xlii Proceedings of the Botanical Soctety of 
Professor Macfarlane communicated “Observations on 
the Annual and Seasonal Growth of American Woods,” and 
illustrated by large microscopic sections, projected on the 
lantern screen. He compared the varying quality and 
amount of tissue formed during the spring and summer of 
each year and during successive varying seasons in stems 
of the black walnut, black locust, oak, tulip poplar, swamp 
magnolia and other native species. The phenomenon of 
tylosis was clearly demonstrated on the screen in the stem 
of the walnut, and its origin was traced. 
Miss E. O. Abbot shortly described the work then being 
done under Mrs. Banes and Miss Hall in advancing city 
gardening among poorer children, at Broad and Spring 
Garden streets. 
Professor Macfarlane exhibited an unidentified twining 
Leguminous plant, seeds of which were recently brought 
by him from Florida. Young plants which had been experi- 
mented on by several of his students, gave the very short 
circumnutating period of thirty-nine minutes, being the 
fastest record yet given for any flowering plant. 
He also exhibited juvenile specimens of the Praying Man- 
tis, reared in the greenhouses from material recently intro- 
duced and apparently flourishing on the outskirts of the 
city, near Carpenter. The hope was expressed that these 
might become valuable greenhouse agents in destroying 
green fly, plant scale, etc. 
April 19. Dr. Miller, Acting President, chairman. Miss 
Boewig made a communication on “The Germination and 
Mature Structure of Cassytha filiformis,” which is herewith 
published. 
Mr. O. P. Phillips exhibited and described “Microtomes 
for Work in Plant Histology.” He reviewed the simple 
instruments of fifteen to twenty years ago, the serial-section 
microtome of the Cambridge type, the Reichert and Thome 
microtomes of recent date, and the beautifully finished 
Minot microtome, of which two instruments had recently 
