Record. Ixi 



December 21, 1896. 



Dr. John Green in the chair, in the absence of the Presi- 

 dent and Vice-Presidents, twenty persons present. 



The nominating committee reported the following nomina 

 tions for officers for the year 1897 : — 



President M. L. Gray. 



First Vice-President E. A. Engler. 



Second Vice-President Chas. R. Sanger. 



Recording Secretary Wiliiam Trelease. 



Corresponding Secretary E.G. Runge. 



Treasurer Enno Sander. 



Librarian G. Hambach. 



Curators Julius Hurter, 



J. H. Klnealy, 

 E. Evers. 



Directors M. H. Post, 



Joseph Grindon. 



Mr. H. von Schrenk made some remarks on the parasi- 

 tism of lichens, in which he showed that it has been asserted 

 by some persons that lichens growing on trees may do consid- 

 erable injury to such trees, possibly by taking sap from them, 

 but that this did not seem probable, as no portion of the 

 lichen thallus penetrates beyond the outer periderm layer. 

 The lichen, however, by covering a large area, may prevent 

 access of light and air. In the long hanging forms of Usnea 

 barhata, growing on Juniperus on Long Island, New York, 

 the lichen closely envelops leaves and branches, and appears 

 to be capable of killing both by suffocation. Pieces of this 

 lichen are carried from branch to branch by wind and birds, 

 and in the new stations grow without attachment, spreading 

 very rapidly over adjacent areas. In its habit this lichen 

 resembles Tillandsia usneoides, which is likewise capable of 

 killing branches by suffocation and of growing without attach- 

 ment, according to Schimper. 



One person was proposed for active membership. 



January 4, 1897. 

 President Gray in the chair, twenty-seven persons present. 

 The President addressed the Academy as follows ; — 

 I take pleasure in congratulating tlie Academy of Science of St. Louis on 



its comparatively prosperous condition at the beginning of the fortieth 



year of its corporate existence. 



