12 



is given under each species and the references are given in an 

 unusually clear way. The diagnosis of each species in Latin is 

 long enough to give a good description and short enough so as 

 not to be cumbersome. The general notes in German are full of 

 valuable information, and presented in a concise and clear way. 

 Even the American species are treated in a way very unlike the 

 unsatisfactory one in which Europeans usually monograph Ameri- 

 can plants. If this monograph is compared with that of Oeno- 

 thera by Leveille, its superiority in quality is quite evident. 



After I had glanced over the 106 pages of the text and studied 

 what was of most interest to me, especially all that related to 

 American botany, I turned to the preface and here awaited me 

 the greatest surprise. The author is a woman. On the title page 

 the author's name is given as J. Witasek without any title what- 

 ever, and in the text the personal element is as it ought to be so 

 eliminated that there is no indication of the gentler sex. Only 

 the first line of the preface contains the word " Verfasserin," fol- 

 lowed by a few " sie " and "ihre." Not that I believe a woman 

 incapable of a good piece of work, far from it ; but in Europe 

 there are but few women that receive a university education and 

 besides their education is generally very unlike that of men. 

 Therefore, the monograph indeed is a credit to both the author 

 and her sex, as well as to the university where the work was 

 done. P. A. Rydberg. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE CLUB 



Tuesday, November 11, 1902 



The meeting was held at the College of Pharmacy ; thirteen 

 persons present ; Dr. Rusby in the chair. 



The scientific program of the evening consisted of a paper by 

 Dr. L. M. Underwood on "The Gold and Silver Ferns." Dr. 

 Underwood said that characters based upon position and form of 

 sori and indusia have perhaps been emphasized too much in 

 classification ; in some species the indusium may be developed 

 or may be wanting on the same plant. There is now a tendency 

 to return to the recognition of the fibro-vascular system as an 



