April 9, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



551 



medicinal properties, but on account of the won- 

 derful fluorescence of its infusion in spring 

 water. Scarcely a fragment of this wood is now 

 to be found in drug collections, and its very name 

 has disappeared from encyclopedias. It is cele- 

 brated as the substance with which the Hon. 

 Eobert Boyle made his first investigations in the 

 phenomenon of fluorescence. After giving a his- 

 tory of the literature on the subject Mr. Safford 

 called attention to the confusion surrounding the 

 origin of the wood, and the causes which pre- 

 vented its botanical identification. For the first 

 time specimens of the wood accompanied by her- 

 barium material of the plant from which it was 

 obtained have been the subject of critical study. 

 The heartwood produced the characteristic fluores- 

 cence described by Robert Boyle, and the botan- 

 ical material corresponded with the original de- 

 scription of Hernandez of the plant yielding 

 lignum nepliriticum. This proves to be Eysen- 

 Jmrdtia polystachya (Ortega) Sargent (Viborquia 

 polystachya Ortega, Eysenhardtia amorphoides 

 H. B. K.). The lecture was illustrated by lan- 

 tern slides, specimens of the wood and botanical 

 material, photographic enlargements of sections 

 of the wood made by Dr. Albert Mann, plant 

 morphologist ; and also by exhibition of the 

 fluorescence of the estraet of the wood in the 

 rays of an arc light by Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, 

 Biophysicist, Bureau of Plant Industry, with re- 

 marks as to the value of lignum nephriticum as 

 an indicator in titrimetrie determinations. 



The one hundred and third regular meeting of 

 the Botanical iSociety of Washington was held in 

 the Crystal Dining Room of the New Ebbitt 

 Hotel, at 6:45 p.m., Tuesday, March 2, 1915. 

 Eighty-two members and seventy-eight guests were 

 present, this being the regular annual open meet- 

 ing for the president's address. 



A dinner preceded the scientific program. 



The retiring president. Dr. C. L. Shear, gave an 

 address on "Mycology in Relation to Phytopathol- 

 ogy." This appears in full elsewhere in Science. 



Dr. A. S. Hitchcock presented to the society the 

 plans for a proposed publication of a local flora 

 on the flowering plants and higher cryptogams of 

 Washington and the vicinity. It is proposed that 

 this be published about one year from the present 

 time. 



The society also passed resolutions of regret 

 upon the death of Dr. Charles E. Bessey. 



Pekley Spaulding, 

 Corresponding Secretary 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ■WASHINGTON 



The 535th meeting of the society was held in 

 the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, Saturday, 

 February 6, 1915, called to order by Vice-presi- 

 dent Hopkins at 8 p.m., with 35 persons present. 



Under heading Book Notices, Dr. Ransom called 

 attention to a new biological journal under editor- 

 ship of Professor Ward, of the University of Illi- 

 nois, to be devoted to animal parasites. 



Under heading Brief Notes, Treasurer Cooke 

 read a letter from Dr. B. W. Evermann, now of 

 San Francisco, a former president of the society, 

 expressing his regret at not being able to attend 

 meetings, his deep interest in the society, and 

 wishes for its continued prosperity. 



The first paper of the regular program was by 

 Dr. T. Wayland Vaughan, "Remarks on the Rate 

 of Growth of Stony Corals. ' ' Dr. Vaughan re- 

 viewed the work done by previous investigators 

 and gave result of his own carefully conducted 

 experiments at Tortugas. The paper was fully 

 illustrated by lantern slides showing apparatus 

 and methods employed in planting corals and re- 

 sults of one and of several years ' growth of various 

 corals. 



The second paper of the regular program was 

 by Dr. J. N. Rose, "Botanical Explorations in 

 South America." Dr. Rose spoke concerning a 

 botanical exploration on the west coast of South 

 America which he made during the summer and 

 fall of 1914. He stated that when he took up the 

 study of the Cactacese for the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion of Washington, it was with the understand- 

 ing that it should embrace not only herbarium 

 and greenhouse studies, but extensive field work 

 in all the great cactus deserts of the two Amer- 

 icas. His going to the west coast was therefore 

 simply part of a large scheme for botanical ex- 

 ploration. He further stated that plans had been 

 made for similar field work in the deserts of the 

 east side of South America during the coming 

 summer. He gave detailed accounts of his work 

 in the deserts of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, and the 

 peculiar Cacti which he found, described particu- 

 larly the climatic conditions in those countries, 

 and told of the remarkable crescent-shaped sand 

 dunes of southern Peru. On this trip Dr. Rose 

 collected more than a thousand numbers, obtain- 

 ing not only herbarium and formalin, but also liv- 

 ing material. His collection of living plants 

 which was very large has been sent to the New 

 York Botanical Garden. Dr. Rose's communi- 

 cation was illustrated by maps of the regions 

 traversed, by apparatus used in collecting speci- 



