November 18, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



719 



perous condition of the herbaceous garden, now 

 with over 2,700 species, a mass of bloom during 

 the season. One day in July the visitors to the 

 grounds numbered 4,000. Interesting questions 

 of specific identity are being confirmed by cul- 

 tivation at the Garden, as in the case of Poten- 

 tilla pumila. 



Dr. Britton also announced the forthcoming 

 scientific expedition to Porto Rico, Mr. A. A. 

 Heller going as botanist under the auspices of 

 the New York Botanic Garden, through the 

 liberality of Mr. Cornelius Vauderbilt. 



Dr. Underwood reported botanical work in 

 the forests of Thuringia, and examination of 

 fern types at Berlin. He referred to the excel- 

 lent preservation of the plants of Willdenow at 

 Berlin, and to the strength of the Berlin Her- 

 barium, enriched by the work of Prantl, the 

 collections of Mettenius, Miiximilian-Kuhnand 

 the Hawaiian herbarium of Hildebrand. Dr. 

 Underwood described the new botanic garden 

 laid out by Professor Engler, near Berlin, ex- 

 hibiting modern ideas of geographic distribu- 

 tion. 



Dr. Rusby reported a summer spent largely 

 in procuring material for the study of drugs in 

 powdered condition. Drugs now come chiefly 

 to the pharmacist powdered, and adulterants 

 are less easily recognized. 



It was reported that Professor Henry Krae- 

 mer, formerly of this Club, had devised a key for 

 powdered drugs. Dr. Rusby's search for gen- 

 uine Apocynum cannabinum, with broad, thick 

 leaves, woolly beneath, has proved disappoint- 

 ing; A. album, with recurving habit, replacing 

 it in the region about New York City. 



Mr. A. A. Heller spoke of his experience in 

 the Olympic Mountains, where the continuous 

 rains interfered with collections. Ferns grew 

 in great profusion and often five feet high, but 

 of few species. The Salmonberry varied from 

 yellow to deep red and was often an inch in 

 diameter on bushes ten feet high. Oxalis Ore- 

 gana made a fine display, as also several species 

 of Vaccinium, V. parvifolium with red and V. 

 ovalifolium with blue berries. An introduced 

 blackberry, Rubus laciniatus, is now well estab- 

 lished there, blooming from July to Christmas, 

 and known as the Evergreen Blackerry . Spiraea 

 Menziesii grew by the streams, with its rose- 



colored spike a foot and a-half high. Lilium 

 Columbianum appeared in the meadows. There 

 were not many representatives of any family, 

 only about 20 composites out of 250 plants col- 

 lected, of grasses 35. Later, Mr. Heller col- 

 lected in August and September, in Texas and 

 Arkansas, with marked success. 



Professor Lloyd reported a summer spent in 

 studj' in the laboratory of Professor Goebel, at 

 Munich, and commented upon the botanic gar- 

 den there, which, although of but few acres, 

 is exceedingly well arranged for educational 

 purposes. 



Mr. M. A. Howe reported work on the Hepat- 

 icse, and his discovery, on a hemlock stump 

 in the New York Botanic Garden, of genuine 

 Cephalozia connivens for the first time in the 

 United States, the plant distributed by Austin 

 under that name proving distinct. 



Mr. Clute reported work on the sand barren 

 flora of eastern Long Island. Among his col- 

 lections were Dryopteris simidala, only once 

 before recorded from New York State ; Kneiffia 

 AUeni, new to North America ; Pogonia verti- 

 cillata, in quantity near Southampton ; Kalmia 

 latifolia, within twenty-five feet of the sea-level; 

 PotentUla pumila and P. Canadensis growing to- 

 gether without mixing. 



Discussion regarding violets followed. Pro- 

 fessor Britton exhibited some fresh flowers of 

 Viola cucullata, borne on peduncles normally 

 cleistogene, and with some of the flowers transi- 

 tional in character. President Brown spoke of 

 similar flowering in V. sagittata. Dr. Britton 

 and the Secretary reported their collecting 

 cleistogenes of V. Atlantica this season for the 

 first time. Mr. Clute described his study of 

 the cleistogenes in V. cucullata, V. ovata, V. 

 rostrala and V. Canadensis. They are devel- 

 oped during the heat of summer. Cool tem- 

 perature seems needed to secure free flowering 

 in Viola, as also seen in the greenhouse cultiva- 

 tion of pansies. Mrs. Britton called attention 

 to the continuous summer blooming of V. tri- 

 color in the cooler climate of the Adirondacks 

 and of the Alps. Mrs. Britton also reported 

 the collection, at Lake Placid, of Viola arenaria 

 for the first time in New York State. 



Edward S. Burgess, 



Secretary, 



