NEWS NOTES AND CURRENT COMMENT. 157 



ralists who for a time resided in the Quaker City. This recently- 

 issued book is a handsome volume, and is beautifully illustrated 

 with views of Bartram's house and botanical garden, with portraits 

 of Muhlenberg, Nuttall, and others down to the present day. 

 Of these, Bartram (1699-1777) is above all others the father of 

 Philadelphia botanists. He was a native of Pennsylvania, a friend 

 of Franklin and of Washington, a "lover of justice, truth and 

 charity," an original member of the American Philosophical Society, 

 and was, as a botanist should be, a great traveler. In the sketch 

 of his life and account of his travels is found the expression of his 

 unfulfilled desire to explore the Mississippi Valley, out of which grew 

 the idea of definite exploration of the mysterious country which 

 stretched beyond. Bartram's influence as a man could by no 

 means have been inconsiderable. It is related that President 

 Jefferson's instructions to the leaders of the Lewis and Clarke 

 expedition read like extracts from Bartram's letters. [This book 

 may be had of J. W. Harshberger, University of Pennsylvania, 

 Philadelphia.] 



A NUMBER of botanical expeditions to various parts of California 

 were undertaken during the summer vacation by instructors and 

 students of the University of California, all of which returned with 

 specimens for the enrichment of the research material of the 

 University. A study of the economic plants, especial attention 

 being paid to the grasses, was made by Mr. J. B. Davy, Assistant 

 in Botany, on a two months' journey in the coast region from Ukiah 

 northward to Crescent City, He was accompanied by Mr. W. C. 

 Blasdale, Instructer in Chemistry, who gathered fungi, Mr. C. P, 

 Nott, Assistant in Botany, collected algse in the tidal marshes 

 about San Francisco Bay, and Mr. H. T. A. Hus, a graduate 

 student, made similar collections at the Farallone Islands and 

 in Marin County. Mr. M. S. Baker, a non-resident graduate 

 student, botanized in Sonoma County and in the little-known Modoc 

 lava-bed region of northeastern California. Mr. H. M. Hall, 

 class of 1901, visited again the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern 

 California, where he has discovered many novelties, and of which 

 he has been the only botanical explorer. Mr. H. P. Chandler, 

 class of 1902, made a collection of two hundred carefully-prepared 



