24 



Dr. C. B. Robinson, whose appointment as economic botanist 

 of the Bureau of Science of the Government of the Philippine 

 Islands was noted in Torreya for October, left New York Janu- 

 ary 21 on his westward journey to the Orient. He plans to sail 

 from San Francisco January 30 on the Mongolia for Yokohama 

 and Hong Kong. 



Dr. Marshall A. Howe and Mr. Percy Wilson, of the staff of 

 the New York Botanical Garden, returned on January 5 from a 

 collecting cruise of about six weeks duration among the eastern 

 and southeastern islands of the Bahamian group. Visits were 

 made to Watling Island, Atwood (Samana) Cay, Mariguana, the 

 Caicos Islands, Little Inagua, and Great Ragged Island. 



The American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 held its fifty-eighth meeting at the University of Chicago, December 

 30, 1907, to January 4, 1908. The sessions of Section G (bot- 

 any) were presided over by Professor Charles E. Bessey. The 

 subject of the address of the retiring chairman, Dr. D. T. Mac- 

 Dougal, before Section G, was "Heredity and Environic Forces." 

 Professor Herbert M. Richards was elected chairman of the Sec- 

 tion (and vice-president of the Association) for the next meet- 

 ing, and Dr. Henry C. Cowles was elected secretary of the Sec- 

 tion for a term of five years. 



The fourteenth annual meeting of the Botanical Society of 

 America was held at the University of Chicago, December 31, 

 1907, to January 3, 1908, under the presidency of Professor 

 George F. Atkinson. The program included an interesting sym- 

 posium on "Aspects of the Species Question," the taxonomic 

 aspect being discussed by C. E. Bessey and N. L. Britton, the 

 physiologic by J. C. Arthur and D. T. MacDougal, and the 

 ecologic by F. E. Clements and H. C. Cowles. In addition, 

 twenty-six papers, giving the results of a wide range of botanical 

 research were presented. The retiring president. Professor F. S. 

 Earle was absent, and his announced address on " Botanical Prob- 

 lems and Opportunities " was not read. Officers were elected as 

 follows : Professor William F. Ganong, president ; Mr. C. L. 

 Shear, vice-president ; Professor D. S. Johnson, secretary ; Dr. 

 Arthur HoUick, treasurer. 



