USA > New York > Oneida County > Utica > Outline history of Utica and vicinity > Part 11
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Many of the stone structures in Utica illustrate the rich- ness of the county in building stone. Any building stone should have in a wall the precise attitude nature gave it in the quarry.
The clays of the Mohawk flats are utilized in Deerfield, Rome, and Whitesboro for making bricks. Good sand for glass is found at Durhamville. Mineral paint is made in Kirkland from the Clinton iron ore.
in Trans. O. H. S., 1887-9, P. 117.
The search for coal and mineral oil years ago had no A. P. Brigham result, nor is it probable that they can be found in the county. (See Geol. O. C., p. 117.) Peat in large quan- tities exists in the swamp near Rome. There are large
Guide to St. A. P. Brigham in Trans. O. H. S., 1887-9, P. IIO.
149
GEOLOGY.
deposits of calcareous tufa in the southern part of the county. The cobblestones formerly used for paving were a part of the Glacial drift.
Probably the time taken in the depositing of the rocks of Oneida county was several millions of years longer than all the time that has since elapsed. But very great surface changes have been made since the Devonian age. (See Shaler's "Aspects of the Earth.")
The strikes in the Palaeozoic beds probably represent an old shore-line that was gradually receding southward. Before the end of Palaeozoic time, the streams which rose in the Adirondack region, growing longer as the shore re- ceded southward, crossed the whole of Oneida County, and flowed into the interior sea then covering the coal-areas of P. 515. Pennsylvania. Even in Tertiary time, they still flowed to the south, reaching the sea by an ancient Susquehanna River. Meantime the region, which had been reduced in Cre- taceous time almost to base-level, had been elevated, with Ibid. the entire warping Appalachian belt, to a plateau level. The St. Lawrence River had been formed earlier, and the Hudson valley was being excavated. As this valley grew, it was inevitable that a tributary valley should be cut west- ward along the strike of the soft Utica-Hudson shales, di- verting toward the east the headwaters of some Adiron- dack streams. At Little Falls this process was stopped by the barrier of gneisses which had been faulted up in Ibid. very ancient times. A similar valley was cut from the St. Lawrence eastward, diverting toward the west the head- waters of other Adirondack streams.
Then came the Glacial period, and the ice-cap covered the region. Shore lines of three glacial lakes are found in Western New York, of which the lowest, Lake Iroquois, is believed to have discharged through the Mohawk Valley.
Eastern Gate- way of U. S.,
Ibid., p. 516.
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
The deltas and delta terraces of lateral streams, from Rome to Little Falls, were probably made at this time. While Lake Ontario was being excavated, the glacier broke up. The St. Lawrence valley being still frozen, an enormous discharge of water came through the Mohawk valley from the Great Lakes, reduced the barrier at Little Falls, and so aggraded the region as to transfer the divide to Rome.
A. P. Brig- ham's Topo- graphy and Glacial De- posits of Mo- hawk Valley, P. 184.
Thus by changes of level, by constant erosion, by the grinding of the ice-sheet, and above all by post-glacial action of water, the physical features of the county have been sculptured. The importance of the Mohawk as a topographic feature is best appreciated if one stand upon Starr Hill in Steuben, 1,793 feet above the sea, or Tassel Hill in Paris, 1,948 feet in altitude; he then sees a valley from 12 to 20 miles wide and 1, 500 feet deep, with great alluvial deposit. This makes clear how enormous is the mass of land that has been carried down to the sea. The higher hills about Utica are the remains of the ancient strata that have been cut into to form the valley. All the way from Little Falls to Rome, an old higher bank of the river can be seen, at places 80 feet above the present bed.
State Museum Bulletin, Vol.4, No. 19, p. 180.
Vanuxem, p. 213.
in Trans. O. H. S., 1887-9, P. 112.
The debris of the retreating glacier so filled up the Hud- A. P. Brigham son basin that the St. Lawrence was deflected to its pres- ent position, the outlet being changed from the vicinity of Rome to the Thousand Islands ; and so the Mohawk be- came a local drainage stream.
