414 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 220. 



able couditions. Cases were observed in which 

 the upper polar nucleus, failing to fuse with the 

 lower one, had proceeded unassisted to the 

 production of endosperm. Few embryos were 

 found. 



In the young stamen but one archesporial 

 mass appears. After this has enlarged some- 

 what a plate of sterilized tissue divides it into 

 two regions, each of which is again divided in 

 a similar manner, thus constituting the four 

 archesporial masses of the anther. The four 

 loculi of the anther are four parts of one spo- 

 rangium, and not four sporangia, as reported 

 usually for other spermatophytes. The primary 

 tapetal layer is not differentiated until after the 

 archesporium is separated into four masses. 

 The tapetum may be derived either from the 

 sporogenous tissue or from the adjacent sterile 

 tissue. The cells of the tapetum frequently di- 

 vide and push out into the cavity of the loculus, 

 where they assist in nourishing the spore 

 mother cells. Some of the latter are nourished 

 also by other mother cells whose growth has 

 ceased. The microspore germinates while 

 within the sporangium. The generative cell 

 remains closely applied to the wall of the spore 

 for a considerable time before dividing to pro- 

 duce the male gametes. 



The ' winter buds ' seem to be summer buds 

 which are not suflSciently vigorous to develop 

 the necessary air spaces to keep them afloat. 

 When conditions become favorable growth is 

 renewed, air spaces develop in abundance, and 

 the buds rise again to the surface. 



It seems clear that Lemna minor has de- 

 scended from terrestrial forms. The entire 

 body of the diminutive plant, as evidenced by 

 the disappearing root, the system for aeration, 

 and the devices properly to relate the chloro- 

 plastids to the light, indicates attempts toward 

 adaptation to the water habitat. It has not 

 succeeded in working out such appropriate de- 

 vices for pollination as are found in most water 

 plants. The water environment also seems es- 

 pecially injurious to the embryo-sac structures 

 of this plant, and the ease with which vegetative 

 buds are produced, and the fact that some of 

 these buds may serve to perpetuate the plant 

 from year to year, reduces the necessity of seed 

 production. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



Under the head of ' Short Notes and Ex- 

 hibition of Specimens,' Mr. Benton stated that 

 on January 22d he had found brood houey bees 

 in all stages of growth and new adults, indi- 

 cating egg laying the last of December. This 

 is a very early instance. 



Mr. Matthis exhibited specimens of what he 

 takes to be Boreus brumalis Fitch, which he had 

 caught upon the snow in the Rock Creek Val- 

 ley after the recent blizzard. He showed for 

 comparison specimens of a Boreus which he had 

 caught last October at a high elevation on the 

 Big Horn Mountains. This was a larger and 

 darker form than B. brumalis and has not been 

 specifically identified. 



Dr. Dyar showed a blown larva of Apatela 

 olarescens Gn., previously undescribed. The 

 larva nearly resembles that of A. hamamelis ; 

 indeed, from the mature larva alone no constant 

 differences can be pointed out, but Dr. Dyar 

 has observed certain differences in the earlier 

 stages of these larvas, which will be more fully 

 worked out at the next opportunity. In this 

 connection, he also presented a list of Apatela 

 by Professor A. R. Grote, with generic and sub- 

 generic types, which had been prepared by 

 Professor Grote on request, and which is sup- 

 plemental to the monograph of the genus re- 

 cently published by Smith and Dyar. Dr. 

 Dyar stated that he was pleased with Professor 

 Grote's erection of a subgenus for A. funeralis, 

 since this was definable on larval character, as 

 are all the other subgenera of Apatela, except 

 Tricholonche as compared with Lepitoreuma. 



Mr. Schwarz exhibited some very dry and 

 hard pulp of the giant cactus, taken by Mr. 

 Hubbard in the autumn of 1897 and containing 

 specimens of the extraordinary Scolytid, Cacto- 

 pinus hubbardi Schwarz. He had examined 

 this pulp in January, 1897, and found the bee- 

 tles alive, with no indication of oviposition. He 

 moistened it somewhat at that time and showed 

 the same beetles still alive, thus indicating that 

 they may live in the adult condition for two 

 years. 



Mr. Howard showed a remarkably clear and 

 beautiful photograph of Phasgonophora sulcata 

 Westwood, which had been taken by Mr. M. 

 V. Slingerland, and spoke briefly of the ad- 



