288 
not have many large trees, and possibly do 
not date from many scores of years back. 
The Island of Culebra, a small island lying 
to the east of Puerto Rico and belonging to 
it, is said to be covered by virgin forests. 
There are several species of tree ferns on 
the island, always occurring at some dis- 
tance back from the coast—and on the 
northern slope, so far as observed. They 
rarely surpass twenty feet in height. 
Meadows have to be made, and for this 
a crab grass and a festuca or fescue-grass 
are used. The former is a good strong grass 
for the meadow and also makes an abun- 
dant, excellent, high-green hay. The hay 
could be imported into New York at a less 
cost than the inferior hay from up in the 
State, and could be brought into the market 
still fresh in the winter and early spring. 
The fescue is a better grazing grass and 
grows with great rapidity and to great 
height when it can support itself onshrubby 
vegetation. Cattle graze in it up to the 
brisket, and in protected places along the 
fences it is often seen from ten to fifteen feet 
high. 
Marx W. Harrineton. 
THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. 
Tue sessions of the 5th annual meeting 
of the Society were held on Friday and 
Saturday, August 18th and 19th, in Towns- 
hend Hall. The meeting was called to 
order by the retiring President, Dr. N. L. 
Britton, who then resigned the chair to the 
President-elect, Professor L. M. Under- 
wood. 
Officers elected for the ensuing year were : 
President : 
University. 
Vice-President : 
Professor B. L. Robinson, Harvard 
Professor B. D. Halsted, Rutgers 
College. 
Secretary: Professor G. F. Atkinson, Cornell 
University. 
Treasurer: Dr. Arthur Hollick, Columbia Uni- 
versity. 
Councillors : Professor D. P. Penhallow, McGill 
SCIENCE. 
(N.S. Vou. X. No. 244. 
University, and B. T. Galloway, U. S. Dept. of Agri- 
culture. 
New members elected were : 
Professor J. M. Macoun, Canadian Geological Sur- 
vey. 
Dr. W. J. Beal, Agricultural College of Michigan. 
Dr. C. F. Millspaugh, Field Columbian Museum. 
Dr. M. A. Howe, Columbia University. 
On Friday evening the retiring President, 
Dr. N. L. Britton, delivered a public illus- 
trated address in the chapel of University 
Hall, on : ‘ Report of Progress of the Devel- 
opment of the New York Botanical Gar- 
den.’ 
The following papers were read at the 
several sessions of the Society, in addition 
to which a number of others were read by 
title : 
‘Apetaly and Dioeciousness.’ 
Bessey, University of Nebraska. 
‘Symbiosis and Saprophytism’ Dr. D. T. Mac- 
Dougal, New York Botanical Garden. 
“The Effect of Centrifugal Force upon the Cell.’ 
Professor D. M. Mottier, University of Indiana. 
‘The American Species of Arisema.’ Dr. N. L. 
Britton, New York Botanical Garden. 
‘The Classification of Botanical Publications.’ 
Professor Wm. Trelease, Missouri Botanical Garden. 
ArtHurR Hor.icx, 
Secretary pro tem. 
Professor C. E. 
SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 
Naturalism and Agnosticism. The Gifford Lec- 
tures delivered before the University of Aber- 
deen in the years 1896-1898. By JAMES 
WARD. Two volumes. The Macmillan Co. 
1899. 
The purpose of Ward’s two volumes is not to 
defend scientific naturalism from the implica- 
tion of agnosticism, but to show that the only 
way to escape from the ‘ determinism’ of the na- 
turalist is through philosophical idealism. The 
book is able and thoughtful and original, and 
one which all students of science would do well 
to study. For this reason I shall make no at- 
tempt to present a summary of its contents, 
although I shall try to call the attention of 
those who have read the book to a point of 
view which is very different from that of the 
author. 
