36 



as the first part of volunie two of the Memoirs of the Brooklyn 

 Botanic Garden. 



After an account of the early condition of the vegetation, as 

 revealed by the agreements between the Indians and the first 

 English settlers at Easthampton, considerable mention was 

 made of the treeless condition of the peninsula, its grasslands, 

 soils, and peculiar kettlehole topography. 



The wind which blows at greater velocities and with greater 

 annual movement at Montauk than at any other point on the 

 Atlantic coast, was considered as the chief limiting factor, and 

 some account of atmometer readings on exposed and sheltered 

 parts of the area was given. It was shown that where trees do 

 persist they do not capture grassland to windward, but nearly 

 always do to leeward, where their growth in diameter is nearly 

 twice as rapid as in exposed situations. 



Actual transpiration figures are lacking, but it was suggested 

 that further work on this point will be undertaken, with a view 

 to the growing of selected plants in sealed containers, and 

 getting hourly figures of water loss, together with instrumental 

 records of the atmosphere, in all stages of the wind's velocity. 

 This chiefly for the reason that such data are lacking, except for 

 the experiments of Briggs and Shantz whose work was carried 

 out under comparatively easy wind conditions, and for those of 

 Leonard Hill on seedlings in England, where artificially induced 

 wind of low velocity was tried. With winds of forty, fifty, and 

 even sixty miles per hour, coupled with the usual midsummer 

 drought, the effect on transpiration is profound. There afe 

 evidences everywhere at Montauk of this wind action, but in- 

 strumental proof of it is thus far lacking. 



Marshall A. Howe, 



Secretary 



Meeting of January 8, 1924 



The meeting of the above date was held at the American 

 Museum of Natural History. 



The following were elected to membership: 

 Miss Anna G. Eggerdink, New York. 

 Mr. Fred C. Metcalfe, Asbury Park, New Jersey. 

 Two resignations were accepted, those of Mr. H. Nordheim 

 and Prof. W. C. Twiss, both now removed to California. 



