296 botanical gazette. [November, 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



SpirjEA millefolium Torr. is figured in Garden and Forest, Oct. 23. 



In the Jour. Trenton Nat Hist Soc. (Jan., 1889), Dr. Alfred C. Stokes 

 publishes keys to the genera of Composite, the species of Solidago, and 

 the species of Aster, as described in Gray's Synoptical Flora. 



Mr. J. M. Macoun, in Garden and Forest (October 23), gives an inter- 

 esting account of Vaccinium Vitis-Idsea in its far northern haunts. There 

 the berry is firm and juicy and very useful to man and the larger migra- 

 tory birds. 



Lydia W. Shattuck, for over forty years teacher of botany in Mt. 



Holyoke Seminary, died recently at an advanced age. She was known 

 by correspondence to many of the older botanists whose names are prom- 

 inently associated with American botany. 



Kew 



ing and preserving fleshy fungi. Dr. M. C. Cooke writes chiefly concern- 

 ing such forms as the fleshy Agarics, Baleti, etc. Dr. G. Massee deals 

 principally with the Gasteromycetes. There seems to be more danger of 

 destroying characters hy attempting too much care than from lack of it. 



Professor John Macoun calls attention {Garden and Forest, Oct. 30) 

 to the fine forests of Vancouver's Island, saying that they are " without 

 exception the finest now in Canada." It seems that they are being rap- 

 idly devastated by fires started by men who are "improving" the land. 



It is a good opportunity for the Canadian government to enact some wise 

 forestry laws. 



Colorless preparation* of plants which usually turn a dark brown 

 on being put into alcohol may be prepared, according to de Vries, by 

 mixing with the alcohol two per cent, of acid, such as hydrochloric. It 

 does not interfere with the microscopic investigation of such specimens, 

 as the acid allows the alcohol to harden the cell walls and contents as us- 

 ual, beveral changes of alcohol may be necessary to remove all color. 



Dr. T. J W. Burge-s has published a paper, read before the biologi- 

 cal section of the Hamilton (Canada) Association, upon " the Lake Erie 

 shore as a botanizing ground." Giving a general account of the collect- 

 ors who have visited that region and its botanical peculiarities, he gives 

 a list ot '12 lost or doubtful species, and urges upon the members of the 

 Association that they be hunted up. A list of 108 species is also given, 

 that are restricted in Canada to the " Lake Erie District," and another 

 list ot 2b Canadian species almost restricted to the same region. 



C. F. Wheeler, of Hubbardston, Michigan, has been appointed as- 

 sistant in the botanical department of the Experiment Station at the 

 Michigan Agricultural College, in place of Eugene Davenport, who has 

 been elected Professor of Agriculture in the same institution. Mr. 

 vv neeler will also do excellent service in other ways, by aiding to enlarge 

 the botanical garden, museum, and herbarium. His valuable herbarium, 

 especially rich in Michigan plants, will become the property of the col- 

 i C7 e 7- 8p ^ nd the winter in 8 t»dy at the Agricultural College, and 



begin his duties about the last of next February. 



1 Berichte d. deutschen bot. Gesells. vii. 18 ~m. 



