834 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV.x. No. 699 



summer form of Vlothrix consociata; a new 

 genus of marine Tetrasporaceae, whicli lie 

 names Pseudotetrasporaj on the reproduction 

 of a Gloeocapsa; on a species of Dactylococ- 

 cus; on the zoospores of Qomontia polyrrhizaj 

 and closes with a list of the Myxophyceae 

 (seven species) and Chlorophyceae (twenty- 

 one species) of the neighborhood of the bio- 

 logical station at Drontheim, Norway. 



W. D. Hoyt's paper on " Periodicity in the 

 Production of the Sexual Cells in Diciyota 

 dichotoma" in the Botanical Gazette for 

 June, 1907, deserves mention even at this 

 late date, showing that sexual cells are pro- 

 duced at regular monthly intervals, and have 

 a definite relation to the tides. 



Professor Doctor D. H. Campbell's " Studies 

 on Some Javanese Anthocerotaceae " in the 

 October Annals of Botany, 1907, is the first 

 of two interesting papers. A new genus, 

 Megaceros, is described. It has a very large 

 sporophyte (9 cm. high), has no stomata, and 

 contains spiral elaters. The second install- 

 ment (in the January number) is devoted 

 to the morphology and histology of Den- 

 droceros and Notothylas. In discussing the 

 afiinities of the Anthocerotaceae the author 

 regards Notothylas as "without doubt the 

 simplest • and probably the most primitive," 

 and " the larger species of Anthoceros, with 

 their highly developed assimilative tissue and 

 perfect stomata as probably to be considered 

 the highest existing form of this peculiar form 

 of sporophyte." He suggests, moreover, that 

 " it will probably be best to regard Antho- 

 cerotaceae as sufficiently distinct from the 

 true Hepaticae to form a special class, An- 

 thoceroteS, as was suggested by Howe" eight 

 years ago. 



In a paper in the October (1907) New 

 Phytologist, " On the Distribution of the 

 Hepaticae and its Significance," Dr. Camp- 

 bell adduces good reasons for concluding that 

 " the distribution of the existing liverworts 

 indicates that they are ancient forms whose 

 scarcity in a fossil condition is due to their 

 very iierishable tissues." 



A third paper by the same author, which 

 appeared in the March (1907) American 



Naturalist and entitled " Studies on the 

 Ophioglossaceae," is a most helpful one for 

 the fern student. The author still adheres 

 to his hypothesis that Ophioglossaceae arose 

 from some form resembling Anthoceros. 



Charles E. Bessey 

 Univebsitt of Nebraska 



TEE NATIONAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE 

 ON STANDARDS OF COLLEGES AND 

 SECONDARY SCHOOLS 



The third annual meeting of this body, 

 which has been knovpn as the National Con- 

 ference Committee of the Associations of 

 Colleges and Preparatory Schools and is now 

 permanently organized under the above title, 

 was held at the rooms of the Carnegie Founda- 

 tion for the Advancement of Teaching, 576 

 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. T., Friday, 

 April 17, 1908. The committee is composed 

 of delegates from the following organizations, 

 all of which were represented at this meeting: 



The New England Association of Colleges and 



Preparatory Schools, 

 The New England College Entrance Certificate 



Board, 

 The Association of Colleges and Preparatory 



Schools of the Middle States and Maryland, 

 The College Entrance Examination Board, 

 The North Central Association of Colleges and 



Secondary Schools, 

 The Association of Colleges and Preparatory 



Schools of the Southern States, 

 The National Association of State Universities, 

 The Carnegie Foimdation for the Advancement of 



Teaching. 



A constitution was adopted which defines 

 the purpose of this committee to be to con- 

 sider standards of admission, matters of com- 

 mon interest to universities, colleges, and 

 secondary schools, and such further questions 

 as may be referred to it. Provision is made 

 that at least one meeting shall be held each 

 year. 



Officers to serve for one year were elected 

 as follows: President, President MacLean, of 

 the University of Iowa; Vice-president, Head 

 Master Wilson Farrand, of Newark Academy ; 

 and Secretary-Treasurer, Dean Ferry, of 

 Williams College. 



