472 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. ( 



Wten we come to consider the theoretical 

 conclusions which Seward and Ford feel 

 called upon to hring forward relative to the 

 Lycopodian ancestry of the Araucariese, which 

 conclusions are evidently those of the senior 

 author, we cannot assent to any of them, and 

 while it is expressly stated that they do not 

 include the other Coniferales — the Araucariese 

 standing far removed from them, it is impos- 

 sible to understand, as has been already 

 pointed out by Dr. Scott, how the Araucariese 

 can be disassociated from their present posi- 

 tion in the order Coniferales, which is an 

 eminently natural group as it stands. 



In conclusion to refer briefly to Professor 

 Oliver's address on ' The Seed, a Chapter in 

 Evolution,' it may be said that it is a delight- 

 ful sketch of the possible origin of the seed- 

 habit, couched in a popular style and full of 

 pertinent and suggestive points. 



Edward W. Berry 



Maryland Geological Sukvet, 

 Baltimore, Md. 



BOTANICAL NOTES 

 THE COLLECTION AND STUDY OF VEGETABLE GALLS 



Botanists should not neglect the collection 

 of vegetable galls of all kinds, whether caused 

 by plant or animal parasites, since in either 

 case the galls themselves are plant growths. 

 These galls have been studied for some time 

 by Dr. Mel. T. Cook, now of the New York 

 Botanical Garden, Bronx Park, New York 

 City, and he now asks all collectors to aid him 

 in securing as many specimens as possible for 

 his use. He asks that collectors bear the fol- 

 lowing suggestions in mind. 



1. Many species of hard, woody galls should 

 be dried and kept in boxes. 



2. Most species of leaf galls should be dried 

 in the same manner as herbarium specimens, 

 except that the weights used should usually be 

 much less — only sufficient to keep them 

 straight. 



3. Succulent species which lose their char- 

 acteristic form in drying should be preserved 

 in alcohol or formalin. 



4. The host plant should be determined, or 

 sufficient material sent to permit satisfactory 

 determination. 



6. The species should be wrapped separately 

 in paper, or preferably in ' cheese cloth ' so 

 that any insects which mature in transit may 

 be kept with their respective galls. 



6. While galls produced by both insects and 

 fungi are desired, it should be remembered 

 that Dr. Cook is making a special study of 

 the galls rather than the insects or the fungi. 

 The work is strictly botanical, and he, there- 

 fore, appeals to botanists to aid him. 



7. When the specimens are ready send them 

 to Dr. Cook, at the address given above, ac- 

 companying them with an explanatory letter. 



MORE PHILIPPINE BOTANY 



The closing number (December) of the 

 Philippine Journal of Science contains two 

 articles of botanical interest, viz. : — ' The 

 Physiologically Active Constituents of Cer- 

 tain Philippine Medicinal Plants,' by E. F. 

 Bacon, and ' Philippine Fibers and Fibrous 

 Substances,' by G. F. Richmond. The latter 

 is illustrated by several plates. During the 

 year there have been printed in this publica- 

 tion eight botanical papers, and if we add 

 those printed in the five supplements, the 

 number is brought up to nineteen. These 

 supplements, which have been wholly botan- 

 ical, make a good-sized volume of themselves, 

 covering about 400 pages. Added to the 1,100 

 pages of the Journal proper, the total result is 

 about 1,500 pages of scientific matter for the 

 year. As previously announced, the Journal 

 will be divided hereafter, so that the botanical 

 papers will constitute a series by themselves. 



In the closing number of the ' Supplement ' 

 series E. D. Merrill contributes an interesting 

 paper entitled ' An Enumeration of Philippine 

 Gramineae, with keys to Genera and Species,' 

 covering eighty-six pages, and including no- 

 tices of seventy-two genera and 226 species 

 and varieties. The paper is almost wholly 

 based on material collected since the American 

 occupation of the islands, and all species not 

 verified by actual specimens are referred to the 

 lists of ' doubtful or excluded ' species, which 

 are appended to the genera or tribes. Hackel's 

 well-known monograph is followed rather 

 closely in arrangement and nomenclature. 



