February 3, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



171 



sensitive species, and peculiar features are 

 found in the cells containing them. The 

 author thinks it probable they are con- 

 nected with the transmission of stimuli, 

 the real place and nature of which are not 

 yet known. 



The Structure and Parctsitism of Aphyllon 

 uniflorum: Miss Amelia B. Smith, Univer- 

 sity of Penns3dvania. — This paper, prelimi- 

 narj' in character, described the anatomy 

 of this species and its characters of degen- 

 eration due to its parasitism upon a species 

 of Aster. 



On the Occurrence of Tubers in the Hepati- 

 ccb: De. M. a. Howe, Columbia Univer- 

 sity. — -The author calls attention to the few 

 known cases of tuber formation in Hepati- 

 cse, and gives a detailed account of the anat- 

 omy of the tubers in Anthocercs phymatodes, 

 a California species. He interprets these 

 tubers as structures adapted to carry the 

 life of the plant over a season of drought 

 and also as playing a part in vegetative 

 propagation. 



Morphology of the Genus Viola : Dr. Henry 

 Kraemer, Philadelphia College of Phar- 

 macy. — The author has made a detailed 

 microscopical examination of selected char- 

 acters, particularly in the flower, in several 

 species of the genus Viola as a basis for the 

 determination of the phylogeny of those spe- 

 cies, and he gives a preliminary classification 

 of those investigated. The work is the con- 

 tinuation of earlier published studies, and 

 is part of a detailed investigation the author 

 expects to make of the entire genus. 



Influence of Electricity itpon Plants : Dr. 

 G. E. Stone, Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College. — The paper contains the results of 

 experiments upon some 20,000 germinating 

 plants to which electrical stimuli were ap- 

 plied by various methods and in different 

 intensities. The author shows, by careful 

 quantitative methods, that, within certain 

 limits, germination is accelerated by the 

 application of electricity ; that there is a 



latent period and a minimum, optimum and 

 maximum response, and that the relation 

 between perception and stimulus follows 

 "Weber's Law. 



Notes on the Germination of Spjores : Dr. 

 C. O. TowNSEND, Maryland Experiment Sta- 

 tion. — The author describes results of ex- 

 periments made to determine the effect 

 upon their germination of exposure of 

 spores in distilled water to different ex- 

 ternal conditions. Such exposure, as shown 

 by comparison with control experiments, 

 produced no appreciable effect upon the 

 power of the spores to germinate, except' 

 when they were frozen, in which case they 

 failed to germinate at all. 



Sensitiveness of certain Parasites to the Acid 

 Juices of the Host Plants : Dr. Erwin F. 

 Smith, Department of Agriculture. — This 

 paper describes the author's experiments 

 made to determine whether his hypothe- 

 sis, based upon observation, is correct, that 

 the slow progress of some bacterial diseases 

 of plants is due to the restraining influence 

 of the acid juices of the host plants. By 

 comparison with the results of cultures in 

 solutions of known acidity, he was able to 

 confirm this belief. 



Further Observations on the Relations of 

 Turgor to Growth : Dr. Carleton C. Cur- 

 tis, Columbia University. — The author de- 

 scribed the results of experiments in alter- 

 ing the strength of solutions in which 

 certain fungi were being cultivated, and the 

 effects of the transfer upon growth and 

 turgor force. 



Symbiosis and Saprophytism : Professor D. 

 T. MacDougal, University of Minnesota.— 

 The author points out that the term sapro- 

 phyte, or holosaprophyte, should be applied 

 only to those forms that obtain organic prod- 

 ucts without the aid of mycorrhiza, etc., 

 and that hitherto but a single seed-forming 

 plant has been placed in this category. To 

 this, however, the author now adds Cepha- 

 lanthera as result of his researches. 



