 as the arrow-arum {Peltandrd), the lizard's tail (^Sanruriis), and 

 the ground-nut [Apios), growing side by side with tropical palms, 

 cycads, orchids, and bromeliads. 