Abundant evidence of glaciation exists in the vicinity of Utica. The great bowlders both north and south of the Mohawk, each consisting of such rock as outcrops farther north than its present station ; such kettle holes as Bear Pond ; the Whitestown-Oriskany sand-plain, of which the main mass is called "the Oriskany bluffs"; the Frankfort-Ilion drift-benches ; the belt of kames extending
151
GEOLOGY.
a mile or more eastward from the Ilion station ; the finger lakes to the southwest, of which Oneida borders upon this county: all have a story to tell.
When excavations were made for the Rutger Street via- duct, a true glacial till was thrown out, containing many scratched pebbles. A fine bowlder of red Laurentian A. P. Brigham granite may be seen in Utica on the northeast corner of in Trans. O. H. S., 1889-92,
South Street and Kossuth Avenue. Its top has been planed p. 72. off by the glacier. A drive over South Street in New Hart- ford to the reservoirs will reveal enough bowlders to afford considerable evidence of glaciation.
A good example of a river terrace is afforded by the Mohawk in Western. The mouth of Deerfield ravine offers another example. Three distinct levels are here visible.
The gorge at Trenton, over one hundred feet deep, and the ravines of Utica and its vicinity, display to advantage the post-glacial action of water. Wonderful examples of erosion are seen at Little Falls.
The good qualities of the soil about Utica are due to three main causes : (1) the decomposition of the shale, so full of carbon, making the best dairy land of the State ; (2) the abundant glacial drift ; (3) the rich deposits of the Mohawk, which carries sediments from all the higher lands of the region.
XVII.
BOTANY.
[Many facts taken by permission from Dr. J. V. Haberer's pub- lished List of Plants in the Vicinity of Utica.]
A RICH flora was to be expected from the varieties of soil and location near Utica. The alluvial soil along
the Mohawk, the occasional unreclaimed marshes and shrubby copses, the sphagnous swamps and forested hill- sides, afford homes to most varieties of phaenogamous plants suited to the climate.
September 1, 1897, the writer found 100 species of plants, wild or fully naturalized, in bloom in the fields and along the roadsides, just beyond the southern line of the city. The space covered was not much more than a mile.
Within a radius of ten miles from Utica there are about 970 species of flowering plants. Of these about 60 are Forest Trees and about So Shrubs and Undershrubs, in- digenous, or naturalized and growing wild. Of Equiseta we have 7, of native Ferns 40, and of Club-Mosses 6. The Mosses, Hepatica, and Fungi of this locality have not been numbered and classified.
A botanical garden of our native plants seems much to be desired in the interest of our school children. It might be an annex to one of our city parks.
A list of the orders of which we have representatives con- cludes this paper.
We give a few notes as to the season and habitat of the best known of our flowers, although in doing so we al- most wrong the many which we cannot name. These the
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BOTANY.
student must find for himself with the aid of botany and teacher.
In earliest spring, the Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) blooms in bogs and marshes. This very mal- Gray's Manual odorous flower belongs to the Arum Family. The blossom of Botany, 6th Ed. appears before the large coarse leaves arrive, and the Gibson's spathe is so gorgeously striped with gold and purple that Sharp Eyes, PP. 1-3. artists and florists are beginning to appreciate its beauty.
The Slippery Elm, (Ulmus fulva), blooms almost as early, (March and April), and the White Elm, (U. Ameri- cana), and Red and Sugar Maples, (Acer rubrum and sac- charinum), quickly follow.
The "pussies " of the Willows are here also, and these downy catkins soon open to show the golden anthers of the staminate blossoms, and the gray green of the pistillate.
Soon after the snow leaves the ground in spring, the Hepatica, (Hepatica acutiloba), appears in the woods. One was found in woods near the city, March 18, 1898. This was exceptionally early. Records from 1872 to 1885 J. V. Haberer give as the earliest date on which it was first found, April in Trans. O.H. S., 1887-9, P.192 I, 1878, and as the latest, May 4, 1872. The lingering snows of 1899 made it possible to bring home rich bunches of this flower, resting on beds of snow near which it had blossomed.
