﻿APR. 
  4, 
  1922 
  SCIENTIFIC 
  NOTES 
  AND 
  NEWS 
  191 
  

  

  The 
  paper 
  was 
  illustrated 
  by 
  numerous 
  lantern 
  slides 
  and 
  was 
  discussed 
  by- 
  

   Messrs. 
  Gidley, 
  Rohwer, 
  Oberholser 
  and 
  Doolittle. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  W. 
  E. 
  Safford: 
  TJie 
  Dahlia, 
  its 
  origin 
  and 
  development. 
  Dr. 
  Safford 
  

   stated 
  that 
  the 
  botanical 
  relationships 
  of 
  the 
  cultivated 
  Dahlia 
  are 
  difficult 
  

   to 
  trace, 
  having 
  been 
  crossed 
  and 
  recrossed 
  under 
  cultivation 
  before 
  they 
  were 
  

   known 
  to 
  Europeans. 
  They 
  were 
  first 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  in 
  1791, 
  from 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  Mexican 
  origin 
  by 
  Cavanilles. 
  Descriptions 
  of 
  some 
  Dahlias 
  

   antedate 
  the 
  technical 
  descriptions 
  some 
  200 
  years 
  in 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  resources 
  

   of 
  New 
  Spain. 
  At 
  that 
  time 
  Hernandez 
  describes 
  varieties 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  color 
  

   showing 
  that 
  types 
  thought 
  to 
  be 
  modern 
  were 
  already 
  developed. 
  Many 
  

   of 
  the 
  interesting 
  and 
  remarkable 
  modern 
  forms 
  have 
  been 
  developed 
  by 
  

   crossing 
  with 
  a 
  distinct 
  type. 
  Dahlia 
  juarezii. 
  Wild 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  Mexico 
  and 
  Central 
  America 
  by 
  Maxon 
  and 
  Popenoe 
  

   which 
  bear 
  their 
  discoverers' 
  names. 
  

  

  The 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  Dahlia 
  are 
  clustered 
  and 
  fleshy, 
  containing 
  not 
  starch 
  but 
  

   inulin, 
  from 
  which 
  levulose 
  or 
  fructose 
  is 
  obtained. 
  Owing 
  to 
  a 
  bitter 
  flavor 
  

   the 
  roots 
  are 
  rejected 
  by 
  cattle 
  and 
  pigs. 
  The 
  levulose, 
  however, 
  is 
  60% 
  

   sweeter 
  than 
  sugar, 
  and, 
  since 
  it 
  crystallizes 
  with 
  difficulty, 
  has 
  great 
  possi- 
  

   bilities 
  as 
  a 
  syrup 
  in 
  sweetening 
  drinks 
  and 
  desserts 
  and 
  preserves. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Safford's 
  paper 
  was 
  illustrated 
  with 
  many 
  beautiful 
  colored 
  slides 
  of 
  the 
  

   various 
  types 
  of 
  Dahlias, 
  including 
  reproductions 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  drawings. 
  

   The 
  paper 
  will 
  appear 
  in 
  another 
  connection 
  in 
  the 
  Journal 
  of 
  the 
  Washington 
  

   Academy 
  of 
  vSciences. 
  The 
  paper 
  was 
  discussed 
  by 
  Messrs. 
  Rohwer, 
  Ober- 
  

   holser 
  and 
  others. 
  

  

  The 
  Society 
  adjourned 
  at 
  10.00. 
  

  

  A. 
  A. 
  DooLiTTi^E, 
  Recording 
  Secretary. 
  

  

  SCIENTIFIC 
  NOTES 
  AND 
  NEWS 
  

  

  The 
  Executive 
  Committee 
  of 
  the 
  Institute 
  for 
  Research 
  in 
  Tropical 
  

   America 
  held 
  its 
  first 
  meeting 
  Saturday, 
  January 
  14, 
  at 
  the 
  rooms 
  of 
  the 
  

   National 
  Research 
  Council, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  organizing. 
  A. 
  S. 
  Hitchcock, 
  

   representing 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution, 
  was 
  elected 
  Chairman; 
  H. 
  E. 
  

   Crampton, 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  Museum 
  of 
  Natural 
  History, 
  Vice-Chairman; 
  

   and 
  A. 
  G. 
  Ruthven, 
  University 
  of 
  Michigan, 
  Secretary-Treasurer. 
  The 
  

   Institute 
  now 
  includes 
  19 
  members. 
  

  

  Arrangements 
  have 
  been 
  completed 
  for 
  enlarging 
  the 
  scope 
  of 
  the 
  Journal 
  

   of 
  the 
  Optical 
  Society 
  of 
  America. 
  Beginning 
  Januar}^, 
  1922, 
  the 
  publication 
  

   will 
  be 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Jotirnal 
  of 
  the 
  Optical 
  Society 
  of 
  America 
  and 
  Review 
  of 
  

   Scientific 
  Instruments. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  papers 
  on 
  all 
  branches 
  of 
  optics 
  

   heretofore 
  carried, 
  about 
  three 
  eighths 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  space 
  will 
  be 
  devoted 
  to 
  

   instruments 
  other 
  than 
  optical. 
  Beginning 
  with 
  May, 
  1922, 
  the 
  Journal 
  

   will 
  be 
  issued 
  monthly 
  instead 
  of 
  bi-monthly. 
  The 
  new 
  Journal 
  has 
  been 
  

   placed 
  on 
  a 
  strong 
  financial 
  basis 
  and 
  has 
  the 
  support 
  of 
  the 
  Optical 
  vSociety, 
  

   of 
  the 
  Association 
  of 
  Scientific 
  Apparatus 
  Makers 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  of 
  

   America, 
  of 
  the 
  National 
  Research 
  Council, 
  and 
  of 
  several 
  philanthropic 
  

   individuals 
  interested 
  in 
  making 
  the 
  plan 
  a 
  success. 
  Authors 
  will 
  welcome 
  

   this 
  new 
  feature 
  as 
  it 
  affords 
  almost 
  the 
  only 
  source 
  for 
  the 
  publication 
  in 
  

   this 
  country 
  of 
  papers 
  describing 
  instruments. 
  Dr. 
  Paul 
  D. 
  Foote 
  of 
  the 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Standards 
  is 
  editor-in-chief 
  and 
  Dr. 
  F. 
  K. 
  RichTmyer, 
  Cornell 
  

   University, 
  is 
  assistant 
  editor-in-chief 
  and 
  business 
  manager. 
  

  

  Among 
  recent 
  accessions 
  by 
  the 
  Division 
  of 
  Plants 
  are 
  the 
  following: 
  

  

  