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peculiar to the southern end of Staten Island. Botanically he 

 missed but little. His interpretation of the geology, however, is 

 wide of the mark, and this is an important matter, for the reason 

 that it is the geologic factor which must be taken into account in 

 order to understand and appreciate the significance of the flora 

 of the region. He mentions, for example, "the clay deposited 

 here when the great Laurentian glacier moved down from the 

 north." As a matter of fact the region is but little glaciated and 

 over considerable areas there are no glacial deposits whatsoever. 

 The clays which are such a prominent feature are Cretaceous in 

 age and represent the northern extension of the Raritan formation 

 of New Jersey. In other words this part of Staten Island is 

 geologically and geographically a part of the coastal plain region 

 of the mainland, which accounts for its peculiar and interesting 

 flora. 



Incidentally, also, the author is at fault in ascribing the 

 presence of "salt-water clam shells" in the sandy upland as 

 evidence "that at a comparatively recent period this portion of 

 the Island was submerged." The clam shells represent old 

 Indian "kitchen middens." A. Hollick 



Some Legal Botany. — It was the peculiar privilege of the 

 editor of Torreya to be present at a trial in a supreme court in 

 greater New York where the following testimony was given by 

 a florist, suing a gas company for the alleged escape of illuminat- 

 ing gas into his greenhouses and the consequent destruction of 

 thousands of carnations. For obvious reasons names are omitted. 

 Q. What peculiar appearance did the carnations have, or 

 the carnation buds have, during the months of December or 

 January heretofore mentioned? 



A. Instead of opening, instead of the bud opening, the 

 stamen came out of the calyx. 



Q. What do you mean by the stamen? What is that? 

 A. Well, there is two little — 

 Q. Is that known as the style. 

 A. Yes, sir; some call it styles. 



The Court: I confess I don't know anything about botany. 

 "The stamen came out of the calyx." That is all Greek to me, 

 sir. Then, in order to explain it he says, "The stamen means 



