108 
The ash and sugar-maple have borne an unusual abundance of 
fruit this season throughout all this region (Orange County, N. Y.) 
Has anyone noticed a similar fertility elsewhere? 
Mountainville, N. V. 
W 
Motion of 
Botanical Notes, 
At a recent meeting of the 
riuhidclphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Mr. Meehan called attcn- 
tention to fresh specimens of the flowers of Centaurea Americana, a 
native of Texas, which had been sent to him from" Newport, accom- 
panied l)y a letter from Miss Mary Powell, in which she describes a 
periihar mutiun of the stamens. After describing and illustrating 
the stnicliire of the flower in detail, the speaker remarked that if the 
point of the united stamens be touched, the pollen will begin to over- 
flow >.nd the pistil ■ ;i[)pear above the mass. If the pistil be now 
touched, the entire Horet bends from side to side or makes a circular 
motion. Sometimes the motion will be communicated to other 
florets, which may bend in different directions. The Centaurea is 
closely allied to the thistles, and Mr. Meehan had found in all the 
species of the latter which he had examined the same kind of motion, 
although _in_ our common field thistle it is quite feeble. 
The irritability of the anthers had been partially described by 
Sachs and other German botanists, althouuh none of them alludes to 
a movennnt of the entire floret. They believe the movement to be 
due to contractility, but the speaker suggested that some other 
mechanism is probably involved, as the motion is only to be observed 
when the pollen is present. If the latter be all brushed off the 
motion ceases. 
Proceedings of the Torrey Club— The regular meeting of the 
Club \sas held at CoIunil)ia College, Tuesday evening. April loth. 
In the absence of the presiding officers, Mr. B. F. Braman occupied 
the rliair. I here were twenty-six persons present. 
Fteld Committee. ~\\\Ki chairman appointed Messrs. Day. Rudkin 
^" M-i ^^ ''^ commitiee on field excursions for the current year. 
1 lie Rev .\. B. Hervey, on invitation of the chair, made some 
remarks on the study of algse. 
Four persons were elected active memliers. 
At the regular meeting held Tuesday evening, May 8th, the Presi- 
froni 
dent ocrupted the chair and twenty -one persons were present. 
Mr. I'raman exhibited specimens of Pistia spathuhita. M.x 
\ lorula. I he President remarked that fossil specimens of this genus 
were found in the cretaceous rock.-, uf Wyoming. 
Mr. Britton showed specimens Veronica hetfrrcrfolia, L., and 
Lithospermum ar-'-^e, L.. from a new localitv, Kingsbridge, N. Y. 
Mr. Bicknell showed specimens of Carlx Penns^hanica, Lam., 
nntl of C. .„.M/, Muhl., which closely resembles it, and pointed out 
an important difference by which they may be distinguished, this 
being the presence in C. Pensyi.anica of lontj. spreading rootstocks 
by means of which plants covering a considerable area are connected, 
in C. vana these are not to be found. 
One person was elected an active member. 
