94 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



under the prescribed conditions, as is strikingly illustrated in the re- 

 sults of the introduction of the mongoose in the island of Jamaica. (V. 

 Science, Vol. 5, p. 15, Jan. 1, 1807.) 



With the decline and final disappearance of the discomfited species 

 in the struggle for existence from their inabiliH^ to adapt themselves to 

 the changed conditions they ha^e aided to bring about, there must be 

 RH equivalent readjustment of the habits and essential requirements 

 of the fittest to survive to establish harmonious relations with their 

 fellows and the resulting changes in their environment. 



The reaction of less favored species to the sum of the influences of 

 their environment and their ultimate decline and disappearance should 

 not be overlooked in the evolution of new species, as the plasticity of 

 organization and powers of adaptation to changing conditions are inten- 

 sified in the survivors by their exercise, and every element of change 

 tends to a further divergence in functional activities. 



From the point of view here outlined the importance of sj^stematic 

 local biological surveys for the solution of problems in evolution can- 

 not be too emphatically urged. The field naturalist should not, how- 

 ever, limit his observations to the identification and geographical range 

 of species. The conditions of environment that have an influence on the 

 distribution and grouping of species should also be carefully noted, and 

 the data obtained by systematic observations in the several depart- 

 ments of botany and zoology must then be correlated to obtain con- 

 sistent views of the fundamental laws of nature in organic evolution. 



The field is so broad that a subdivision of labor in special lines of 

 research will be requiicd, but a common jturpose should be kept in 

 view with a full recognition of the interdependence of relations in the 

 facts observed in the several lines of investigation. 



Lansing, March '22, 1S!»T. 



SITITABLE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSIOK BY YOUNG MEMBERS OF A 



BOTANICAL CLUB. 



BY W. J. BEAL, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 

 (Read before the Academy. April 1, 1897.) 



In some respects the botany taught in our Agricultural College should 

 be unlike that introduced into a portion of the courses in a university. 

 For example, the young persion bent on agriculture or horticulture in any 

 of their departments would not need to spend time in the study of mosses, 

 liverworts, lichens, or algae, or many of. the saprophytic fungi. On the 

 contrary, he does need to learn the names and many of the peculiarities of 

 our native and introduced trees and shrubs, the same of the leading 

 grasses, clovers and other forage crops; he needs a familiarity with our 

 weeds, including the seeds of cereals and other field crops, our ])arasitic 

 fungi, especially those injurious to cultivated crops and weeds of all 

 kinds, and some knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the higher 

 plants. In a word, he seems-to have a gieater need of the old fashioned 



