88 The Botanical Gazette. [February, 
Mr. J. REyNoLps GREEN communicated to the British Association 
for the Advancement of Science at its last meeting the results of some 
experiments to determine the effect of light on diastase. He found that 
“light, whether solar or electric, exercises a destructive effect on dias- 
tase. The deleterious effect is confined to the rays of the violet end 
of the spectrum, the others being slightly favorable instead of destruc- 
tive. . . . The destructive effect continues after exposure to light 
is discontinued, the exposed solution getting weaker and weaker till 
it had no diastatic property. The part of the solution kept in dark- 
ness maintained its diastatic power unimpaired for more than a month, 
by which time the exposed part, kept in darkness after its period of 
exposure, possessed no power to act upon starch.”* 
ceived since the last mention, are as follows: Grasses of Tennessee by 
. L. Scribner (Tenn. 7: no. 1) is a very complete handbook of the 
the supposed discovery of them by Massee. Carefu _ has. 
done by mann (Hedwigia 33: 346), under the direction of 
Prof. Reess of Erl He used alcoholic material, im 1 
4Annals of Botany 8: 373. S 1894. 
