1898] NEWS 437 
cal Society. It is to be hoped that some day the Alliance will have a building of 
its own, for at present these societies have to meet at various buildings in the 
city. 
Tue fourth annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America, held at Boston, 
under the presidency of Dr N. L. Britton, on August 19 and 20, was most success- 
ful. Prof. L. M. Underwood was elected president for 1899. The address of 
Prof. J. M. Coulter, the retiring president, was on “ The origin of Gymnosperms 
and the Seed Habit,” and has already appeared in Science. The other papers 
of interest to our readers were “On Sporogenesis in Arisaema,” by Prof. G. F. 
Atkinson ; “Symbiotic Saprophytism,” by Prof. D. T. Macdougal ; “ Sporo- 
genesis in Trillium,” by Prof. G. F. Atkinson ; “Structure and development of 
the Centrosphere in Corallina,’ by Dr B. M. Davis; “ Relations between the 
Forest Flora and Geological Formations in New Jersey,” by Dr Arthur Hol- 
lick ; “ Notes on the Fertilisation of the white Pine,” by Miss M. C. Fergusson ; 
“A Helianthus from Long Island,’ by Dr N. L. Britton ; “ Tetradformation in 
Tsuga,” by W. A. Murrill ; and “A fossil moss from the State of Washington,” 
by Mrs Britton and Dr Hollick. 
Tue American Forestry Association, we learn from Science, held a meeting 
from August 23 to 25, at Boston. Reports were presented by various States 
as to the condition of the forestry movement. The most important feature of 
the meeting was the discussion of the aims and objects of the newly-established 
State College of Forestry at Cornell, by its director, Dr Fernow. Sczence promises 
to print his address in full. 
THe Commission appointed by the Colonial Office and the Royal Society to 
investigate the mode of dissemination of malaria with a view to devising means 
of preventing the terrible mortality which now takes place among Europeans 
resident in tropical and sub-tropical climates will consist of Dr C. W. Daniels, of 
the Colonial Medical Service, British Guiana ; Dr J. W. W. Stephens, formerly 
Lawrence Student in Pathology and Bacteriology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital ; 
and Dr R.S8. Christophers, of University College, Liverpool. Dr Daniels will 
proceed at first to Calcutta, where he will acquaint himself practically with the 
remarkable work which Surgeon-Major Ross, of the Indian Medical Service, is 
carrying on into the relation of mosquitos to the dissemination of malaria. Drs 
Stephens and Christophers will spend some time in Rome studying malaria. 
Subsequently the Commissioners will meet at Blantyre, British Central Africa. 
A Commission—consisting of Dr Thomas R. Fraser, F.R.S., Professor of Materia 
Medica and Clinical Medicine at Edinburgh University (president) ; Dr Wright, 
Professor of Pathology at the Army Medical School, Netley ; Dr Riiffer, who has 
been for some time head of the Egyptian Sanitary Department at Cairo ; and 
two officers of the Indian Civil Service, Mr J. P. Hewett, C.I.E., and Mr A. 
Cumine, both of whom have had much to do with recent plague affairs in India— 
has been appointed to report on the following matters concerning the plague in 
India : (1) the origin of the different outbreaks ; (2) the manner in which the 
disease is communicated ; (3) the effects of certain prophylactic and curative 
serums that have been tried or recommended, The Commission reached Bombay 
towards the end of November. 
Mr E. W. L. Horr has been appointed by the Royal Dublin Society to make 
researches over a period of five years on the life-history of the mackerel. A ship 
is being fitted up as a floating laboratory at Berehaven which will be Mr Holt’s 
headquarters. 
Hampure has founded at Freihafen a station for the protection of plants 
against injurious insects introduced from abroad, and against plant-disease 
generally. 
