Record. xxi 



to other groups. It was shown that for the purposes of gar- 

 deners, for whom these unusual forms appear to possess a 

 considerable interest, they are commonly divided into two 

 types, in one of which, usually designated by the varietal 

 name cristata or cristatus, the monstrosity takes the form 

 either of a fan or a contorted ridge, while in the other, com- 

 monly designated by the varietal name monstrosus, it con- 

 sists in an irregular bunching of the branches, accompanied 

 by an interruption of the customary longitudinal ridges in 

 such a genus as Cereus. 



April 17, 1899. 



President Engler in the chair, nine persons present. 



A paper by Mr. C, R. Ball, entitled Notes on some western 

 willows, was presented by J. B. S. Norton. 



Professor F. E. Nipher gave a brief exhibition of the action 

 of the Wehnelt current interrupter, mentioning the uses to 

 which it may be put, and in particular its application to wire- 

 less telegraphy and X-ray work, where it eliminates the 

 necessity for a condenser in connection with the induction 

 coil. 



May 1, 1899. 



President Engler in the chair, twenty persons present. 



The Council reported that in conformity with Article XIII. 

 of the By-laws the following names had been canceled from 

 the list of members: Charles Bailey, Robert Collins, Eliot C. 

 Jewett, F. Kolbenheyer, B. D. Kribben, W. B. Potter, A. 

 Ramel, Paul Wittenberg; and that the Academy had lost two 

 members by the recent death of Mr. George W. Parker and 

 General John W. Turner. 



A paper by Professor F. E. Nipher, On gravitation in gas- 

 eous nebulae, was presented by title. 



Dr. Amand Ravold exhibited cultures and microscopic speci- 

 mens showing the Micrococcus intercellularis meningitidis of 

 Weichselbaum, obtained from a case of cerebro-spinal menin- 

 gitis, and stated that this case afforded an interestinor iustance 

 of germ infection through the placenta, inasmuch as the 



