233 



resembled the common Solanum Dulcamara, had pure white flowers in- 

 stead of purple. I sent a specimen of the plant M'ith flowers to Prof. J. 

 M. Coulter as a variety which I had not previously seen described, and 

 asked for information. He informed me in reply that it was merely an 

 albino sport. Silenced, but not quite satisfied, I continued my observa- 

 tions and learned that from the seeds of this plant were produced plants 

 bearing white flowers only. I also found several other specimens in De- 

 Kalb and Steuben counties. In 1890, I changed my home to Elkhart 

 and there along the banks of the St. Joseph river, I found S. Dulcamara 

 growing commonly, and also discovered that at least thirty per cent, of 

 the plants bore pure white flowers. I am not a botanist, but a mere 

 layman with the habit of occasionally using my eyes and thinking at the 

 same time, and now appeal to this learned body for information. If I am 

 not mistaken in my facts, and if in several counties of the state a large 

 per centage of the plants of S. Dulcamara are white instead of the com- 

 monly purple color, should not the white specimen be denominated a 

 variety? also is not the white variety a new and hitherto undescribed va- 

 riety of S. Dulcamara ? What does it take to constitute a variety of a 

 species ? How may we be assured that we have discovered a distinct 

 variety and not a mere sport ? 



Work of the botanical division of the natural history survey of 

 Minnesota. By D. T. McDougal. 



Notes ox an embedding material. By John S. Wright. 



[Abstract.] 



A report was made of experiments upon a commercial " glycerine jelly," 

 for embedding purposes. The jelly, a translucent glassy material, remains 

 solid at temperatures below about 97° C. It is composed of glycerine, Na^ 

 CO3 , and stearic acid, united at a temperature of 25° C. By adding alcohol 

 in varying quantities four solutions were made which were used in infil- 

 tration of tissues. The experiments were not sufficiently extensive to 

 establish the preparation as a valuable embedding material. All tissues 

 used were vegetable. 



