1893.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 273 



might say. And to say that the Nltzschias, Naviculoe and Ampho- 

 rsR can go through the pores of filtering paper, is not a little sur- 

 prising. 



Through sixteen years in quietude and darkness the vitality 

 of these germs slumbered. What wonder then, that when 

 aroused to activity there should be eccentricities in the vital 

 conduct. Rather to me the wonder is that for one aberrant 

 form there would develop more than a thousand individuals 

 true to their respective types. But then so monstrous in form 

 were some of these eccentric growths, as to be utterly defiant of 

 verbal description. A few are truthfully shown in the plate 

 which illustrates this article. 



Note. — We reproduce with the above the figures which were 

 in Dr. Lockwood's paper published in 1886. — Editor. 



Society of American Botanists. — The botanists are at pres- 

 ent much more active in organizing than the zoologists. They 

 were not satisfied with having a Botanical Club in connection 

 with the American Association for Advancement of Science, 

 but they demanded a separate section for botany. They had 

 previously read their papers in the Biological section. Now 

 they are organizing a National society. The Botanical Club at 

 Madison, Wis.. Aug. 23, 1893, appointed a committee of ten 

 which was to select enough other persons to make a nucleus of 

 25. These 25 are to become the charter members of the Nat 

 ional Society. A committee on organization, headed by Prof. 

 Wm. Trelease of St. Louis is preparing a constitution and will 

 report next August when the 25 charter members are expected 

 to gather at the A. A. A. S. It is understood that the member- 

 ship will be limited to persons who have attained considerable 

 prominence in botany. In the list of charter members, we no- 

 tice a good many names of subscribers to the microscopical lit- 

 erature of the day. A cryptogamous botanist must of necessity 

 be a microscopist. 



Mosquitos. — There is no longer excuse for these pests exist- 

 ing as it has been found that a little kerosene oil poured upon 

 a pond's surface when they are germinating will destroy mill- 

 ions of them. Perhaps a few should be saved for mounting as 

 microscopical specimens. We do not want to actually extermin- 

 ate them. 



