86 
twice a month during the school year with a program consisting 
of reports and discussion by the members, or of a lecture or 
talk by some invited guest. Numerous field trips are also taken 
to the city museums, parks, and botanical gardens, and also into 
the neighboring country. Similar organizations exist in the 
other city high schools which have a department of biology. 
The membership in these organizations indicates a very gratify- 
ing interest in biological studies among the high school pupils of 
New York City, and also reflects much credit on the inspiration 
given by the instructors in biolog 
Work on the first sections of the Laboratory and Instruction 
building and the conservatories is progressing rapidly. T 
excavation is completed, and the foundations are well along. 
The contract calls for the completion of these sections in 150 
working days. Work commenced on April 8. 
At the centennial celebration of the Philadelphia Academy 
of Sciences, on March 19-21, the Director of the Garden was a 
delegate representing the Torrey Botanical Club and the Uni- 
versity of Missouri, 
In rg1r the Arnold Arboretum, of Harvard University, began 
the weekly publication of a Bulletin of Popular Information 
concerning the trees and shrubs growing in the Arboretum. ‘The 
numbers average about four pages each. Bulletin 21, for May 
9, 1912, calls attention to the wild pear trees, some of the willows, 
the currants and gooseberries, honeysuckles, barberries, hobble 
bush, hickories, and other shrubs just coming into leaf or flower 
at that date. Bulletin 22 is devoted chiefly to apple trees, with 
notes on some of the hawthorns, Rhododendron (Azalea) Kaemp- 
feri, and Viburnum Carlesii. Bulletin 23 contains interesting 
information concerning the lilacs, species of hawthorn (Cratae- 
gus), the Ohio buckeye (Aeschylus glabra), American magnolia, 
elders (Sambucus), Fothergilla, and Lonicera, ‘The Bulletins 
call attention to the activity of the plants at the given date, and 
include interesting information concerning their origin and his- 
tory, geographical distribution, their value in horticulture and 
