AMERICAN FERN Society 21 
in Botrychium virginianum, Lycopodium adpressum, 
Onoclea sensibilis, Osmunda regalis, Polypodium occi- 
dentale, P. vulgare, and Polystichum acrostichoides (par- 
ticularly a perfectly bipinnate frond of the last, growing 
from the same rootstock with nearly normal fronds), 
pointed out the external causes which he believes have 
produced some of the variations and explained others 
as probable reversions to an earlier type. Mr. Winslow 
described the localities at which the male fern has been 
found in Vermont and gave a history of their discovery. 
The first four of them were found by women—a cir- 
cumstance which no less a person than a President of 
the Fern Society has suggested may be explained by the 
fact that the male fern was the one concerned. Mr. 
Carhart told of finding, growing together in an old 
excavation, typical Lycopodium inundatum and three 
related plants—L. inundatum, var Bigelovii, L. adpressum 
and L. alopecuroides, which were there readily dis- 
tinguishable, and pointed out some of the characters 
which separate them. Mr. Killip told something of 
the localities from which his ferns came. We expect 
to hear further from all of these papers in the JouRNAL. 
The meeting closed at a late hour with a vote of thanks 
to Dr. Benedict and the authorities of the Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden for the much that they had done to 
make it a success. 
C. A. WreaTHERBY, Secretary. 
ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE SOCIETY 
Report of the President for 1916 
The officers’ reports following this will give details 
of the work of the year in the different departments. 
I will refer to them briefly in a general way and then 
speak of a few matters to which I think attention should 
be called. The financial condition of the Society has 
