November 28, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



871 



gent collector will scarcely need directions on 

 those points. 



Of course all this is intended to illustrate 

 New York archeology, but this has relations 

 to other parts of the land, and some cabinets 

 contain fine and valuable specimens from other 

 states. These are not to be overlooked, and 

 I have several such cabinets in my mind. 

 They are interesting in themselves and val- 

 uable for comparison. 



This communication will not directly reach 

 all those whose aid is desired, but if others 

 will call attention to it good results may be 

 expected. I am often surprised at finding 

 some article of special interest in some 

 hitherto unknown collection. Hence the im- 

 portance of reaching every student of this 

 great subject. May I hope for a speedy and 

 general response from those interested. 



W. M. Beauchamp. 



204 Maple St., Syracuse, N. Y. 

 October 22, 1902. 



PRICKLES OF THE PRICKLY ASH. 



It might be well to call attention to an 

 error occurring in Bailey's ' Elementary Text- 

 book of Botany,' 1901, p. 105, figure 157, where 

 it states that the ' prickles ' of the prickly ash 

 are modified stipules. Seeing that the same 

 error occurs in Bailey's ' Encyclopedia of 

 Horticulture,' it may be supposed that it is 

 not a mere typographical error. 



In the case of the prickly ash, Xanthoxylum 

 americanum, Mill., the prickles are true 

 prickles, having no connection with the in- 

 ternal structures, as they would have if they 

 were stipular in nature. These prickles occur 

 frequently at the bases of the leaves, giving 

 rise very probably to the false notion as to 

 their morphology. However, they do not 

 occur at the bases of all the leaves, there 

 being not infrequently no signs of them. 

 Furthermore, they are occasionally found 

 elsewhere, on the branch, and also on the 

 rachis of the compound leaf. 



In Chapman's ' Flora of Southern United 

 States,' 189Y, it states, under family charac- 

 ters, ' exstipulate leaves,' and, under Xan- 

 thoxylum, ' trees or shrubs, commonly armed 

 with stipular prickles.' 



Gray states, as a character of the order, 

 ' stipules none,' and, under Xanthoxylum, 

 ' stems and often leaf stalks prickly.' Gray 

 is correct, but Chapman, with many others, 

 is in error. The structures referred to are 

 not stipular, but are true prickles. Stipules 

 are not found in any of the genera of the 

 family to which Xanthoxylum belongs. 



J. B. Dandeno. 



THE NEXT ERUPTION OP PELEE. 



Transcript of September 3, 

 called attention to the pecu- 

 eruptions in Martinique, as 



Violence. 

 Destruction Guerin Factory. 

 Destruction St. Pierre. 

 Further destruction St. Pierre 



and destructive wave at 



Carbet. 

 More incandescent material. 

 Larger stones at Morne 



Rouge ; more incandescent 



material: detonations heard 



at Barbados. 

 Destruction of Morne Rouge: 



great wave; many lives lost. 



Aug. 30. 52 days. 



It will be seen that the interval is increas- 

 ing and each time the culminating explosion 

 of steam and hot waters has been somewhat 

 more violent, though until recently there have 

 been no good records kept. At present 

 Lacroix is recording the phenomena from day 

 to day. There were minor eruptions other 

 than those above recorded, notably on May 

 26, three times in June, and after August 21; 

 but those tabulated may be described as erup- 

 tions of first magnitude. 



Exploration of the craters has shown that 

 they contain boiling water during periods of 

 calm, and the eruptions begin with the ejec- 

 tion of this water ; steam follows, charged with 

 debris. An eruption of this kind is com- 

 parable to a geyser. If such comparison is 

 permissible, the sequence may indicate for 

 each great eruption a release of strain and an 

 increased cavity system, allowing infiltration 

 of larger volumes of water, and requiring a 



