34 



field meetings. These will have in view partly the enlargement of 

 the collections, and partly the equally desirable end of providing 

 attractive and interesting excursions for members interested in 

 our metropolitan flora. 



Various features of interest will be planned from time to time 

 such as (a) changes from month to month in the floristic aspect 

 of restricted ecological areas, {b) the encroachment of plants be- 

 yond their supposed natural habitats, (c) the behavior of aquatic 

 and land plants when subjected to unusual conditions, {d) intro- 

 duced plants and their ability to spread and maintain themselves, 

 {e) the pine-barrens of Long Island and New jersey and their 

 relation and similarity, and (/) so-called " weeds " and ballast 

 plants and their occurrence and adaptability. These are only a 

 very few of the problems that offer delightful possibilities to those 

 willing to take the time and trouble of collecting and making 

 careful notes. In Torreya for July 1908, Dr. R. M. Harper has 

 outlined scores of such problems, but many of them are unfor- 

 tunately beyond the scope of the field meetings of the club. Care 

 will be taken to distribute the excursions so that those interested 

 particularly in the cryptogamic flora will not suffer injustice be- 

 cause of a preponderance of meetings planned for the higher 

 flowering plants, and vice versa. 



There are about thirty-one days upon which it is possible to 

 hold field meetings, and it is necessary in order to systematize 

 them to make plans early in the season. To do this will require 

 the hearty cooperation of members able and willing to act as 

 guides. The chairman of the field committee will attend all the 

 meetings possible, but it is essential to the success of the meetings 

 that an efficient corps of guides volunteer for the work. Every- 

 thing that can be done towards the arrangement of time and place 

 of meeting will be carefully planned. Those willing to act as 

 guides will greatly further the work if they will send their names, 

 together with the dates upon which they will serve and the dis- 

 tricts with which they are familiar, to the undersigned. 



Norman Taylor, 

 Chah'man Field Committee 

 New York Botanical Garden. 



