BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 65 
ACCORDING To A recent note in Science, the Harvard College Herbarium has 
received during the past year 8,755 sheets of plants, over 5,000 of which came 
from the rich herbarium of the late George Curling Joad, of Wimbledon, near 
London. 
Scrence OF Frespruary 15th says some earnest words regarding the value 
of the botanical researches which may be undertaken by agricultural experi- 
_Mment stations, and the high position which their great practical importance 
should secure. 
Dr. E. L. Srurtevant has published for private distribution a pamphlet 
entitled, “Maize: an attempt at Classification.” It is profusely illustrated 
with cross-sections of seeds, which show plainly the characters upon which the 
classification is based. 
Lieut. ScHWATKA collected some plants about the headquarters of the 
Yukon, which have been determined by Sereno Watson. Erysimum parviyjlorum, 
Amelanchier alnifolia, Pentstemon confertus, and P. glaucus (?) are mentioned as 
new to so northern a latitude. 
Pror. BEssEy, in the March Naturalist, suggests a neat demonstration of 
the flow of sap. If a small branch is cut from a maple tree during a cold day, 
and warmed quickly, the water will flow freely. On cooling it the flow ceases, 
and warming again causes the flow to be resumed. 
. J. B. pe LACErpA has been investigating the disease known in Brazil 
as “beriberi.” The work has been done in the physiological laboratory of the 
National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, the method of Pasteur being employed. 
The conclusions are that it is a parasitic disease, and that it seems to be con- 
veyed to its victims by rice, apparently the same microphyte being obtained in 
the blood culture from beriberi patients and the culture of contaminated rice 
grains. : 
T A RECENT meeting of the Ottawa (Canada) Field Naturalists’ Club, 
Prof. J. Macoun read a paper on “ Edible and Poisonous Fungi,” stating that 
owing to the difficulty of distinguishing between good and bad kinds at sight, 
it is always advisable to partake lightly at first of such as are not certainly 
known to be non-poisonous. Those with an agreeable taste and odor will usu- 
ally prove, however, to be harmless. He advised the more extensive use of these 
plants, and described a number of the more abundant alimentary species, such 
as Coprinus comatus, Morchella esculenta, Gyromitra esculenta, and the Lycoperdons. 
Dr. C. C. Parry has in press a revision of the genus Chorizanthe, of which 
we have been permitted to see some advanced sheets. With this revision Dr. 
Parry intends to send out specimens, as can be seen from his advertisement. 
All the species but one have been examined by him, and most of them seen 
growing. With such facilities for study it is surprising that no more changes 
have to be made. Three species are reduced, C. diffusa, ©. cuspidata, and C. 
i; the monotypic genus Lastarriea becomes C. Lastarriea ; and one new 
Species is described, CO. Clevelandi. We shall defer a more extended notice un- 
til the publication of the revision. 
