54 



are largely composed of coastal species. An Alleghenian element 

 has crossed the highland region of Kentucky and southern In- 

 diana, and is well represented in Illinois in the area of heavy rain- 

 fall along the Ozark hills, the third is a southwestern flora, char- 

 acterized mainly by xerophilous species. They have migrated 

 along the Ozark uplift through ^Missouri, but in Illinois they 

 have for the most part left the hills for the arid region just to the 

 north. The three migration routes all follow ecological isotones 

 and the three floras are never associated. 



The last paper was by Mr. R. S. Williams on " Plant Collecting 

 in the Philippines." The speaker gave some account of his recent 

 botanical journey to the islands. Leaving Seattle in September, 

 1903, the steamer went by the northern route, passing in sight 

 of snow-covered mountains in the Aleutian islands some half way 

 over and reaching Yokohama after a voyage of sixteen days. 

 The boat touched at various ports in Japan, remaining for a day 

 or two at each place. The southern islands are nearly destitute 

 of forests, and although appearing green and fertile from a 

 distance, are often covered with only a low species of bamboo 

 grass that no domestic animal can eat, so that horses, cattle, etc., 

 are scarcely to be seen. From Japan the boat went to Shanghai. 

 This city, seventeen miles up the Yang Tse Kiang, is in the 

 latitude of northern Florida, and among other sights along the 

 low river-banks are to be seen low straw huts scattered about 

 the fields in which are preserved the thin layers of ice that form 

 over the shallow pools in winter. From Shanghai the steamer 

 proceeded to Hongkong, where a smaller boat was taken for 

 Manila, which place was reached in thirty-four days out from 

 Seattle. Mr. Williams shortly crossed over Manila Bay to the 

 Lamao River, one of the streams descending from Mt. Mariveles, 

 where several months were spent in collecting. The locality 

 proved to be one of the easiest to get about in of any visited in the 

 islands, more or less open forests extending from a few miles back 

 from the coast almost to the mountain summit, some 4,200 feet 

 above sea-level. The higher slopes about this mountain are 

 more or less inhabited by Negritos, considered to be the earliest 

 settlers of the Philippines. They are a race of low slender 



