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1896] NEWS . 77 
able. Though essentially a bark disease, it frequently causes malformations 
of the trunk and even the death of the tree. Cold and damp are thought to 
be the prime causes. —S. 
IN A PAPER read before the London Pathological Society, Mr. S. G. 
Shattuck gives the results of some investigations in regard to the healing of 
incisions in vegetable tissues. When both surfaces were freely exposed to 
the air, on each surface a layer of cork was formed, which gave place to the 
underlying parenchyma when the twocorky layers met. The other common 
method of healing was by cell-division on either face of the injury and was 
usual when the surfaces were not sufficiently separated to admit the air. 
(Gard. Chron., May 23).—S. 
AT THE CALL of a committee of representative persons interested in 
Maine botany, a convention was held at Portland, July 12-15, 1895. ‘The dif- 
ferent sessions were attended by about one hundred persons, many of whom 
expressed a desire to become members of a permanent organization, and as 
an outgrowth from this convention the Josselyn Botanical Society of Maine 
was formed. The second annual meeting was held in the State Normal 
School, Farmington, July 7-10, 1896. The general plan for the meetings is to 
devote the first two days to papers and discussions, and the last two to field 
expeditions into the surrounding country. 
E FIRST BULLETIN of the New York Botanical Garden, recently 
issued, contains a full statement of the status of this important enterprise. 
Of special interest to botanists is the agreement with Columbia University, 
whereby the large herbarium and library of the college is to be deposited 
with the Garden. This will make the latter at once a great botanical center, 
situated in surroundings which will give ample room for expansion, and for 
the proper development of every phase of botany. In the interest of botanical 
science in America it is to be hoped that Dr. Britton will find generous sup- 
port for the development of his far-reaching plans. Such opportunities 
should) develop more than a great taxonomic center, but to accomplish it 
New York must continue to be very generous. 
Otro KAISER has reinvestigated the nuclear division in various cells of 
Characee. He finds that mitosis alone occurs in all apical, segment, nodal 
and peripheral cells, in the nodal cells of the cortical lobes, the cells of the 
antheridia and of young oogonia. In the segment cells, especially in those of 
the so-called leaves, the aster, metakinesis and diaster stages are somewhat 
different from the ordinary form, being of the barrel type. Centrosomes 
were present with the resting nuclei as well as with all stages of their divi- 
Sion. Fragmentation occurs only in the cortical cellsof older oogonia, and 
in the internodal cells of the stem, of the “leaves,” and of the older cortical 
lobes. Only in these is more than one nucleus found. Kaiser's best results 
