47 



plants can usually be distinguished, though the dividing lines are 

 often not sharply drawn. These are, first, the swamp or marsh 

 plants that are only partly submerged. Second, those that root 

 in the bottom but with floating leaves. Third, those that are 

 attached to the bottom but live wholly submerged and fourth, 

 those that are free, either floating or submerged. The last group 

 includes the vegetable part of the plankton. 



The study of aquatic plants has been much neglected. The 

 waters of tropical regions in particular afford almost a new field 

 for exploration and study. 



The paper was discussed by Dr. Howe, Dr. Barnhart and 

 various other members. F. S. Earle, 



Secretary. 

 NEWS ITEMS 



We learn from Science that Professor Bruce Fink, of the Upper 

 Iowa University, has accepted the chair of botany at Iowa Col- 

 lege and will assume his new duties in September. 



Mr. J. Burtt Davy, recently of the University of California, has 

 been appointed state agrostologist and botanist of the Transvaal. 

 He sailed for South Africa from New York on March 10, going 

 by way of England. 



Mr. A. A. Heller, who returned a few weeks ago from his 

 third botanical expedition to Porto Rico, has now gone to Cali- 

 fornia. Pacific Grove, Monterey County, will be the base for his 

 collecting operations for a time. 



Dr. and Mrs. N. L. Britton, of the New York Botanical Gar- 

 den, and Mr. J. A. Shafer, custodian of the herbarium of the 

 Carnegie Museum at Pittsburg, left New York on March 5 for 

 Havana. They plan to devote a few weeks to botanical collect- 

 ing in Cuba. 



Professor F. S. Earle, of the New York Botanical Garden, and 

 Mr. E. W. D. Holway, of Decorah, Iowa, sailed from New York 

 on February 26, for Santiago, Cuba, where they were expecting 

 to meet Professor Underwood, who has been for some weeks in 

 Jamaica. The party intends to spend several weeks in making 

 collections and field studies in eastern Cuba. 



