64 



velopments. This part of the swamp is on the property of Mr. 

 Dent Smith, an investment dealer in New York City, who has 

 his country place there. He has built plankwalks through the 

 swamp, for access in high water. Although he has been annoyed 

 by the vandalism of blueberry pickers, when he learned our ob- 

 jectives, he was very cordial, told us of his purpose of making 

 the swamp a plant sanctuary, showed us his plantations of 

 evergreens and hardwoods, and invited us to come again. 



We then returned to Mr. Nearing's home and spent the rest 

 of the afternoon, very enjoyably and instructively, examining 

 lichen spores and material collected in the morning, under mi- 

 croscopes provided by Mr. Nearing, Mr. A. T. Beals and Mr. 

 Louis W. Anderson. The beauty and complexity of internal 

 form of the lichen spores were a revelation to those of us who 

 had not seen them under magnification. Mr. Nearing also 

 showed us a chart he is making, based on Fink's Manual of 

 North American Lichens, to run down species on macroscopic 

 and microscopic characters, which, when completed, should 

 have great practical value for lichen students. Altogether the 

 event, the first one so largely attended in the 1937 schedule, 

 was a very enjoyable start for the season and proved the value 

 of such combinations of field work, study and discussion. 



Raymond H. Torrey 



Week End Trip of i\pRiL 30-May 2 to Lake Mohawk 



Sheer clififs, woods, fields, swamps — all have a fascination 

 for those with seeing eyes. And so the thirty-one Torrey mem- 

 bers and their friends took up the trail again — a trail which on 

 Saturday and Sunday led us through such diverse country that 

 many types of plant associations were observed. Only a few 

 herbs were seen in flower namely: Bloodroot, Fawn Lily, Dande- 

 lion, Wake Robin, Hepatica, Trailing Arbutus, Marsh Mari- 

 gold, Pusseytoes, Round-leaved Violet, Early Saxifrage, Rue 

 Anemone, Wood Betony, Painted Trillium, Dwarf Ginsena, 

 Sweet White Violet, Crinkleroot, Golden Saxifrage, Downy 

 Yellow Violet, Dog Violet and Pale Violet. 



Distinctive vistas and botany claimed the interest of the 

 majority of the group but a few of us were interested in Mo- 

 honk's biota-total life-community. Twenty-three species of 



