SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XVIII. No. 409. 



learned societies and institutions. Every 

 sonrce of information knoAvn and available 

 in the Congressional Library was searched 

 to make this as nearly complete as possible, 

 at the same time separating (1) dead so- 

 cieties and (2) societies not publishing any 

 material of importance to investigators. 



The second stage of the work was the 

 sending of a circular letter, containing an 

 outline of the information required, to 

 academies and societies dealing with his- 

 torical and social science in Europe and 

 North America. Russia and other Slavic 

 countries, and also Austria and Hungary, 

 are being treated independently, advantage 

 being taken of a visit to Russia by Mr. A. 

 V. Babine, of the Library of Congress. 

 Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Thompson made 

 personal visits to England, Paris, Belgium, 

 Holland and Berlin for the purpose of sup- 

 plementing the information obtained by 

 correspondence. It is anticipated that Mr. 

 Thompson will also visit Italy and Switzer- 

 land. 



The third stage of the work, the reduc- 

 tion of the replies received to standard 

 form, was begun in August, and is now 

 going on in the office at Washington. It 

 is expected that this work will be brought 

 to completion in 1904. 



BOTANY. 



W. A. Cannon, New Yoi-k Botanical Gar- 

 den, N. Y. For investigation of plant 

 hybrids. $500. 



Abstract of Beport.—JJndev this grant 

 Mr. Cannon worked at the New York 

 Botanical Garden until September 1, 1903. 

 He prepared a paper on the spermato- 

 genesis of the hybrid peas and collected 

 material for the study of the sporogenesis 

 of two fern hybrids. 



H. S. CoNARD, University of Pennsylvania, 

 Philadelphia. For study of types of 

 water-lilies in European herbaria. $300. 

 Abstract of Report.— T^lne grant made to 



Mv. Conard was to enable him to examine 

 the types of water-lilies in various Euro- 

 pean herbaria for the purpose of comple- 

 ting a memoir on water-lilies which the Cai-- 

 negie Institution is about to publish. He 

 was successful in obtaining the requisite 

 data, and the memoir will soon go to press. 



Desert Botanical Laboratory (F. V. 



Coville and D. T. MacDougal, Wash- 

 ington, D. C). $8,000. 



At the meeting of the trustees in Novem- 

 ber, 1902, a comprehensive plan for the en- 

 couragement of botanical researches was 

 submitted by the advisory committee on 

 botany (see 'Year Book,' No. 1, pages 

 3-12). 



In carrying out this plan, Mr. F. V. 

 Coville, botanist of the Department of 

 Agi'iculture, Washington, and Mr. D. T. 

 MacDougal, director of the laboratories of 

 the New York Botanical Garden, were re- 

 quested to go to the arid lands of the west 

 and make such further recommendations as- 

 might seem to them best. They became 

 persuaded that the best position for the 

 laboratory, considering both natural and 

 artificial advantages, is Tucson, Arizona,, 

 and they recommended its establishment 

 there and the engagement of Dr. W. A. 

 Cannon to be resident investigator. 



A full report with respect to the organ- 

 ization of this laboratory and of the various 

 circumstances which led up to it will be 

 published in a monograph soon to be 

 printed among the publications of the Car- 

 negie Institution. 



Abstract of Report. — Messrs. Coville and 

 MacDougal were appointed a committee on. 

 the subject of a desert botanical laboratory. 



After their visit to the principal points 

 in the southwestern desert region, a labo- 

 ratory location was selected near Tucson, 

 Arizona. 



The building site, water supply, road and 

 electrical connection were presented by the 

 Chamber of Commerce of Tucson, the cash 



