interesting, prominence, a characteristic of seed germination in 
the Indian mallow, or velvet leaf (Abutilon Theophrasti). 
sefore the soil was turned over in grading, a few stray plants 
of Abutilon had been noted here and there on the grounds, but 
as soon as the surface is either removed by the scraper, or 
turned under by the plow, innumerable seedlings appear within 
two or three days, and the disturbed area soon becomes covered 
with a thick “Abutilon formation.” Even with the great increase 
in the amount of seed resulting from this, the plant has appar- 
ently not increased at all on undisturbed areas. Temporary 
piles of top-soil soon become thickly covered with the plant. It 
seems probable that seeds already present in the soil need 
the stimulus of either light or the oxygen of the air to initiate 
germination, as seedlings have never been observed on the lawn, 
where seedlings of such weeds as burdock, broad leaved plantain, 
dandelion (of course), and even of the moth mullein (Ver- 
bascum Blattaria) are more or less common. ‘The behavior of 
the Jimson weed (Datura Stramonium) has been quite similar 
to that of Abutilon, seedlings appearing promptly and in rel- 
atively large numbers on newly turned soil. 
On July 31 the Garden purchased the private herbarium 
of Mr. A. A. Heller, of the College of Agriculture of Nevada, 
at Reno. The herbaritm comprises over ten thousand speci- 
mens, described by Mr. Heller in his letters of July 1 and 14, 
1913, as follows: “The specimens are mostly western, and 
besides a large number of types, described by me since 1902, 
there are a great many, selected on account of their desirability, 
from exchanges; and there are a number of co-types from my 
earlier collections, obtained prior to LOO2n ie lb amacde ib a 
point to obtain dependable specimens from type localities for 
hundreds of California species.” During September, 1913, Mr. 
Heller transferred his residence from Reno, Neyv., to Chico. Gal: 
We are pained to record the untimely death, by accidental 
gas poisoning, on Sunday morning, September 14, of Mr. EF. ey 
Morris, for six years curator of natural sciences in the Brooklyn 