Closely following the Hepatica in early spring, are the Spring Beauty, (Claytonia Caroliniana), and the Blood- root, (Sanguinaria Canadensis).
Quite as early, in waste places, appears the Shepherd's Purse, Capsella Bursa-Pastoris), whose small white flowers do not desert us until the autumn. As the season advances, the flower and fruit are seen on the same stem, and the triangular seed-pods are gathered by the children.
Several Mustards and Cresses appear with the Shep- herd's Purse, all belonging to the order Cruciferae.
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
One beautiful spring flower must not be omitted, the Trailing Arbutus,-the May-Flower of New England, - (Epigaea repens.) It grows in Oneida County, north and west of the city, but in spite of careful efforts to cultivate it, in Deerfield and Clinton, it refuses to make a home very near us.
May brings the fruit blossoms, and in the woods and fields, the Trilliums and Violets of many varieties.
The Marsh Marigold, (Caltha palustris), is a golden flower of May, belonging to the Crowfoot Family, to which the Hepatica and many other spring flowers be- long.
Toward the end of the month, the flowers of the buck- bean, (Menyanthes trifoliata), of the Gentian Family, are found in bogs. They form large white spikes, beautifully fringed and delightfully fragrant, with a large clover-like leaf on a long stem, and with a thick rootstock, which Bayard Taylor tells us is ground into flour and made into bread in Norway. It is a highly representative flower of bog and stream.
In early June, the banks of the Sauquoit Creek and other moist places, will be found carpeted with Forget-me- not, (Myosotis palustris), of the Borage Family.
At the same time, the Pitcher Plant, (Sarracenia pur- purea), is found in sphagnous bogs, with its pitchers filled with water and drowned insects. In the same place, - some bog upon the Frankfort hills, -and at the same time, look for Blueberries and Cranberries, (Vaccinium), Lab- rador Tea, (Ledum latifolium), Sheep Laurel, (Kalmia angustifolia), and the beautiful Azalea, (Rhododendron nudiflorum), all members of the Heath Family. In bogs also, grows our small wild Calla or Water Arum, (Calla palustris), a beautiful little plant, whose pointed spathe is green without and pure white within.
155
BOTANY.
In June, too, we begin to see the Orchids, of which we have about 30 species, which open in succession through the summer, some even as late as September and Octo- ber. Some of these are far from abundant, and we should gather them carefully, leaving the root unharmed, that new flowers may appear in succeeding summers.
In July and August, the Wintergreen or Checkerberry, (Gaultheria procumbens), shows its white bells side by side with the bright red berries of the preceding year.
The flowers of the woods almost disappear as summer progresses and are succeeded by rushes, sedges and grasses, all having blossoms; the roadside indulges in a great variety of weeds, mostly composite or umbelliferous ; the ponds have white Water-Lilies, and various aquatic plants; and the Asters begin to star the edges of the woodland and the banks of streams.
Summer, besides being the time to study the Ferns, is the time also to notice the fruit of the spring wild-flowers. The winged fruit of the Striped Maple, (Acer Pennsylva- nicum), growing in drooping clusters, becomes at last a deep red as beautiful as a flower.
The low straggling branches of the American Yew, (Taxus Canadensis), looking like Hemlock, and so easily neglected, bear now and then underneath, the bright red, berry-like fruit, with a single large black seed.
The splendid Cardinal Flower, (Lobelia Cardinalis , blooms in July and August, and Golden-Rod (Solidago), a little later. Of Golden-Rod, there are 50 American va- rieties, and even more of its companion, the Aster.
In September the Witch-Hazel, (Hamamelis Virginica), comes out with short gold fringe along its gray boughs. Its leaves wither and fall, but the gold petals glint in the paler gold of November's sun and it does not fruit till spring and the new year of flowers comes again.
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
Reference has already been made to the catalogues of Dr. Knieskern and Mr. Paine, and the herbaria of Dr. Sartwell and Mr. Hunt. (See XI.)
PLANTS USED BY MAN.
