218 BOTANICAL GAZETTE 
hag 
Dr. CHARLES R, BARNES has been appointed Professor of Plant Phys. 
ology in the University of Chicago. His laboratories will be equipped during — 
the summer, and his courses will begin with the autumn quarter. Theworkd — 
the Hull Botanical Laboratory has been largely morophological heretofore, and 
itis now proposed to put equal emphasis upon physiology, including ecology. 
A stupy of the ecological plant geography of Kansas has been made by 
Professor A. S. Hitchcock, and was presented before the Academy of Sciente 
of St. Louis at the meeting of February 7. The paper was referred tothe 
council for publication. At the same meeting Professor L. H. Pammel ds 4 
cussed the taxonomic value of the anatomical character of seeds, a study : 
which has engaged his attention for some years past. ‘ 
THE PAPER on “ Bibliographical difficulties in botany,” read by Professt 
Edward L. Greene before the Botanical Society of America at its Toronie 
meeting, has been distributed as a reprint from the Catholic University bi- a 
letin 4:62-75. 1898. The paper was very briefly summarized in BoTANical : 
GAZETTE 24: 183-185, 1897. It should be read in its complete form byal 
those who are engaged in determining the real names of plants. 5 
THE EDIBLE and poisonous mushrooms are being studied in regard 10 4 
their physiological action as food by a commission of the American Physi- a 
logical Society, consisting of Professors Crittenden (Yale), Abel ( Johns Hop > 
kins), Pfaff (Harvard), and Bowditch(Harvard). Their first report wasm®® — 
to the society at its recent meeting in Ithaca, and brought out the we 
that the edible fungi do not contain nearly as much digestible pee 
they are usually credited with, and that their food value in this respect 
Sappin-Trouffy for investigations on the development of the ner 
Gay (2500 fr.) to Charles Flahault for his study of the geograp’ 
tion of the French Mediterranean flora. 
. ” 4 mp yCue 
THE NUMBER of persons officially designated as “botanists” pe 
gists,” who are at present connected with the agricultural experimen me 
of the United States, is fifty, according toa recent government ego an 
teen of these bear in addition the title of horticulturist, entomologist sh 
ist; while two have executive duties specified. The full list " . ete 
“Organization lists of the agricultural experiment stations and ee a 
courses in agriculture in the United States. Bull. 47. Office of Exper . 
Gov. Printing Office, 1898, pp. 96. ‘ 
