171 



and have dark heavy fohage and an abundance of waxy white 

 flowers. Vaccinunn australe takes the place there of our V. 

 coryinbosiun and closely resembles that species. Another species^, 

 probably V. tenclhtin, was in flower at the time, as were two 

 species of Primus. 



Other plants collected were Silene caroliniana, PodopJiylhim 

 peltatum, Linaria canadensis, and a peculiar and abundant Tril- 

 lium, which is possibly T. Indovicianum, though far out of its 

 recorded range, if really belonging with this species. 



Dr. Britton, in discussing Dr. Rusby's paper, referred to the 

 popular belief among the fruit-growers of Delaware that the 

 spring advances northward at the rate of thirteen miles a day — 

 a belief that would seem to be supported by Dr. Rusby's obser- 

 vation that there is a difference of seven or eight weeks in the 

 progress of the season between Summerville and New York City. 



The second paper on the scientific program was by Dr. J. A. 

 Shafer on "Botanizing in Cuba." The following summary is 

 from an abstract prepared by Dr. Shafer : 



" I was landed from a New York steamer at Nuevitas on Jan- 

 uary 22, and arrived at La Gloria, my first headquarters, late the 

 following evening. 



'■' A chain of islands extends along the north coast of Cuba,, 

 from Nuevitas to Cardenas, separated from the mainland by a 

 series of bays and channels forming an inner passage for small 

 sailing craft. Through some sixty-five miles of this one passes 

 mangrove-fringed shores before reaching Port Biaro. 



" La Gloria, one of the oldest and most prosperous of the 

 American colonies, is situated four and one-half miles inland 

 from the port above mentioned, across a low palmetto-covered 

 savanna. The village with its surrounding citrus plantations, is 

 situated in a dense, mostly primeval forest composed of a great 

 variety of tropical trees, their tops bound together with many 

 kinds of woody vines and supporting on their trunks and branches 

 many orchids, of which some fifteen or eighteen species were 

 collected — also bromeliads in great numbers and of several 

 varieties ; two cactuses are ever present, a creeping snake-like 

 night-blooming Cerens and the graceful pendent Rhipsalis, called 



