﻿^890. 
  J 
  BOTANICAL 
  GAZETTE, 
  

  

  123 
  

  

  induced 
  to 
  attend. 
  The 
  presence 
  here 
  of 
  a 
  body 
  of 
  foreign 
  leaders 
  in 
  the 
  

   science 
  would 
  in 
  itself 
  be 
  an 
  interesting 
  event, 
  and 
  could 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  have 
  

   an 
  influence 
  in 
  extending 
  and 
  strengthening 
  the 
  science 
  in 
  this 
  country. 
  

   Meetings 
  of 
  this 
  nature 
  are 
  not 
  infrequent 
  in 
  Europe, 
  at 
  which 
  there 
  

   IS 
  usually 
  a 
  fair 
  attendance. 
  But 
  American 
  and 
  European 
  distances 
  are 
  

   80 
  greatly 
  disproportionate 
  that 
  the 
  single 
  item 
  of 
  travel 
  almost 
  debars 
  

   all 
  thought 
  of 
  attempting 
  to 
  arrange 
  an 
  international 
  congress 
  with 
  any 
  

   reasonable 
  hope 
  of 
  securing 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  representation 
  from 
  different 
  

   foreign 
  countries. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  purpose 
  is 
  ever 
  accomplished 
  there 
  must 
  be 
  some 
  additional 
  

   attraction 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  urged 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  congress 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  afFord 
  a 
  sufficient 
  return 
  for 
  the 
  outlay 
  of 
  time 
  and 
  money 
  required 
  

   of 
  transatlantic 
  visitors. 
  

  

  Why 
  not 
  make 
  the 
  World 
  s 
  Fair 
  of 
  1893 
  the 
  background 
  for 
  such 
  a 
  

   rally 
  ?^ 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  prospect 
  of 
  a 
  greater 
  attraction 
  for 
  years 
  to 
  come; 
  

   American 
  botanists 
  are 
  united, 
  and 
  properly 
  organized; 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  is 
  

   ample 
  for 
  preparation. 
  Will 
  the 
  readers 
  of 
  the 
  Gazette 
  express 
  their 
  

   opmions? 
  Our 
  columns 
  are 
  open 
  to 
  a 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  matter. 
  

  

  The 
  good 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  congress 
  can 
  do 
  is 
  not 
  confined 
  to 
  personal 
  en- 
  

   joyment 
  and 
  the 
  stimulus 
  of 
  direct 
  intercourse, 
  although 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  

   delightful 
  and 
  valuable 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  meeting, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  important 
  

   questions 
  affecting 
  the 
  advancement 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  body 
  of 
  

   working 
  botanists 
  that 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  settled 
  by 
  a 
  gathering 
  of 
  this 
  kind, 
  

   ouch 
  a 
  question, 
  or 
  rather 
  series 
  of 
  questions, 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  nomenclature, 
  

   which 
  to 
  straighten 
  out 
  would 
  be 
  worth 
  the 
  effort 
  put 
  forth, 
  even 
  were 
  

   nothmg 
  else 
  accomplished. 
  Questions 
  of 
  identity 
  with 
  their 
  European 
  

   representatives 
  of 
  many 
  American 
  species 
  of 
  plants 
  diflScuIt 
  to 
  preserve 
  

   m 
  herbaria, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  fleshy 
  fungi, 
  can 
  be 
  settled 
  in 
  no 
  way 
  so 
  well 
  as 
  

   by 
  a 
  conference 
  of 
  specialists 
  with 
  specimens 
  in 
  hand. 
  Questions 
  in 
  geo- 
  

   graphical 
  botany, 
  methods 
  of 
  physiological 
  research, 
  and 
  a 
  host 
  of 
  lesser 
  

   problems 
  will 
  present 
  themselves 
  for 
  solution 
  or 
  discussion. 
  

   ' 
  It 
  seems 
  to 
  us 
  that 
  here 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  opportunity, 
  a 
  chance 
  for 
  an 
  epoch- 
  

   making 
  movement 
  for 
  botany 
  in 
  America, 
  If 
  this 
  should 
  be 
  the 
  opinion 
  

   oi 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  American 
  botanists, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  doubt 
  that 
  ways 
  can 
  be 
  

   devised 
  for 
  making 
  the 
  suggestion 
  a 
  reality. 
  

  

  CURRENT 
  LITERATURE. 
  

  

  Jtliiior 
  JHotices. 
  

  

  Whs. 
  E, 
  G. 
  Brixton 
  writes 
  pleasantly 
  in 
  the 
  February 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mtcroscope 
  on 
  several 
  mosses 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  winter 
  in 
  a 
  garden 
  as 
  an 
  

   " 
  Introduction 
  to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  mosses." 
  

  

  A 
  SMALL 
  GROUP 
  of 
  ascomycctous 
  fungi, 
  known 
  as 
  Laboidheniacem^ 
  and 
  

  

  