828 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 282. 



light acting on the plate during exposure and 

 during development, as a result of which a 

 greatly over-exposed plate may be developed 

 into a positive instead of a negative, by allow- 

 ing access of a limited quantity of light during 

 development, while a plate which has been 

 very briefly exposed may in the same manner 

 be developed into a positive by a proportionate 

 increase in the light allowed to fall on it during 

 development, — a neutral or zero point, in which 

 the plate is completely fogged, being passed in 

 each instance. 



Mr. Gr. Pauls exhibited a number of beautiful 

 caterpillars, the larvte of Eupliydryas phaeton, 

 which does not appear to have been hitherto 

 recorded as occurring in Missouri, although 

 Scudder reports it from adjoining states. The 

 food plant on which these were found was a 

 species of Oerardia. 



Dr. H. von Schrenk exhibited a burl on a 

 branch of Mississippi scrub pine, caused by a 

 rust fungus, Peridermium cerebmm, which was 

 in excellent fruit. 



Four persons were elected active members of 

 the Academy. William Trelease, 



Recording Secretary. 



TOEEEY BOTANICAL CLUB. 



At the meeting on April 10th, the paper of 

 the evening was by Professor F. E. Lloyd, 

 ' Studies in the genus Lycopodium.'' Professor 

 Lloyd discussed the distinguishing characters 

 of the North American species, with reference 

 to habit, sporangial leaves and their arrange- 

 ment, leaf-sections and other modifications. 

 Two new species were recognized in this review 

 of the genus. One group of species is remark- 

 able for greater variation here than in Europe, 

 producing five species here and one there ; in- 

 cluding here L. inimdatum, L. alopecur aides, etc. 

 The type-specimen of L. pinnatum of this group 

 was exhibited. These species develop strong, 

 starchy thickening of the growing end of the 

 stem, toward the close of the season, serving as 

 basis of growth the next spring. Professor 

 Lloyd also restored the long-forgotten species 

 L. Sitchense, which has five rows of leaves, but 

 has been confused with the 4rowed species L. 

 sabinaefolium. 



Dr. Underwood followed, remarking on the 



general distribution of Lycopodium, about 94 

 species, or perhaps, properly, about 120 ; of 

 which 12 are North American ; perhaps 21 are 

 peculiar to the Andes, and with them grow 

 many others, which extend into Mexico or 

 Guiana ; about 8 are peculiar to Madagascar, 

 4 to India, etc.; mostly in mountain regions. 

 L. cernuum probably encircles the world in the 

 tropics. The local distribution along Atlantic 

 America is peculiar ; L. alopecuroidea, reported 

 from New England, cannot be traced by acces- 

 sible specimens north of Long Island. The 

 sprawling and arching habit of this species, 

 with spongy interior and caterpillar-like or fox- 

 tail like exterior gives it a very peculiar effect. 

 Dr. Underwood also described his discoveries 

 of L. porophilum, in Kentucky, Wisconsin, Ala- 

 bama, etc. 



The Secretary raised the question of the dis- 

 tribution of L. annotinum. This species is pre- 

 sent in the Adirondacks, Catskills and Palisades, 

 and forms compact areas in the Pocono ; but 

 has been searched for westward in New York 

 without success. 



Dr. Britton spoke of the interest attaching to 

 L. porophilum as growing on sandstone rocks. 

 Plants on sandstone rocks which have been at- 

 tributed to L. Selago should be re-examined 

 with this in mind. Still another form on the 

 sandstones of the Shawangunk also deserves 

 further investigation. Miss Sanial reported col- 

 lecting 5 species in or close to New York City. 



Miscellaneous notes followed. Dr. Under- 

 wood reported word just received from a club 

 member working in Jamaica who has already 

 collected 200 species. 



Dr. Britton referred to a Japanese Witch- 

 hazel flowering April 1st at the Botanical 

 Garden, Hamamelis arborea, with thorny, 

 pinkish yellow flowers with dark central eye 

 formed by the claret-colored calyx. It has 

 been cultivated at Kew since 1875. 



Dr. MacDougal reported a large number of 

 pictures and documents relating to Dr. John 

 Torrey which are accumulating preparatory to 

 the proposed Torrey Day at the A. A. A. S. meet- 

 ing, with letters to Torrey from Engelmann, 

 Herbert Spencer, etc. 



Edward S. Burgess, 



Secretary. 



