BOTANY 



Scientific investigations. The investigative work of the State 

 Botanist during the year 1920 has been largely devoted to a study 

 of the native vegetation, and its ecological relations, in several 

 localities. Early in June a few days were spent at Bonaparte lake 

 in northern Lewis county, in a continuation of a study of the large 

 swamp, known as Bonaparte swamp. The last two weeks of July 

 were spent in and about the township of Newcomb, Essex county, 

 in the Adirondack mountains. A preliminary account of this 

 work will be submitted later; it is proposed to continue the 

 study of the vegetation of this section as a supplement to the 

 " Plants of North Elba," by the late Doctor Peck, published as 

 Bulletin 28. North Elba is located northeast of Newcomb and 

 separated from it by Mount Marcy, Mount Maclntyre and other 

 high mountains. The distance between the two sections is not great, 

 but Newcomb is drained largely by the Hudson river, while North 

 Elba is drained by the Ausable and Saranac rivers, and hence lies 

 north of the divide between the Atlantic and St Lawrence basins. 

 While both sections possess in general the typical Adirondack vege- 

 tation, there are many minor differences in the character of plant 

 life, which will be more fully elaborated through future investigations. 



During August a few days were spent at Lake Pleasant in Hamilton 

 county. Other brief trips for the purpose of studying plant life 

 and making collections, were made to various localities of northern, 

 central and eastern New York. In September, through the kindness 

 of friends interested in the wild life of northern New York, a tour 

 of general reconnaissance was made which covered practically all 

 the Adirondack region. 



During the season there were collected 830 specimens of ferns 

 and flowering plants, and 250 specimens of fungi, mosses and lichens. 

 Approximately 600 of these have been added to the state herbarium, 

 as a record of the plant life of the sections studied. The other speci- 

 mens, with duplicates of those added to the herbarium, have been 

 disposed of in exchange with other institutions. 



Considerable progress has been made in the compilation of a 

 complete flora of the State. This is now in substantially a com- 

 pleted form and awaits publication. The work is fully collated with 

 references to published notes from all sources relating to the vege- 



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