Notes and News. gg 



botanists. Our trips during the last i^w months have added thou- 

 sands of insects, shells, plant specimens and a host of other 

 objects to our private museum, which will furnish subjects for 

 numerous contributions to science as soon as they can be placed 

 in the hands of specialists for study. Our correspondents must 

 pardon any seeming- neglect on our part, as we are away much 

 of the time The condition of our post-office and its management 

 furnishes us with a still further excuse frequently, and corres- 

 pondents should write again if they fail of a reasonably prompt 

 reply. 



The mineralogical notes in this issue are selected from several 

 papers received from George F. Kunz, to whom we are indebted 

 for many favors and who keeps us posted on mineralogical news. 

 The San Francisco Microscopical Society, again shows signs of 

 activity. We have missed their interesting reports for "some 

 time. 



NOTES AND NFAVS. 



There were only two sun spots during November and Decem- 

 ber, 1888, this being the year of sun spot minimum. 



Rev. J. G. Wood, F. L. S., the well-known naturalist, and 

 author of popular works on natural history, died early in the year. 



Of the territory of Africa. England has the controlling influence 

 over 1, 000,0,10 square miles; Germany, 740,000; France, 700,000. 



Mrs. M. K. Curran, M. D., recendy visited San Diego, col- 

 lecting numerous plants for the herbarium of the California 

 Academy of Sciences. 



W. G. Wright has returned from his trip into Mexico. 



T. S. Brandegee has made an extended botanical exploration 

 in Lower California, in company with Walter Bryant, the ornith- 

 ologist, and others. 



S. B. Parish is trying to raise certain classes of plants at his 

 home from seed, to study the constancy of some of their char- 

 acteristics. 



Dr. C. C. Parry devoted some time this spring to the plants of 

 Santa Barbara. 



Papaver Californica has been observed abundant in San Diego 

 county by the editor, and also by Mrs. Curran. 



No trace of staminodia could be detected in fresh flowers of 

 Hookera Orcutti, Greene, numerous specimens of which were 

 lately carefully examined by the editor. The segments of the 

 perianth are tipped with royal purple; the tube is white. 



A large and life-like engraving of Prof W. O. Atwater em- 

 bellishes the American Agricnlhirist for March. Prof. Atwater 

 is one of the most prominent agricultural scientists of the times. 

 His articles on science applied to farming, in the American Agri- 



