92 proceedings: botanical society 



Negroes tend to marry earlier than the native white classes; and, in 

 fact, at all age periods, the proportion of married, widowed, and divorced 

 persons, taken together, is higher in the case of the negroes of both 

 sexes than in the case of the native whites of native parentage. 



There has been a marked change in the composition of the foreign- 

 born population of the United States during recent years. Natives of 

 northwestern Europe constituted more than two-thirds of the total for- 

 eign-born population of the United States in 1900, but less than half in 

 1910, while southern and eastern Europeans formed only a little over 

 one-sixth of the total at the earlier census, as compared with three- 

 eights in 1910. The Germans and the Irish particularly have fallen 

 off conspicuously in numbers, while the natives of Russia — largely Rus- 

 sian Jews and Poles — Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece, and other coun- 

 tries of southern and eastern Europe have increased by very high per- 

 centages, no lesss than 1090 per cent in the case of natives of Greece. 

 The natives of Russia now rank second among the foreign-born classes, 

 and those of Italy fourth. 



Various inquiries, accompanied by additional statements of facts and 

 explanations, were answered by Mr. Durand, but there was no discus- 

 sion beyond these. Wm. H. Babcock, Secretary. 



THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 12th annual business meeting was held on Wednesday, October 

 30, 1912. Officers were elected as follows: President, W. W. Stock- 

 berger; Vice-President, C. R. Ball; Recording Secretary, H. L. 

 Shantz; Corresponding Secretary, C. L. Shear; Treasurer, F. L. Lew- 

 ton. 



The executive committee reported an active membership of 108. 



The 83rd regular meeting was held at the Cosmos Club November 12, 

 1912. The following papers were read: 



A 'portrait of Linnaeus: Dr. J. N. Rose. Doctor Rose exhibited an 

 engraved portrait of Linnaeus which had recently been presented to the 

 Smithsonian Institution by Captain John Donnel Smith, of Baltimore 

 who had previously given to that Institution his magnificent herbarium 

 and library. This portrait is one rarely seen in this country, being 

 a mezzotint of one of the earliest portraits of Linnaeus, the original 

 being a replica of Hoffman's famous picture showing Linnaeus in Lap- 

 land dress, of which the original is now the property of the Clifford fam- 

 ily. This replica was known to have been in the possession of one 

 Thornton as late as 1811; but its whereabouts now is not known. 



Doctor Rose also called attention to the large collection of portraits 

 of Linnaeus in the possession of the Linnean Society; and also to the 

 work of Tycho Tullberg, "Linne-portratt," a quarto volume of 185 

 pages with 25 portrait plates. 



Rough-hark disease of the yellow newtown pippin: Mr. John W. Rob- 

 erts. 



Botanizing in the region of the natural bridges of southern Utah: Dr. 

 P. A. Rydberg (by invitation). 



C. L. Shear, Corresporiding Secretary. 



