42 



in a few days, in mid- and late winter. Within wide limits the 

 response is not dependent on the intensity of illumination, under 

 the conditions observed. Other results of the artificial illumi- 

 nation were lengthening of the internodes, shortening of the 

 leaves, reduced branching, etiloation, and a general spindling 

 habit in the plants. Very few of the eggs developed into mature 

 oospores. The experiments indicate also that temperature is a 

 factor of secondary importance in determining the production 

 and functional activity of the sexual organs. 



In the discussion which followed, Mr. Karling said that the 

 age of the plants had nothing whatever to do with the produc- 

 tion of sexual organs, young and old alike responding to the 

 artificial illumination. 



Arthur A. Graves, 



Secretary. 



Meeting of December 9, 1924. 



The meeting of this date was held at the American Museum 

 of Natural History. The program of the evening consisted of 

 an illustrated lecture by Dr. Ephraim Ha Reubeni entitled, 

 "New light on the flora of the Old and New Testaments." Dr. 

 Ha Reubeni said that the translators and expositors of the 

 Bible talk of plants which do not grow at all in places where they 

 are assumed to grow, such as the Urtica, by which they usually 

 translate the Harul of Proverbs XXIV, 31. Urtica does not 

 grow in the open fields as is claimed for the Harul of this verse. 

 No lily, as such, which might be referred to in "the lily of the 

 fields," grows in Palestine. 



Also many flowers highly characteristic of Palestine and con- 

 spicuously mentioned in the Bible, have not been recognized by 

 biblical scholars. Examples are the Kimosh which is in reality 

 the Ammi {Ammi Visnaga and Ammi majiis). The Sinni of 

 the Old Testament is Pcieniim spinosum, found generally in the 

 mountain country. Zizyphus spina Chrtsti is the biblical Atad. 

 Bata of Isaiah V, 6, is translated as " waste place." As a matter 

 of fact, Bata is the name of Vitex Agnus castus famed of old for 

 therapeutic qualities and found today growing by the side of 

 brooks. 



There are plants not mentioned as such in the Bible, but their 

 names have been preserved in the names of persons or places, 



