402 The American Naturalist. [April, 
ing surface, He described the appearance they presented, and stated 
his belief that they certainly furnished support to the tree in many 
cases. He questioned the fact of this being their original purpose, but 
thought it might be the after result. He mentioned a tree planted by 
Bartram, near Philadelphia, which grew in dry ground, and had knees 
too yards from the trunk. This tree was probably one hundred years 
old, and had never grown in or near the water. He advanced the 
idea that the knees were only aborted shoots, thrown up fiom the roots | 
like the suckers of the silver poplar and ailanthus. Water he didnot 
consider necessary for the growth of the knees. He had not seen any | 
tree actually arising from a knee and so connected with the parent, 
but ‘he believed investigation would show that the knees were of the 
nature of aborted sprouts.—JosEpu F. JAMES. ee 
Proceedings of the Natural Science Association of Staten 
Island.—November 8th, 1890.—This being the annual meeting, Te- 
ports of officers for the past year were read and accepted. The treas- 
urer reported an income of $168.08 and expenses amounting to $1 16.83, 
leaving a balance of $51.25 in the treasury. ; 
The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows : 
President, Dr. N. L. Britton ; treasurer, Eberhard Faber; recording 
secretary, Chas. F. Simons ; corresponding secretary, Arthur Hollick; 
curator, Jos. C. Thompson. ' ; 
Dr. Britton alluded to his recent proposition (see Bulletin Torrey 
Botanical Club, Vol. XVIL, p. 121) to recognize plants which, with 
greater or less frequency, bear flowers of a color other than the n weer 
hue under the rank of “ forms,” the difference not being sufficient to 
Class them as varieties. Thus the common salt-marsh pink (Sabbatis 
stellaris), whose flowers are normally red, occasionally produces air 
of a pure white color, and this albino condition was therefore described 
under the name Sadbdatia stellaris forma albiflora. This form hoe 
recently been collected in considerable quantity in the meadows owe 
of South Beach, where it grows with the ordinary red-flowered form, es 
and in certain patches is equally abundant. Another salt-marsh speci 
m 
acts, their ordinary color being scarlet. The same OcCurTy™ © — 
been reported in other districts. 
