550 
gal in the production of initial elementary 
structures and organs. But while making 
abundant provision for the life of the or- 
ganism through the favored few, she has 
learned to turn an increasing number of the 
unfavored ones to good account. Acted 
upon by external agents and by internal 
forces, and a changing environment, ad- 
vance is made step by step to higher, more 
stable and prolonged periods. 
While we have not yet solved any one of 
these problems, the results of experimental 
morphology are sufficient to indicate the 
great importance of the subject and the 
need of fuller data from a much (larger 
number of plants. If thus far the results 
of experiments have not been in all cases 
sufficient to overthrow the previous notions 
entertained touching the subjects involved, 
they at least show that there are good 
grounds for new thoughts and new inter- 
pretations, or for the amendment of the ex- 
isting theories. While there is not time for 
detailing, even briefly, another line of ex- 
periment, viz, that upon leaf arrangement, 
I might simply call attention to the impor- 
tance of the experiments conducted by 
Schumann and Weisse from the standpoint 
of Schwendener’s mechanical theory of leaf 
arrangement (’78). Weisse (94) shows 
that the validity of the so-called the- 
ory of the spiral arrangement of the 
leaves on the axis may be questioned, and 
that there are good grounds for the opening 
of the discussion again. It seems to me, 
therefore, that the final judgment upon 
either side of all these questions cannot 
now be given. It is for the purpose of 
bringing fresh to the minds of the working 
botanists the importance of the experimen- 
tal method in dealing with these problems 
of nature that this discussion is presented 
as a short contribution to the subject of ex- 
perimental morphology of plants. 
Gro. F. ATKINSON. 
CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 
SCIENCE. 
[N. 8. Von. VI. No. 145. 
PHYSIOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
Durine the Toronto meeting of the Brit- 
ish Association for the Advancement of 
Science the Section in Physiology held 
seven sessions under the presidency of Pro- 
fessor Michael Foster (Cambridge). The 
sessions were held in the Biological Build- 
ing of the University of Toronto, and forty- — 
one papers and demonstrations were pre- 
sented. The proceedings began upon 
Thursday, August 19th, with the admirable 
address of the President, which will be 
printed in a future number of Science. 
The sectional papers of that day related in 
general to the subject of motion. Professor 
H. P. Bowditch (Harvard) discussed the 
rhythm of smooth muscles. Rings from 
the frog’s stomach, when suspended, exhibit 
sooner or later spontaneous contractions, 
which continue for from forty-five minutes 
to twenty-four hours. The graphic curve 
of such contractions seems to be compound, 
being formed by the superposition of two 
waves, which represent two rhythmic con- 
tractions of different rates. Sets of con- 
tractions are also repeated rhythmically. 
Professor G. C. Huber (Michigan) gave the 
results of further researches on the inner- 
vation of motor tissues with especial refer- 
ence to nerve-endings in the sensory mus- 
cle-spindles. The main points in this 
paper are given in Scrence, Vol. V., p. 908. 
Mr. O. F. F. Grinbaum (Cambridge) dem- 
onstrated by lantern slides the muscle- 
spindles in pathological conditions. Pro- 
fessor F.§. Lee (Columbia) discussed the 
ear and the lateral line in fishes. These 
two organs are equilibrative in function, 
and the former is probably the phylogenetic 
derivative of the latter. Audition in the 
customary sense of the word is wanting in 
fishes, and first appears with the change 
from an aquatic to a land existence. Pro- 
fessor W. P. Lombard (Michigan) spoke on 
the effect of the frequency of excitations on 
the contractility of muscles. Dr. J. H. 