76. Johnson's Cyc.
Ginseng, (Aralia quinquefolia), was an article of trade from the earliest history of the region. The Indians gath- T. W. Dwight ered it for sale to English traders, and they, in turn, sold in Trans. O. H. S., 1881, p. it to the Chinese, who made many preparations from the root. The settlers of Clinton paid in Ginseng for the timely help of Isaac Paris. (See VII.). It has much de- creased in quantity, but being worth from three to four dollars a pound, is still gathered with profit. About 150 J. H. Sheehan. pounds are annually sent from Utica to New York, for shipment to China.
G. A. Clark.
Basket-making from varieties of Willow, and from Ash splints, was once largely carried on in the homes of French, German, and Italian families, and plantations of Willow were to be found along the Mohawk, but though such baskets and hampers are still sold, the regular man- ufacture of them has ceased.
The osiers were formerly gathered, fagoted, and sent to New York for manufacture, but this is no longer done.
Pioneers, p. 237.
The Bleecker Plum was introduced here from Albany by Judge Morris S. Miller, (resident of Utica 1806-24). He gave this choice fruit freely to the gardens of his neigh- bors, and the descendants of these trees are still found in the city. He was equally liberal in giving young trees from his fine apple orchard, which lay between the pres- ent West, Rutger, Steuben and South Streets.
About the middle of the century, Rev. Chauncey E. Goodrich conducted at Utica a series of interesting and
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BOTANY.
valuable experiments on the Potato. The recent occur- rence of the Irish famine, the immediate cause of which was the potato disease, gave special interest to his labors. Procuring potatoes from Chili, the home of the plant, he Fowler's carried on his work for sixteen years, during which time he Pres'm. in made more than 130 communications to agricultural jour- nals and scientific magazines. He perfected several vari- eties, by one of which, as was estimated, he saved to the farmers of the country $2,000,000. His generous spirit made him indifferent to the wealth he might have gained, (Potato.) and a careful examination of his accounts showed that his own pecuniary profit amounted to $50.
The twigs of Hamamelis distilled with water yield the well known Pond's extract, also known as extract of Witch Hazel. The industry is extensively carried on at Trenton and other places in Oneida County. The extract was sold first in Utica, by Theron T. Pond, about 1844 or 1845.
At present wines are made for domestic use of dandelion blossoms, (Taraxacum officinale) ; Sweet Elder blossoms or fruit, (Sambucus Canadensis) ; the wild Black Cherry, (Prunus serotina), and the wild Grape, (Vitis cordifolia), growing abundantly along the river bank. The Dandelion, Milkweed, (Asclepias cornuti), and in early spring, the Marsh Marigold, (Caltha palustris), the common weed Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and many other plants, are used as pot-herbs.
There are few wild fruits in common use. The Blue- berry, (Vaccinium Pennsylvanicum and Canadense), grows sparsely, also the common Black Huckleberry, (Gaylussacia resinosa).
The Red and Black Raspberries, (Rubus strigosus and occidentalis) ; the High Blackberry, (Rubus villosus), and wild Strawberry, (Fragaria Virginiana), are abundant.
On account of its nearness to the southwestern borders
Cent. N. Y., pp. 558-9.
Johnson'sCyc.,
158
OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
W. L. Ralph and E. Bagg, in Trans. O. H. S., 1887-9, p. I02.
of the Adirondacks, this region has rather Canadian than Alleghanian flora. The trees are principally beech, maple, hemlock, and spruce ; the chestnut and the tulip tree, which are common on the same parallel not far to the west, being absent. Peaches, which can be grown on the Finger Lakes, will not usually ripen here. There are many or- chards of fine apples in the vicinity of the city. Hops are much cultivated, and of late the beet sugar industry has become important. Indian corn grows well. Other grains grow fairly well; but, where the underlying rock is slaty, the tenacious, clayey soil is much better suited to grass, and forms the finest pasture land of the State, so that the characteristics of the county are grazing and dairying rather than the raising of fruits or cereals. .
A. P. Brigham in Trans. O. H. S., 1887-9, P. 114.
It is an interesting fact that the Osage Orange, (Ma- clura aurantiaca), native in the southern and southwest- ern part of the United States, and used in the north for hedges, has, on a farm in Deerfield, grown to the height of a tree and has borne fruit.
