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150 



Assistant Postmaster General, in reply to his application printed 

 in this Bulletin, January, 1888. p. 27, in which the decision is 

 made by the Department THAT NATURAL HiSTORY SPECIMENS 



WITH WRITTEN DESCRIPTIVE LABELS ARE ADMISSIBLE TO THE 

 MAILS AT THE FOURTH-CLASS RATE OF POSTAGE, WHICH IS 

 ONE CENT AN OUNCE. 



The following amendment to the By-Laws was adopted: 



VII. There shall be appointed upon the adoption of this 

 by-law and at each regular annual meeting thereafter two dis- 

 tinct Flora Committees, of three members each, — one for Phaner- 

 gamia and one for Cryptogamla — whose duty it shall be to pre- 

 pare complete and accurate lists of all the plants, native, natur- 

 alized and adventive, occurring within 100 miles of New York 

 City, and to have such lists published with as much description 

 and illustration as they shall deem best, and the funds obtainable 

 for the purpose shall warrant. 



The President appointed J. F. Poggenburg, N. L. Britton and 

 E, E, Sterns, Committee on Phanerogamia ; Mrs. N. L. Britton, 

 M. O. Steele and S. E. JelHffe. on Cryptogamia. 



Miss Steele exhibited a specimen of Pentstemon Icevigatiis^ 

 var. Digitalis, collected by Miss P. A. McCabe, at White Plains, 

 Westchester Co., a plant not previously reported as growing wild 

 east of the Hudson. 



Mr. Sterns exhibited specimens of Lanrus iiohilis, X., fr^ni 

 Edisto Id,, S. C, where it is thoroughly naturalized and known 

 as ** Sweet Bay," This adds a new plant to the North Ameri- 

 can flora. He showed that a lighted match held beneath the 

 leaves causes a series of explosive ruptures of the epidermis, 

 probably resulting from the vaporization of the oil globules. 



The papers announced for the evening were read: i» On 

 some peculiarities of the fruit of Smila'x, by E. E. Sterns. 2. 

 On White Mountain Willows, by M. S. Bebb, read by the Sec- 

 retary, and illustrated by specimens. 



Dr. Britton exhibited a specimen of Qtiercus Muhlenbergtt, 

 Engelm., var. htimilis, from Lake Grinnell, N. J., in which the 

 scales of the acorn cups were transformed into leaves over an 

 inch long, showing their homology with an involucre. 



Miss Rogers presented dupHcates of a number of Long Id. 

 mosses for distribution. 



