402 
secure membership a candidate is first pro- 
posed by three members of the Society, who 
vouch for his eligibility under the constitu- 
tion, which requires that he be actively en- 
gaged in research and the author of at least 
three contributions to knowledge in botan- 
ical lines. After notice of his candidacy 
has been sent to all members of the Society, 
written objections to him may be filed with 
the Secretary by any member. The Council 
then considers the candidates proposed and 
recommends such as it thinks proper. 
These names are then presented to the So- 
ciety. One-fifth of the votes cast, ifnegative, 
will defeat any candidate. 
The address of the retiring President, Dr. 
Charles E. Bessey, of the University of 
Nebraska, was delivered on Tuesday even- 
ing. A full abstract of the address is 
printed elsewhere in this number. 
The following papers were read at the 
opening sessions on Wednesday : 
B. L. Ropinson: A case of ecblastesis 
and axial prolification in Lipidiwm apetalum. 
J.C. Arrnur: Movement of pyotoplasm 
in ecenocytic hyphee. 
Jonny M. Courter: Pollen grains and 
antipodal cells. 
FREDERIC EH, CLEMENTS (presented by 
C. E. Brssry) : The transition region of the 
Caryophyllales. 
D. P. Penuautow: A revision of the 
species Picea occurring in northeastern 
America. 
Epwarp L. GREENE: Bibliographic Diffi- 
culties. 
Winuiam Fawcrrr: The botanical gar- 
dens of Jamaica. Read by title. 
Mr. Faweett, finding himself unable to be 
present, sent his paper by post, but it un- 
fortunately was not received in time to be 
presented. The Council had invited Drs. 
D. T. MacDougal and D. H. Campbell to 
present, in connection with this paper, their 
report upon the island of Jamaica as a site 
for the proposed tropical laboratory. It 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. VI. No. 141. 
was intended that Dr. Fawcett’s account of 
the botanic gardens should present, by 
means of lantern illustrations, an idea of the 
facilities already provided there. Although 
obliged to forego this, Dr. MacDougal spoke 
of the physical features and climate of the 
island, and Dr. Campbell discussed its 
botanical resources. The great interest 
with which the report was listened to indi- 
cates the desire which every botanist feels 
to have this proposed laboratory in early 
operation. 
The Council also invited Mr. Herbert J. 
Webber to present before the Society an 
account of his remarkable discoveries in 
connection with the fertilization of Zamia. 
Mr. Webber spoke of the development of 
the pollen tube and of its spermatozoids 
and of the way in which they effect the 
fertilization of the egg. After the meeting 
Mr. Webber displayed the preparations in 
which he had made his discoveries. These 
were examined with the greatest interest. 
It will be seen by an inspection of the 
foregoing list that the papers presented 
touched all of the great fields of botanical 
science, with the exception of phyto-geog- 
raphy. Sessions of two hours in the morn- 
ing and three and a-half in the afternoon 
were barely sufficient for the completion of 
the program. At the next meeting, which 
is to be held in Boston in connection with 
that of the A. A. A. §., the reading of 
papers will probably have to be begun a day 
earlier. d 
C. R. Barnes, 
Secretary. 
THE INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICAL CON- 
GRESS. 
THE meeting at Zurich, August 9th—11th, 
of the International Congress of Mathema- 
ticians was in every way a success. More 
than two hundred members took part. 
America sent seven representatives, includ- 
ing, however, three Cambridge graduates, 
now transplanted to Pennsylvania, Profes- 
