252 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Aug, 



botany, he descril)ed the f);rowth of the bulb of the spring lily 

 (Erythwinuni), illustrating the different stages by blackboard 

 sketches. The means by whicli the small bulb found at shal- 

 low depths becomes the deep-seated two-leaved bulb bearing 

 the flower were shown and illustrations of the structure of the 

 blossom as found within the bulbs during the winter. 



Dr. B. D. Halsted then spoke on " The Modern View of 

 Jjichens." By means of a series of charts he showed the struc- 

 ture of fresh water alga, the development of the fungi on differ- 

 ent hosts, an I finally the form of vegetation which is produced 

 when a fungus grows on an alga. The charts showed very 

 clearly the delicate structure and coloring of the algse and the 

 tangle of fungous filaments as the alga becomes infested by 

 the fungus and develops the different forms of lichens. 



Mr. J. A. Kelsey described and showed specimens of some of 

 ihe " Conspicuous Spring Fungi,'' speaking of the rusts of the 

 Spring Beauty, the Sheplierd's Purse, the Cedar and Pepper- 

 root, and a smut on the Spring Lily. Slides under four 

 microscopes illustrated the structure of the fungi which were 

 spoken of. 



The " Kola Nut " was the subject of Mr. F. B. Kilmer's talk. 

 Specimens of the nut were distributed and drawings shown 

 illustrating the structure of the starch and other portions of the 

 nuts Lantern slides showed the natives of the West Indies 

 preparing the nuts for market ; also the trees and fruit as seen 

 in their home! The economic and chemical properties of the 

 Kola were dwelt upon and showed the presence of a well- 

 e(]uipped chemical laboratory within the nut. 



The next meeting will be in charge of the sections on Geology 

 and Mineralogy. 



Monday, May 27. — At the 26th annual meeting, the following 

 officers were elected for 1895-6 : 



President, Byron D. Halsted, Sc. D. 



Vice-President, Julius Nelson, Ph. D. 



Recording Secretary, Frederick H. Blodgett. 



Corresponding Secretary, John Helm, M. D. 



Treasurer, A. C. Hutton, M. D. 



Curator, A. H. Chester, Ph. D. 



Librarian, Frederick H. Blodgett. 



