Apbil 8, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



533 



to the botanical fraternity through his 

 taxonomic work on mosses, his first pub- 

 lication in this field being an " Analytic 

 Key to the Genera of Mosses," published in. 

 1886 as a bulletin of Purdue University; 

 the following year was published a " Revision 

 of the North American Species of Fissidens." 

 In 1890 there was issued by the Wisconsin 

 Academy of Science his " Artificial Keys to 

 the Genera and Species of North American 

 Mosses " ; a revision of this work by Barnes 

 and Heald appeared in 1897. There can be no 

 doubt that these keys have greatly stimulated 

 bryological study in this country, because the 

 classic manual of the mosses (Lesquereux and 

 James) is full of difiiculties to all but the 

 specialist in the group. A revision of 

 Dicranum by Barnes and True practically 

 completed the author's work in this field. 

 While at Chicago Professor Barnes became 

 greatly interested in the special morphological 

 problems presented by the mosses and liver- 

 worts, and for several years there was of- 

 fered in cooperation with Dr. Land a course 

 in the special morphology of the bryophytes. 

 In connection with this work Drs. Barnes and 

 Land made extensive field studies and collec- 

 tions in Mexico in 1906 and 1908. There had 

 already appeared two joint papers, one on 

 " The Origin of Air Chambers " and the other 

 on " The Origin of the Cupule of Mar- 

 chantia"; several other joint papers are in 

 various stages of completion, and are to be 

 issued by the junior author. A general work 

 on the special morphology of the bryophytes 

 had been projected for the immediate future. 

 In plant physiology Professor Barnes's chief 

 contributions were as a critical reviewer, as a 

 teacher and effective guide in critical research, 

 and as a sponsor for certain points of view. 

 He was early a champion of the restricted use 

 of the term plant food, as opposed to the 

 broader usage, including water and salts. 

 He also advocated long ago the use of the 

 term photosynthesis (or photosyntax) in 

 place of assimilation for the first stages in 

 food-making, and he consistently advocated 

 the restriction of sex terms to sex organs. 

 The vice-presidential address of 1899, and even 

 more the presidential address of 1904, gave 



stimulating physiological points of view much 

 in advance of current usage. To few is it 

 given to be so effective as a teacher and guide 

 in critical research, and particularly to make 

 clear the actual status of the subject when 

 foggy and uncertain, as is the case in so many 

 divisions of physiology. The botanists whom 

 Professor Barnes has trained wiU through 

 their teaching and their investigation carry 

 on his ideals and reflect his powerful personal- 

 ity for yet many years. It is a source of in- 

 tense gratification to his many botanical 

 friends that Professor Barnes was able to re- 

 vise the final proofs on the physiological part 

 of a general work on botany that is expected 

 soon to appear from the Hull Botanical Lab- 

 oratory. In this there will be preserved the 

 essence of his physiological point of view and 

 something of his cogent reasoning and lucid 

 style. 



In 1898 Professor Barnes issued a botanical 

 text-book for secondary schools, entitled, 

 "Plant Life, Considered with Special Refer- 

 ence to Form and Function." This little book 

 was about the first to deal particularly w:ith 

 physiology and ecology as subjects for study 

 in secondary schools, and found a teaching 

 public unprepared to use it, though the view- 

 point here presented now dominates almost 

 everywhere. A briefer edition of this volume, 

 entitled, " Outlines of Plant Life," appeared 

 in 1900. 



To his botanical colleagues the death of 

 Professor Barnes seems peculiarly premature, 

 as he died from the effects of an accidental 

 fall in full vigor and health, and just as he 

 was about to round up in monographic form 

 the results of years of study on the bryophytes. 

 It was to have been expected also that before 

 very long he would have incorporated his lec- 

 tures to advanced classes on " Plant Physics," 

 " Plant Chemics " and " Growth and Move- 

 ment " into permanent form. To those who 

 knew Professor Barnes intimately it is known 

 that one of the foremost of our botanists has 

 gone, a man great in many lines, and one who, 

 in spite of his frank criticism and pitiless 

 logic, was more than all a friend. 



Henry 0. Cowles 



