160 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [FEBRUARY 
of its plant population before it was too late. Three fragments of primeval 
forest are noted in the same part of the state. The population is much the 
same as that of the Colebrook forest, except that the one in Cornwall is 
dominated by Pinus Strobus; these pines are said to be the most magnificent 
still existing in the East. The pine is not the climax type, however, since the 
undergrowth is dominated by hemlock and several hardwoods. 
In a third paper, NicHots details the successional relations of the upland 
vegetation of the state. One of the most characteristic rock types of Con- 
necticut is the trap ridge, whose vegetational history is depicted from the 
pioneer crustose lichens chromic the herb, shrub, and tree stages. Early 
of the prominent early tree stages is dominated by Pinus rigida, which later is 
succeeded by oaks. In the state are many abandoned fields which are reverting 
to forest, an early stage being that dominated usually by Betula populifolia, 
Juniperus virginiana, and J. communis depressa. Note is made of the varying 
importance of certain trees in different portions of the state; Pinus Strobus is 
of special interest in this respect, being a common pioneer in some parts, 
almost a climax tree in other parts, and negligible in still other parts. The 
importance of the chestnut in many Connecticut woodlands is being greatly 
lessened, owing to the ravages of the chestnut bark fungus, Endothia gyrosa 
parasitica.—H. C. CowLes. 
Inheritance of semi-sterility.—Brtiinc>’ has made a careful analysis of 
the inheritance of partial sterility in crosses of Stizolobium deeringianum Bort. 
bean), and S. niveum var. (China bean). The pollen from healthy flowers of 
all these forms was found to be nearly 100 per cent good. A few ovules of some 
pods only were found to have aborted, due, the author believes, to circum- 
stances unfavorable for those particular pods. From a third to a half of the 
pods had no aborted ovules. The ovules in general had completely formed 
embryo sacs. Of the F, generation of the three crosses, approximately 
go per cent of the pollen grains were found to be shrunken and non-viable, t ie 
other 50 per cent being perfectly developed and viable. Similarly, approx! 
mately 50 per cent of the ovules of F, plants abort. Sections of young ovaries 
5 BELLING, JoHN, The mode of inheritance of semi-sterility in the in au of 
certain hybrid plants. Zeitschr. Ind. Abs.- u. Vererbungs. 12: 303-342. I1914- 
