The Secretar\- read the proposition regarding the election of 

 delegates and representati\es to \arious societies, which had 

 been discussed at the pre\ioiis meeting and recommended as an 

 article of the Constitution. He also proposed that the second 

 regular meeting in March he held at the Brooklyn Botanic 

 Garden, which was so \oted h\' the (lul). 



The scientific part of the program consisted of a talk by 

 Professor O. P. Medsger entitled " [experiences of a Field 

 Botanist." Professor Medsger spoke of his earl\- life on a 

 Penns\hania farm, where he became interested in the identifi- 

 cation of plant species. The self-gi\en training in logic, l:)otani- 

 cal terminolog>' and nomenclature he receixed through the con- 

 stant use of Gra\'s Manual was in\aluable. He soon became 

 particularh- interested in the seeds of the \arious species, and 

 now has a collection of 2000 species put up in small \ials. It 

 was through detection of differences in the seeds that he was 

 able to distinguish a new species of Cassia which he sent to 

 Dr. J. N. Rose. Dr. Rose suggested the name C. Medsgeri for 

 the new species. Professor Medsger urged a more careful study 

 of the seeds of our native plants. B}- the seed characters just as 

 well as by the fioral parts, one should be able to recognize 

 each species. Being in poor health for a time, he was ad\"ised 

 to "rough it" in the \\'est, and so assisted Dr. H. M. Hall in 

 his work on the Botanical Survey of the San Jacinto Mountains. 

 Apropos of collections made at that time, he exhibited cones of 

 the two species of Pseudotsuga, and of Finns ponderosa and 

 Jeffreyi. Finns ponderosa and Jeffreyi are similar, but the latter 

 has a darker bark, and larger cones. Cones of the nut pines and 

 also one of Finns Coulteri, the last weighing three pounds, were 

 shown. 



Lantern slides were shown of various plants which the 

 speaker had photographed. The value of a cloudy or rainy day, 

 when, by a long exposure, the pubescence of plant parts can be 

 clearly brought out, was demonstrated. Grasses in flower show 

 to better advantage against a dark background. Other slides, 

 such as the large and small yellow lady's slippers, and the rare 

 ram's head lady's slipper were also projected. 



Arthur H.^Graves 



Secretary. 



61 



