650 proceedings: botanical society 



So far as observed, they contain no free oil, but yield petroleum on dis- 

 tillation. 



By modifying methods of sectioning employed by various investi- 

 gators in studying coals, the author successfully sectioned these shales 

 by microtome. The sections show an organic detrital rock containing 

 an extensive microscopic flora which includes a large number of per- 

 fectly preserved micro-algse related to blue-green and higher types. 



Thirty-five lantern slides showed the various algai found in these 

 shales. 



Algae in the Upper Paleozoic: David White. 



The 105th regular meeting of the Botanical Society of Washington 

 was held at the Cosmos Club, Tuesday, May 4, 1915, at 8 p.m. Thirty- 

 three members and four guests were present. Dr. George R. Lyman 

 was elected to membership. Dr. Camillo Schneider, general secre- 

 tary of the Dendrologischen Gesellschaft of Austria-Hungary, was 

 present as a guest of the society. The scientific program was as follows : 



The botany of Western Yunnan (China): Dr. Camillo Schneider. 

 Dr. Schneider had just returned from a year's journey in the high 

 mountains of western Yunnan. In the region of the upper Yangtze 

 he carried on investigations in botany, zoology and ethnology. He 

 obtained a great number of colored photographs taken from nature 

 (Lumiere, autochromes) of which he exhibited 25 with the lantern. 

 These showed most interesting plant types of the high mountains 

 near Li Chiang at an elevation of 10,000 to 17,000 feet. Especially 

 striking was a recently discovered Primula (P.^Littoniana) with a spiked 

 inflorescence which resembles an orchid rather than a Primula. The 

 buds are of a dark purple, while the open flowers are lighter colored. A 

 very peculiar plant of biological interest is a new Saussurea, which 

 inhabits limestone boulders at about 17,000 feet and has the flowers 

 hidden among the leaves, which are densely hairy and protect them 

 from snow and frost. The virgin forest of the Li Chiang zone consists 

 chiefly of Pinus Massoninana, various Piceas, Abies Delavayi, Tsuga 

 yunnanensis, and evergreen oaks, together with many Rhododendrons 

 and numerous other shrubs. The cryptogamic flora is very rich. Dr. 

 Schneider has collected over 3000 different species of phanerogams 

 and ferns. 



The genus Endothia: Dr. N. E. Stevens. (To be published in full 

 elsewhere.) 



Endothia pigments: Dr. Lon A. Hawkins. (To be published in full 

 elsewhere.) 



Identification of the teonanacatl, or "sacred mushroom" of the Anecs, 

 with the narcotic cactus, Lophophora Willia^nsii, and an account of its 

 ceremonial use in ancient and modern times: Mr. W. E. Safford, 



The early Spanish writers describe certain feasts of the Aztecs in 

 which a narcotic called by them teonanacatl, or "sacred mushroom," 

 was used as an intoxicant. Bernardino Sahagun, writing before 1569, 

 states that it was the Chichimeca Indians of the north who first dis- 