PLANTS OF LOCAL INTEREST.
The people of Utica are tree-lovers, and the variety as well as number of trees in the city is very great. Many of the Elms are of remarkable size and beauty, and this is true as well of those in the surrounding country, noticeably those at Chadwicks. The Lombardy Poplar, (Populus nigra, var. Italica), was at one time extensively planted, but has almost disappeared. Not graceful, but striking in appear- ance, a few specimens are still standing, as those in front of Mr. Egbert Bagg's house, planted in 1806, and the row on College Hill, Clinton. The city is even too well shaded for sanitation, and might add to its officers a Forester whose business it should be to let in sunlight by judicious tree-trimming. At the same time, when New York and
WILSON ELM.
Saturday Globe
I 59
BOTANY.
other large cities have recognized the fact that our trees are agents of health, and when their citizens are busy plant- ing trees in their most arid streets, we should congratu- late ourselves that, with us, wise planting is no longer so much needed as wise pruning. The fathers of Utica were all tree-planters. The English Elm, the Black Walnut, and other species were introduced and fostered by them.
The mathematician, Mr. George R. Perkins, gave much time and thought to tree-planting. On the street which he laid out, Sunset Avenue, formerly called from him, Perkins Avenue, he personally persuaded the city to pre- serve the great Elm near Faxton Hospital. On the grounds of his home, where his widow still resides, are several fine Elms. One of these is 22 feet in circumference above the parting of the roots, 20 feet in circumference six feet above the ground, and probably nearly 100 feet high.
The Wilson Elm, believed by many to be a tree of the original forest, though not more beautiful than many others, is of large size and unusual form. It is " 90 feet in height ; about 18 feet in circumference one foot from the ground, and 14 feet in circumference at the height of six Sat. Globe, June 18, 1898. feet." The bole rises 50 feet unbranched, and the U. Herald, June Io, 1899.
branches spread in a picturesquely gnarled manner. This Elm stands a little south of the new Savings Bank. One of our citizens bought the ground on which it stands that the tree might thus be sure of preservation.
Another local plant celebrity, now, we fear, no longer living, is the Mountain Ash tree on the tower of the Church of the Reconciliation, near the corner of Seneca and Columbia streets. How planted, how nourished, one hardly knows, but it has become a goodly tree, and for many years bore flowers and fruit in its eyrie far above the barren street.
16c
OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
ORDERS OF PLANTS FOUND IN OR NEAR UTICA.
Of the 136 orders of plants of the Northern United States given by Gray, (excluding Cellular Acrogens), Utica has representatives of 95, as follows :
Family.
I. Ranunculaceae, Crowfoot
2. Magnoliaceae, Magnolia
3. Berberidaceae, Barberry
4. Nymphaceae, Water-Lily
5. Sarraceniaceae, Pitcher-Plants
.Poppy
7. Fumariaceae,
6. Papaveraceae, Fumitory
8.
Cruciferae,
Mustard
9. Resedaceae, Mignonette
IO. Violaceae, Violet
Caryophyllaceae, . Pink
12. Portulacaceae, Purslane
13. Hypericaceae, St. John's-wort
14. Malvaceae, Mallow
15. Tilliaceae, Linden
16. Geraniaceae, . Geranium
17. Rutaceae, Rue
18. Ilicineae, . Holly
19. Celastraceae, Staff Tree
20. Rhamnaceae, Buckthorn
21. Vitaceae, . Grape
22. Sapindaceae, . Soapberry
23.
Anacardiaceae,
. Cashew
24. Polygalaceae, Milkwort
25. Leguminosae, Pulse
26. Rosaceae, . Rose 27. Saxifragaceae, . Saxifrage
28. Crassulaceae, Orpine
BOTANY. 161
Family.
29
Droseraceae, ..
. Sundew
30. Hamamelideae, . Witch-Hazel
31. Lythraceae, Loosestrife
32. Onograceae, . Evening-Primrose
33. Cucurbitaceae Gourd
34. Umbelliferae, Parsley
35
Araliaceae, . Ginseng
36.
