16 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [ Jan., 
Canadensis. Fig. 12. Section of carpel of same. Fig. 13. Section of car- 
pel wall ofsame. Figs. 1 and 42}; 7,9 and 11 5; transverse sections 
. 
BRIEFER ARTICLES. 
Death of Dr. Wigand.—By the death of Prof. Albert Wigand, of Mar- 
burg, Hesse, the scientific world has lost a strong and able friend. He 
died in Marburg, October 22d, after a severe illness, at the age of sixty- 
five years. For many years he has held the position of professor of 
botany and director of the botanical garden connected with the univer- 
sity of that place. Being the only professor of botany in the university, 
his work was naturally subdivided; as director of the garden and lec- 
turer in the pharmaceutical institute and of general botany, he had not 
much remaining time to devote to any one branch of the science, as 
80 many German professors have done. Hence his name is not so well 
known to American scientists. Many of them, however, know him as 
one of the last of the German botanists who may be said to belong to the 
old school. In fact, it was his lot to live during one of the transition 
periods of science, and he was among the few who refused to fall in with 
the general current. He suffered from this more or less by the isolation 
which such conservatism always brings, but in no way did this serve to 
diminish his ardor for his work, or his usefulness in leading others to an 
enthusiasm in the pursuit of truth in a degree which few teachers are 
able to reach. Among the evidences of the former are numerous works 
lin, and Pfeffer of Tiibingen. Whatever may be said concerning his 
peculiar views on certain points, it is quite certain no teacher could 
have been more careful and conscientious in presenting them to his hear- 
ers, simply as his own views, in carefully distinguishing between mere 
theories and established facts. Certainly none who ever came within the 
radius of his influence can doubt the sincerity of his character, his devo- 
tion to truth and entire consecration to its interests.—EMILy L. GREGORY. 
The Genus Iris.—It is well known to botanists that Professor Michael 
Foster, the distinguished physiologist of the University of Cambridge, has 
for several years paid particular attention to the genus Jris, has in culti- 
vation all the species and varieties he has been able to obtain, and has 
carefully studied the principal forms from seedling states through their 
whole development and in critical cases from generation to generation. 
He may be supposed now quite thoroughly to understand the Old World 
