NOTE and COMMENT 



Systematic Botany. — The older systematic zoology and 

 systematic botany fell into disrepute with the competition of 

 the exacter studies in morphology and physiology, and they 

 have been overshadowed by the interest centering in evolution 

 and its derivative subjects. On the botanical side the naming 

 of specimens as an exercise in education in schools and the mak- 

 ing" of a so-called herbarium of snips of plants have still further 

 discredited whatever seems to be related to systematic work. So 

 far as one can determine, this school herbarium work did not 

 make botanists on the one hand nor lead to an appreciation of 

 nature on the other, and it would be difficult to trace contribu- 

 tions to science from its suggestions. As an educational method 

 it was faulty because it did not connect plants with either 

 function or environment nor call for continued application on 

 the part of the pupil. — L. H. Bailey in Science. 



Dandelion Flowers. — Dandelions dot the green sward 

 with buttons of gold every month of the year, except in snow 

 time ; but they really belong to spring — when the bright heads 

 come in multitudes, opening during the sunny morning hours. 

 Each head is at the summit of a smooth, hollow stem. Around 

 its base are many little, green scales, which turn down when 

 the head opens, except the inner circle which remains erect 

 when the head is closed and spreads when it opens. Within 

 this green cup scores of florets are crowded; each floret having 

 a calyx, a simple yellow corolla, five stamens and one pistil, is 

 a lovely but plain little flower, perched in the midst of a circle 

 of white, silken threads. When the flowers fade, the inner 



