142 
established Parental School on Long Island are being in part 
planted and developed with that end in view, so that the Depart- 
ment of Education may grow and distribute as many as possible 
of the items of botanical supplies required in the public schools. 
Dr. Hollick suggested that if those who are interested in the 
matter of the preservation of our wild flowers would write to the 
Board of Education, asking that everything possible be done to 
eliminate wild flowers from the list of supplies, it would have the 
effect of hastening the end in view. 
Mr. Nash exhibited for the second time before the conference 
the specimen of Stangeria eriopus, to show progress in the de- 
velopment of the cone which was just forming when first exhib- 
ited. It has now developed so that the Seer character of the 
cone is evident from its ovoid shape. The staniinate cone is much 
longer and cylind Mr. Nash again me attention to the 
pinnate venation a the leaflets of this odd plant, a character 
unique in the family Cycadaceae, for all the others have parallel 
venation. The leaves much resemble those of a fern, and in the 
absence of the cone this plant was first described as a Lomaria. 
A collection of polypores from Japan was exhibited by Dr. 
W. A. Murrill, who spoke briefly of our meager knowledge of ----- 
Japanese fungi and the desirability of further material from that 
region, as throwing light on the distribution of temperate species. 
The collection consists of 72 numbers, containing 44 species, 26 
of which occur throughout the North Temperate Zone, 2 are 
Eurasian, 8 are oriental, 3 are known Japanese species, and 5 
are undescribed. A detailed account of this collection will be 
ished in Mycotocia. Professors Kusano and Nohara, who 
sent these specimens for determination, are planning to collect 
fungi in various parts of Japan on a larger scale. 
FRED J. SEAVER. 
NOTES, NEWS AND COMMENT, 
Mr. Oakes Ames has been appointed director of the Harvard 
Botanical Garden to fill the position recently made vacant by the 
retirement of Professor George L. Goodale after thirty years of 
active service 