Cornaceae,
Dogwood
37.
Caprifoliaceae,
Honeysuckle
38. Rubiaceae, Madder
39. Valerianaceae, Valerian
40. Dipsaceae, . Teasel
41. Compositae, . Composite
42. Lobeliaceae, .Lobelia
43. Campanulaceae, Campanula
44. Ericaceae, Heath
45. Primulaceae, Primrose
46. Oleaceae, Olive 47 Apocynaceae, . . Dogbane
48. Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed
49. Gentianaceae, Gentian
50. Polemoniaceae,
Polemonium
51. Hydrophyllaceae, Waterleaf
52. Borraginaceae, . Borage
53.
Convolvulaceae,
. Convovulus
54.
Scrophulariaceae,
Figwort
55.
Lentibulariaceae,
Bladderwort
56.
Verbenaceae,
Vervain
57. Labiatae, .. Mint
58. Plantaginaceae,
Plantain
59. Illecebraceae, Knotwort
60.
Amarantaceae,
Amaranth
61.
Chenopodiaceae,
Goosefoot
II
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
Family.
62 Phytolaccaceae, Pokeweed
63. Polygonaceae, Buckwheat
64. Aristolochiaceae, Birthwort
65. Piperaceae, Pepper
66. Lauraceae, . . Laurel
67. Thymelaeaceae, . Mezereum
68. Elaeagnaceae, Oleaster
69. Loranthaceae, Mistletoe
70. Euphorbiaceae, Spurge
71. Urticaceae, . Nettle
72. Platanaceae, . Plane-Tree
73. Juglandaceae, Walnut
74. Myricaceae, Sweet-Gale
75. Cupuliferae, Oak
76. Salicaceae, Willow
77. Coniferae, Pine
78. Orchidaceae, Orchis
79. Iridaceae, . . Iris 80. Liliaceae, . Lily
81. Pondeteriaceae, Pickerel-Weed
82. Commelinaceae, Spiderwort
83. Juncaceae, . Rush
84. Typhaceae, Cat-Tail
85. Araceae, Arum
86. Lemnaceae, Duckweed
87. Alismaceae,
Water-Plantain
88. Naiadaceae,
Pondweed
89. Cyperaceae,
Sedge
90. Gramineae, Grass
91. Equisetaceae, Horsetail
92. Filices, . . Ferns
93 Ophioglossaceae, Adder's-Tongue
94. Lycopodiaceae, Club-Moss
95 Selaginellaceae, A Family allied to the Club Mosses
XVIII. BIRDS.
[Data kindly furnished by Mr. Egbert Bagg.]
T' `HE geographical location of the city, on the confines of the Adirondack wilderness, and the climatic conditions which result from this location, naturally lead us to look for a bird fauna largely Canadian, and such we find ours to be, many of our summer residents being of species which breed far north of the St. Lawrence.
The area of the city proper is so small, and so generally occupied for business and residence purposes, that the "Birds of Utica " must include the birds of the immediate vicinity. There are about 175 species which occur within such limits. These may be divided into : "Residents " (those which remain with us the year around, not always the same individuals, but the same species), 9 ; " Summer Residents " (those which spend the summer with us, but not the winter, and breed with us), 76; " Winter Visit- ors," (which come down from the colder north, where they live and breed during the summer), 8; "Migrants" (those which pass through, going north to breed in the spring, and passing south to warmer climates in the fall), 64 ; and "Stragglers " (those which have occasionally been seen, but are far out of their usual habitat), 18.
Of these 175, there are at least 98 species which every boy and girl should know, including a few which, although comparatively rare, are of sufficient interest to be named in our list. They are divided into : "Residents," 9 ; " Winter Visitors," 3; "Summer Residents," 65 ; and " Migrants," 2I .
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OUTLINE HISTORY OF UTICA AND VICINITY.
Omitting the "Stragglers," the Orders and Families are represented by familiar birds according to the following list. The common names used are those generally ac- cepted in this locality. The scientific names are taken from the Check-list of the American Ornithologists' Union, 2d Edition.
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