254 
Primarily the function of fruits is seed 
production, secondarily protection of seeds 
and aid in their dissemination. The fruit 
of the Opuntia does not deviate from 
this general law ; although, in many in- 
stances, it has developed special adapta- 
tions. Under their desert environments, 
with many species, the germination of seeds 
and development of seedlings are rarely 
attained, the dependence for reproduction 
being almost entirely upon vegetal dissem- 
ination. In Opuntia fulgida the fruit is 
mostly sterile, but is particularly adapted to 
aid in the dissemination of the tumid spine- 
covered terminal joints, as these joints be- 
come attached to animals that feed upon 
the spineless fruit and thus become scat- 
tered by them. In this special case the 
function of the fruit is no longer to produce 
seeds, but to entice animals to the plant that 
the fragile, terminal branches may adhere 
to them and become disseminated. As be- 
fore stated, the fruit is frequently sterile. 
In some instances, however, we find clus- 
ters of spineless, short, proliferous joints 
which resemble the fruits externally, but 
are entirely without evidences of even an 
abortive ovary. These proliferous clus- 
ters of spineless stems, in the economy 
of the plant, serve the same purpose as 
the fruit clusters and without the necessity 
of floral development, which would be a 
useless waste of energy on the part of the 
plant. 
Notes on Long Island Pine Barrens: Dr. Hur- 
MANN VON SCHRENK, Shaw School of 
Botany. 
Photographs were exhibited illustrating 
the manner in which young trees of Pinus 
resinosa form basal shoots after the tops 
have been killed by fire. Some trees do 
this four years in succession, showing an 
unusual vitality in the root system. The 
effect of repeated fires on the barrens was 
discussed, and it was pointed out that a 
SCLENCE. 
[N.S. Vou. XIII. No. 320. 
gradual degeneration of the forest is very 
marked. 
Suggestions for an Attempt to secure a Standard 
College Entrance Option in Botany: Pro- 
FEssoR W. F. Ganone, Smith College. 
The author pointed out’ the advantage to 
any science of the interest taken in its 
teaching by experts and scientific societies. 
The increasing use of botany as a college 
entrance option is emphasizing the lack of 
differentiation and definiteness in the sec- 
ondary teaching of the science, as well 
as the diversity of requirement through 
which a great burden is placed upon those 
preparatory schools which fit students for a 
number of colleges. A summary is given 
of the requirements made in this subject by 
leading colleges. The history of the efforts 
to secure the formulation of a widely ac- 
ceptable standard preparatory course was 
traced, culminating in the ‘Report of the 
Committee of the National Educational 
Association in 1899.’ The reasons why the 
latter is not more widely adopted were 
traced, and suggestions made as to the 
characteristics of a course likely to be more 
generally accepted. It was recommended 
that a committee be appointed to take the 
subject into consideration, and to endeavor 
to secure the formulation and adoption of 
such a course. This committee was ap- 
pointed, as already mentioned in the intro- 
duction to this article. 
Further Notes on Spermatogenesis of Zamia: 
Dr. Herserr J. Weeser, Department 
of Agriculture.. 
The mature pollen grain of Zamia was 
found to contain two well-marked prothal- 
lial cells, and besides these a dark, refrac- 
tive slit could frequently be observed in the 
wall of the pollen grain, at the base of the 
other prothallial cells, indicating that the 
first prothallial cell cut off becomes Op- 
pressed and largely resorbed during the de- 
velopment of the pollen grain as in Ginkgo. 
