392 HOLLICK 



elongated and stretch out often to extraordinary lengths. The 

 trees present the appearance of having been artifically trimmed 

 on the windward side so that only half the tree remains. This 

 feature is particularly conspicuous on windward slopes, where 

 the long leeward branches of large trees often extend out and 

 droop until they rest upon or nearly touch the ground thirty or 

 forty feet distant from the trunk, while where the trees grow in 

 hollows or depressions the force of the winds checks the upward 

 growth as soon as it reaches the level of the surrounding hills, 

 leaving a remarkably uniform surface over the entire mass of the 

 tree tops. 



Another peculiar effect is also produced by these conditions 

 in the relative heights of trees. The trunks of those which grow 

 in the bottom of any depression are tall, while those on the 

 sides are successively shorter and shorter, according as their 

 location approaches the summit, although the diameters of the 

 trunks may vary but little. Many individuals may thus be 

 singled out in which the lateral extent of the branches is out of 

 all proportion to the height or diameter of the trunk, giving a 

 most weird and peculiar appearance to the tree. These phe- 

 nomena due to wind action are particularly conspicuous on the 

 south side of the island, which is exposed to the full force of the 

 ocean storms. [Plate VIII.] 



The denuded areas present but few botanical features which 

 differ from those of similar morainal areas on the adjoining main- 

 land. They are wind-swept and almost destitute of any con- 

 spicuous vegetation except for patches of Myrica cerifera L., and 

 stunted growths of Vaccinium and Gayliissacia. Eutlianiia 

 Caroliniajia (L.) Greene seemed to be about the most abundant 

 or conspicuous herbaceous plant in such situations, at the time 

 of my visit. 



A species perhaps wortny of special mention is a form of 

 Plantago major L., found on Uncatina. It was in considerable 

 abundance, although apparently restricted in its habitat to a zone 

 located just above high-water mark. My attention was at once 

 attracted to it by reason of its lanceolate 3 -nerved leaves and 

 the fact that the entire plant was more or less covered by a 



