BOTANICAL NEWS. 388 



embryo-sac arising by fusion of several cells is not supported by 

 the existence of the remains of the two cap cells above the embryo- 

 sac — the remains of the sui3posed fusing cells. — " Comparison of 

 the Effects of the Frosts of 1860-61, and of 1878-9," by E. J. 

 Lowe, F.R.S. The greatest cold of 1860 exceeded that of last 

 winter by 10° ; it was 6° below zero in 1860, and 4° above zero in 

 the late- frost. The present paper records the great difference in 

 the effects on plants of the two frosts at Highfield House, 

 Nottingham. — " Eecent additions to the Moss Flora of the West 

 Riding," by C. P. Hobku-k. [Printed at pp. 337, 369.] 



Botanical Nti»!$. 



Mr. B. D. Jackson's ' Guide to Botanical Literature,' one of 

 the first volumes of the Index Society, is in the press ; the author, 

 well know^n as a bibliologist, will be glad to receive, in connection 

 with his work, any corrections or additions to Pritzel's ' Thesaurus 

 Lit. Bot.' Address, 30, Stockwell Eoad, S.E. 



The quinquennial prize of the Geneva Physical and Natural 

 History Society, founded by A. P. DeCandolle, for the best mono- 

 grai^h of a family or genus of plants, has been adjudged to M. A. 

 Cogniaux, of Brussels, for his monograph of CucurbitacecB, which 

 will form the next volume of the ' Suites au Prodrome.' 



The death, in his 78th year, of Johann Feiedeich von Brandt, 

 the author of a 'Flora Berolinensis ' so long ago as 1824, and better 

 known by his book on medicinal jDlants published in 1858, of 

 which he was joint author with the late Dr. Eatzeburg, is announced ; 

 it occurred on July 16th. 



Caelo Bagnis, the Professor of Botany in the new University 

 of Eome, died on August 6th, at the early age of 24. Though so 

 young, he had already done good work in cryptogamic botany ; 

 in 1878 he received the Prix Desmazieres of the French Academy 

 for his memoir on Fuccinia, and Prof. Beccari lately dedicated to 

 him one of his curious new genera of Burmanniacea from New Guinea. 



We have also to record the death, on August 26th, of Carl 

 Julius Meyer von Klinggraff, of Paleschken, in West Prussia, at the 

 age of 70. He was the author of a 'Flora of Prussia,' 1849, with 

 supi^lements in 1854 and 1866, and lately published a valuable memoir 

 (in 1875) on the plant geography of Northern and Arctic Europe. 



The Economic Museums at Kew Gardens will receive the 

 collection of vegetable products of the Lidia Museum, the authorities 

 there undertaking to distribute the numerous duplicates to other 

 establishments. A sum of £2000 is to be granted for building a new 

 wing to one of the Kew museums to accommodate the collection, and 

 a further small annual grant will be made to "secure the services of 

 an expert cryptogamist" in connection with it. It is expected that 

 Mr. M. C. Cooke will thus be retained in charge of the collection with 

 which he has been for many years connected at the India Museum. 



