56 



B. P. Bishop Museum for conduction studies of ethnology and 

 natural history in the little-known parts of southeastern Poly- 

 nesia. The chief purpose of the expedition is to record data re- 

 garding native races, flora and land fauna, which are disappear- 

 ing at a surprisingly rapid rate. Incidental observations on ge- 

 ology, marine zoology and general oceanography will also be 

 made. The scientific staff includes Dr. Peter H. Buck, Kenneth 

 P. Emory and J. Frank Stimson, ethnologists; Professor Harold 

 St. John and Raymond Fosberg, botanists; Dr. C. Montague 

 Cooke, Jr., and Donald Anderson, malacologists, and E. C. 

 Zimmerman, field entomologist. Dr. C. Montague Cooke, Jr., 

 has been appointed leader of the expedition. 



The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has just completed the 

 Laboratory Plaza with the placing of a commerative plaque on 

 one of the concrete posts at the entrance. A bronze armillary 

 sphere has also been installed in the center of the area. This is 

 mounted on a pedestal of black granite and is composed of circu- 

 lar bands of bronze representing the principal celestial circles 

 and the ecliptic of the earth's orbit. A metal rod extending from 

 the south to the north pole casts a shadow so that the sphere 

 serves as a sun dial. A bronze band on the pedestal bears the 

 motto: 



Serene I stand amyddst ye flowres 



To tell ye passing of ye howres. 



Mrs. Elizabeth Gertrude Britton (Mrs. Nathaniel Lord Brit- 

 ton) died at her home in New York on the twenty-fifth of Feb- 

 ruary. Mrs. Britton had been a member of the Torrey Botanical 

 Club for over fifty-four years, during which time she did much 

 to direct the policies and activities of the club. She was a lead- 

 ing authority on American mosses and one of the organizers of 

 the Wild Flower Preservation Society of America. For many 

 years she was secretary and treasurer of the Wild Flower Pre- 

 servation Society and did much to stimulate the ideals of con- 

 servation. Her influence will continue to be felt both in the club 

 and among lovers of wild flowers for years to come. 



