BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 291 



I do not think myself competent to join in so important a work. 

 If I can render you any assistance by communicating to you de- 

 scriptions or specimens of plants, I shall do it with the greatest 

 pleasure." 



Remarks. — These extracts include all of the botanical matter 

 of this letter. There is no date, but we can judge that from various 

 allusions. The Lyceum of Natural History to which he refers 

 was founded in 1820, I think, and this is a year after. Elliott's 

 Botany was published (Vol. I.) in 1821. The letter is specially 

 interesting as containing an opinion of Rafinesque by one of his 

 contemporaries, and one who apparently knew him very well. 

 "He is the best naturalist I am acquainted with," are the words, 

 "but he is too fond of novelty. He finds too many new things — 

 all is new ! new ! " a fault which is common to many even of our 

 modern scientists, and for which Rafinesque ought not to be 

 blamed any more than another. — Jos. T. James. 



Botany at the Minneapolis Meeting of the A. A. A. S. 



This meeting was a memorable one for botanists, there being 

 more in attendance than ever before, and for the first time botan- 

 ical papers were in the majority in the section of biology. But, 

 after all, the interest at such a time is not so much in the papers 

 read as in the personal contact of the workers who may long 

 have known of each other but never have met, and for whom 

 the clasp of the hand and the glance of the eye cements a friend- 

 ship already formed. At such times beginners meet with the 

 leaders whose names are household words, and find them genial, 

 hearty, whole-souled men, with a cheering word for all, and they 

 return with fresh zeal to their work ; at the same time these lead- 

 ers have largely augmented their following. Botanical zeal ran so 

 high that it finally culminated in the formation of an American 

 Botanical Club, having no constitution or by-laws, but simply to 

 be an association of botanists who are members of the A. A. A. S., 

 for the purpose of general botanical conference and excursions 

 during the meetings of the American Association. Prof. W. J. 

 Beal was chosen President, and Prof. J. M. Coulter Secretary of 

 this club, which expects to enter fairly on its work at the next 

 meeting in Philadelphia. The members enrolled at Minneapolis 

 are as follows: W. J. Beal, J. M Coulter, W. G. Farlow, C. E. 

 Bessey, J. C. Arthur, W. R. Dudley, Dr. Geo. Vasey, Dr. E L. 

 Sturtevant, Lillie J. Martin, Mrs. Ellen B. Reed, Dr. P. R. Hoy, 

 N. S. Townshend, Warren H. Manning, Sadie M. Manning, C. 



