1886. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 225 
our meetings were held, at 9 o’clock A. M., and the attend- 
ance was always large. As these meetings were supplemented by 
excursions and receptions given by the local club, it may be said 
that the botanists saw a great deal of each other. The social 
feature was especially prominent and a general feeling of good 
fellowship was always present. The papers presented to the club, 
Prof. J. M. Coulter was chairman for the year, but in his ab- 
sence on Tuesday, Prof. W. J. Beal presided. r. J. C. Arthur, 
the secretary-elect, was compelled to resign his position, owing 
to his duties as secretary of the section of biology, and Dr. N. 
Britton served in his place. 
THurspay, August 19,9 a. m. After a few introductory 
remarks by the chairman, a letter from Dr. Asa s rea 
to the club, followed by his paper entitled “Essay toward a 
revision of Dodecatheon,” both of which are published elsewhere 
in this issue. Prof. E. W. Claypole then read a paper upon the 
potato rot. During the fall of 1885 this parasite was very abund- 
ant in some parts of the country, and the author undertook to 
study it in his own locality (Akron, Ohio). After describing 
the structure of a potato tuber, he observed that the parasite 
attacked the eyes and affected the fibro-vascular region of the 
tuber, leaving the interior starch cells intact. _ 
Mr. F. V. Coville read a paper upon Aconitum Noveboracense 
Gray, n. sp., as occurring at Oxford, New York. 
Prof. F. L. Scribner displayed an apparatus he had been us- 
ing for making microscopic drawings. It was a device for using 
the camera lucida with simple lenses, and thus obtaining an am- 
plification of a few diameters. Questions were asked and sugges- 
tions made by Professors Burrill and Beal. ae 
Dr. W. J. Beal displayed a contrivance for facilitating labora- 
tory work. It consisted of a device for holding all the ordinary 
