88 
Dr. Arthur Hollick has been granted leave of absence for three 
months, in order that he may continue work on the fossil flora 
of the Cretaceous (Island Series) formation in the vicinity of 
New York, for the United States Geological Survey. Dr. Hol- 
lick expects to accomplish considerable field work on Staten 
Island and Long Island and to add to the collections Rabe 
placed in his hands by the Survey for description and publica 
tion. Inreturn for the use of library and laboratory a ae 
Garden will receive a valuable set of duplicate specimens repre- 
senting the Cretaceous flora of Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard. 
These specimens, together with those personally collected by Dr. 
Hollick on Staten Island, Long Island and Block Island, will 
constitute a unique and interesting local collections. 
he total precipitation in the Garden for March, 1904, amounted 
to 3.82inches. Maximum temperatures of 47.5° on the 3d, 49.5° 
on the gth, 51° on the 2oth, and 65” on the 26th were recorded ; 
also minima of 11° on the 5th, 18° on the r2th, 16.5° on the 
17th, and 22.5° on the 28th. 
The temperature of the soil at a depth of six inches (15 cm.), 
registered by a Hallock thermograph, ranged from 30° on the 
4th and 5th to 33° on the 13th, and then stood within a degree 
of ea! point during the remainder of the month. 
rN ritton will give the first lecture in the Spring 
ne at ‘lie Garden, at 4.30 P. M., April 30, in the Lecture 
Hall of the Museum. The lecture will be upon the “ Cacti,” 
and the general form, structure and distribution of this interesting 
family will be presented by the aid of living specimens and lan- 
tern slides. The second lecture in the course will be given May 
6, by Dr. D. T. MacDougal, upon the “ Vegetation of the Delta 
of the Colorado River and the Deserts of Baja, California,” and 
will give the results of recent explorations in the regions con- 
cerned, 
