676 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 516. 



was found wliich belongs to neither of these 

 latter. Anciently each group had at least one 

 winter town, but scattered among many camps 

 in spring and summer. All law was based on 

 the principle of ' retaliation,' and they be- 

 lieved in a multiplicity of spirits who com- 

 municated with men through numerous sha- 

 mans. The Tlingit and Haida languages are 

 similar in form and are probably genetically 

 related. 



Hon. Ainsworth R. Spofiord, of the Library 

 of Congress, who has recently paid a visit to 

 Spain, read a paper entitled ' The Spanish 

 Eace of To-day.' It was replete with his- 

 toric data, and references to scenery, language 

 and manners and habits of the natives. The 

 characteristics of the people were shown to 

 be politeness, observance of etiquette, and so- 

 briety. The climate varies from cold in the 

 north to heat in the south. This has marked 

 influence upon the people, those of the north 

 being austere, while those from the south are 

 lively and pleasure-loving. Though illiteracy 

 is common, the natives are shrewd; agricul- 

 ture is neglected, lotteries are fostered by the 

 state, and begging is a national trait. The 

 mule is the beast of burden, there being 1,500,- 

 000 of them to 400,000 horses. 



J. D. McGuiEE, 

 Acting Secretary. 



THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 



The club met at the New York Botanical 

 Garden, October 26, 1904. The meeting was 

 called to order at the usual hour. Dr. D. T. 

 MacDougal occupying the chair. 



The first paper on the scientific program 

 was by Dr. N. L. Britton on ' Notes on the 

 Flora of the Bahamas.' The speaker, in con- 

 tinuation of previous explorations, which *ere 

 reported in Torreya for July, recently spent 

 five weeks in the Bahamas, principally on the 

 Island of New Providence. 



About 950 native and naturalized species 

 have been reported from the Bahama Islands, 

 an unexpectedly small number, in part ac- 

 counted for by the fact that most of the land 

 does not reach an elevation of more than 25 

 feet, although on one of the outer islands a 

 height of 400 feet is recorded. 



The flora is remarkable in the very unequal 

 distribution of species, some being recorded 

 from only one key. It is related to that of 

 northern Cuba, extreme southern Florida, and 

 in a lesser degree to that of Haiti. While 

 the collections have as yet received only pre- 

 liminary study, it is probable that ten or 

 twelve new species will be founded on forms 

 formerly thought to be identical with Cuban 

 or other West Indian species. 



The speaker gave a brief review of the flora, 

 noting among other facts the presence of but 

 five Gymnosperms — a Pinios, three Zamias 

 and a Juniperus. The lower Monocotyledones 

 are but poorly represented. 



Of the grasses about fifty species were col- 

 lected; these have not been studied, but it 

 was noted that they show characteristic forms 

 in each of the plant associations of the island. 

 One of the most interesting is the climbing 

 bamboo, Arthrostylidium capillifolium Griseb., 

 whose light green color gives a characteristic 

 tinge to the coppices. Seventeen species of 

 sedges, none new, are to be added to the pub- 

 lished flora of the islands. The palms are 

 abundant and interesting, five species being 

 reported. There were eight or ten species of 

 bromeliads, about twenty-five orchids, and 

 four or five figs reported. Among the Nyc- 

 taginaeese there are two trees heretofore re- 

 ferred to Pisonia but evidently not properly 

 referable to that genus. 



It was noted that most of the trees of the 

 islands do not reach as great a height as they 

 do in the Florida 'hammocks.' A water-lily, 

 in habit resembling a small Nelunibo, and 

 heretofore referred to Castalia ampla is of 

 special interest. The coastal thickets fur- 

 nished a beautiful species of, Parthenocissus 

 with scarlet pedicels. Among the abundant 

 types were many Malvace^, Celastracese, 

 Euphorbiacese, herbaceous Papilionacese and 

 shrubby and arborescent Mimosacese. Numer- 

 ous photographs and specimens were exhibited. 



The second paper was by Dr. Marshall A. 

 Howe, who spoke on ' The Algae of some Euro- 

 pean Herbaria.' This was a general account 

 of a trip undertaken during the past summer 

 for the purpose of seeing and studying the 

 historical types of American marine algae pre- 



