170 



"The Hempstead Plains: A Natural Eastern Prairie," by Mr. 

 Norman Taylor; July 12, "Swamps: Ancient and Modern," 

 by Dr. Arthur Hollick; July 19, "The Flora and Scenery of the 

 Southern Rocky Mountains," by Dr. P. A. Rydberg; July 26, 

 "Water Gardens," by Mr. G. V. Nash. The lectures, which 

 occupy an hour, will be illustrated by lantern slides and otherwise. 

 Doors closed at 4:00 P.M. 



We learn from the daily press of the death of George W. Letter- 

 man, near St. Louis, on May 28. The "Times'' writes in part 

 of his life thus: "George W. Letterman, aged 72, a recluse and 

 botanist, died in poverty and attended only by a negro neighbor 

 in his little cabin at Allenton, thirty miles west of St. Louis, last 

 night. Mr. Letterman had lived in Allenton for thirty years. 

 For twenty years he was a teacher in the public school there. 

 He was a bachelor. Throughout his long stay in Allenton the 

 botanist lived alone in his one-room cabin, spending most of his 

 time in the woods in search of rare plants and trees. Many dis- 

 tinguished American and European scientists made pilgrimages 

 to his cabin and went on excursions with him through his beloved 

 woods along the Meramec. Many rare plants which he dis- 

 covered were named after him. . . . Harvard professorships 

 tw^ice were offered to Mr. Letterman, but he waived them aside as 

 temptations, preferring the woods to halls of learning." Some of 

 the genera containing species named for him are Vernonia, Poa, 

 Stipa, and Crataegus. It does not appear that he ever published 

 anything. 



Mr. Maurice Picard, A.M. (Columbia, 191 1), has been ap- 

 pointed assistant professor of botany in Middlebury College. 



Mr. H. E. Vasey has been appointed field assistant in agri- 

 cultural botany at the University of Nebraska. Hestor M. Rusk, 

 A.B. (Columbia), has been appointed instructor in agricultural 

 botany at the same institution. 



The American Phytogeographic Excursion, under the direction 

 of Professor H. C. Cowles, has announced the final plans for 

 the trip during August and September. The party will leave 

 New York on July 30, stopping at Niagara Falls en route to 

 Chicago, where eight days will be spent. Lincoln, Nebraska, 



