NEWS NOTES AND CURRENT COMMENT. 155 



The botanical party from the University of California which 

 sailed from San Francisco on June 9 for the Aleutian Islands, 

 arrived at the native village of Iliuliuk, Unalaska Island, June 21. 

 Prof W. A. Setchell, Dr. W. L. Jepson, Mr. L. E. Hunt, and 

 Mr. A. A. Lawson composed the expedition, the work of which 

 was greatly advanced through the kindness of the Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company, whose officers aided the scientists in every way. 

 Mr. N. Gray, the agent at the Alaska Company's Unalaska post, 

 placed at the disposal of the party a furnished house, which was 

 appreciated both for the living comforts and the facilities for pre- 

 liminary laboratory studies and the drying of specimens which it 

 afforded. On the 'Island of Unalaska, one of the largest of the 

 Aleutian chain, work was carried on for eight weeks: all forms of 

 plant life were studied ; records of observations were made ; and as 

 complete series of specimens as it was possible to prepare were the 

 subjects of preservation. Professor Setchell's attention was directed 

 primarily to special field -studies of the algse, particularly the 

 marine algse, their zonal distribution, the conditions of growth and 

 similar matters. Between sixty and seventy sets of algse, destined 

 for eventual distribution in the Phycotheca Boreali Americana 

 were collected, in which Professor Setchell was assisted by Mr. 

 Lawson and Mr. Hunt. The work on the seed-plants by Dr. 

 Jepson included the collection of illustrative specimens, observa- 

 tions upon dominating plant forms, studies of the composition and 

 character of plant communities, and notes on general and alti- 

 tudinal distribution. In this work he was assisted by all members 

 of the party. The general results, moreover, will be enhanced by 

 the determinations of altitudes and by the excellent series of 

 photographs made by Mr. L. E. Hunt, of the Department of Civil 

 Engineering of the University of CaUfornia, who volunteered his 

 services for the expedition. During three of the eight weeks spent 

 on the shores of Bering Sea, Professor Setchell made a trip to St. 

 Michael and Cape Nome, where he made a full collection, consisting 

 chiefly of flowering plants and lichens. This trip was made 

 possible through the courtesy of Captain Pratt, of the U. S, Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey steamer Patterson. On the homeward 

 journey the distribution of plants along the Alaskan Coast line was 

 an object of especial interest, collections being made at all points 

 where opportunity offered, including Unga, Karluk, Uyak Bay, 



