319 



plants, notably N. lactistre^ and that many aquatic exogenous 

 plants have dissected leaves, would lead to the conclusion that our 

 plant had been an aquatic at some period of its history. My own 

 conclusion In regard to it is that it was originally an aquatic, but 



A 



under a gradual change of condition of its surroundings, probably 

 the drying up in summer of the shallow water in which it lived. It 

 acquired a form suitable for emcrsed conditions, became amphibi- 

 ous as it were. Possibly it would be better to suppose a marshy 

 habitat, subject to fall and winter overflow, but as ponds and 

 lakes usually preceded marshes it is perhaps best to trace this in- 

 teresting case of heredity, if such it be, to them rather than to 

 marshy ground. Chas A. DAVIS. 



Alma, Mich.^ Oct. 25, iSgo. 



Botanical Notes, 



Appointment of Dr, Thos, Morong to the Curatorship of the 

 Columbia College Herbariuin, 



After an absence of over two years In southern South Amer- 

 ica, during which time he has collected a very large and valuable 

 representation of the plants of that region, Dr. Morong has re- 

 turned in health and safety. All botanists will bid him cordial 

 welcome, both on his safe return and his entry upon a new sphere 

 of usefulness and activity. The trustees of Columbia College 

 have appointed him to be Curator of their herbarium, a position 

 which has not been occupied since the death of Mr. P. V. LeRoy. 



In this appointment an important step has been made in the prog- 

 ress of American systematic botany. N. L. B. 



Hepaticeoe BritanniccB ExsiceatcE, Carrington and Pearson; 

 Fas. IV,, Nos. 216-290 ; price \ £ los., Manchester, Eccles, 

 England. As many of the British species are common to Amer- 

 ica, we take pleasure in commending these neatly prepared sets. 

 They are bound In cloth, large octavo. We may state here that 

 the hepatic collections of C. F. Austin were purchased by Messrs. 

 Carrington and Pearson, so that it is to them that we must look 

 for comparisons with many types of American species. 



New Localities. — Ligiisticmn Scoticttm, L. A few plants of this 

 species grow beside the salt creek on the west side of Black Point, 



