Vermont Botanical and Bird Club 25 



me an impossible classification and when, last year, Professor Trelease 

 of the University of Illinois wrote me, asking for a specimen of 

 Quercus amMgua, I sent him leaves and fruit from some of the park 

 trees. He replied "that seeing is believing" and recognizes this tree. 

 This appears to me to be the more logical position but as long as our 

 systematic work rests on the present dogmatic basis, we will be unable 

 to determine such matters with certainty. 



It is hoped to publish a more extended account of the matter later. 



SHORT NOTES OF INTEREST 



Effect of Wet Season 



During 1916, a season of luxuriant growth, because of wet weather, 

 Leston A. Wheeler of Townshend, found a number of plants of special 

 interest as follows: A plant of Oxalis corniculata (among raspberries) 

 which measured three feet and six inches in height; plant of As- 

 plenium Trichomanes with over 70 fronds; Lillium philadelphicum with 

 three and four flowers. 



Acadian Chickadees Abundant 



During the fall of 1916 Vermont was visited by a large number of 

 Acadian chickadees which passed through all New England and mi- 

 grated farther south than ever before so far as ornithological records 

 show, reaching New Jersey. The birds began to appear in central 

 Vermont October 22 and during the week thereafter were abundant in 

 mixed woods at all altitudes. They were seen in good numbers until 

 mid-November and a few stragglers were about the first week in 

 December. Specimens taken in Massachusetts and Rhode Island show 

 that the birds which made the unusual southward movement were of 

 the form known as Penthestes Tiudsonicus nigricans, the Labrador 

 chickadee, and it is supposed that the Vermont birds were of this same 

 dark form. 



Unusual Date fob White-Throated Sparrow 



Richard M. Marble of Woodstock reports in Birdlore, Vol. XIX; 

 1:13, that a white-throated sparrow remained at Woodstock until 

 Christmas day in 1916. 



Specimens for Exchange 



F. G. Floyd of 325 Park street, West Roxbury, Mass., wishes to ex- 

 change duplicate botanical books and local floras of New England 



