180 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [July, 
Most of the substances named above are found in the analyti- 
cal scheme proposed and by going through the work the student 
really becomes acquainted with them. If a typical plant is se- 
lected he may even learn the quantity in which some of the more 
important sare vc occur. Something in the way of compari- 
son is even possible. Different members of the class may take 
different parts of the plant at the same age or the same part at 
different ages and compare them as to amount of ash, water or 
some other constituent. puis discovery that “ squash seeds, 
which, when ripe, contain no starch, sugar or ae diet but are 
very rich in oil (50%), and afiniacnane (40%), ffer by germina- 
tion such chemical change that the oil rapidly diminishes 3 in quan- 
tity, while at the same time starch, and in some cases sugar, is 
formed,” suggests a great variety of more elaborate and by no 
means impracticable ome of peta: study on the part of bo- 
tanical students. much for micro-chemical comparisons. 
Micro-chemical somparieons as to the physical condition and po- 
sition of the various substances in the joan aie upon which the 
students are working will of course be made. 
Even if desirable in itself two atsections will be made to the 
course proposed—time required for the work outlined and its ex- 
ense. It is thought that the large number of solvents used and 
the fact that they can be employed cold and that the drying and 
rating can be done at ordinary temperature will greatly fa- 
cilitate matters. Of course some pieces of apparatus must be pur- 
chased, such as a good balance, eae and spectroscope that 
can he atiad ed to the microsco latinum dish, Liebig’s con- 
denser for getting distilled dant ahcsnical thermometer, burrette, 
porcelain evaporating dish a "glass stoppered bottle for each 
student, and test tuhes, but ante forceps, aleohol lamps, gual 
cater, drying oven, etc., can be made by the students. The m 
reagents will be nee eded i in some quantity, but one set of ean 
bottles will hold the other substances needed. 
' 
BRIEFER ARTICLES. 
Calochortus Obispoensis, n. sp.—Corm fibrous-coated, deep seated, one- 
half to one inch thick: stem simple or branched, one to two feet high, flexuous, 
leafy, often bulbiferous below: upper leaves reduced to subulate bracts, all con- 
volute and long attenuate: flowers solitary or numerous ; peduncles one to two 
long : sepals about an inch long, rotate-spreading, ie acuminate, 
soon convolute, veined within with brown: petals one-half to two-thirds as long, 
rotate or recurved in anthesis, oblong, truncate, often bifid and the lobes con- 
