155 



The minutes of the meetings of March 29 and April ii were 

 read and approved. 



The first number on the announced scientific program was a 

 paper on "Fern Collecting in Cuba," by Mrs. N. L. Britton. 

 This paper is published in full in the American Fern Journal, 

 Vol. I, p. 75. 



The next number was a discussion of "Fern Venation," by 

 Miss Margaret Slossen. A more complete discussion of the subject 

 by Miss Slossen may be found in her book "How Ferns Grow." 



The meeting then adjourned to the Fern House of the Xew 



York Botanical Garden under the guidance of Mrs. N. L. Britton 



for a further study of ferns. 



B. O. Dodge, Secretary. 



REVIEWS 



Hunter's Essentials of Biology and Sharpe's Laboratory Manual In Biology 



Essentials of Biology* is the title of a new and fuller book 

 by George William Hunter, designed also apparently to fit the 

 New York City syllabus. It is accompanied by Richard W. 

 Sharpe's Laboratory Manual in Biology. f 



Hunter's volume is a great improvement over his earlier book 

 in content, illustration, and correlation of the three subjects, 

 botany, zoology and physiology. The problem idea which runs 

 throughout is a good one, but all the subject matter does not 

 lead itselfyreadily to this arrangement (e. g., the patent medicine 

 discussion). Fertilization is not really explained by the text 

 (p. 36) and alternation of generations as treated under mosses 

 can mean nothing until after the following chapter on ferns has 

 been completed. There are also a few misleading statements, 

 such as the storing of proteids for future use (p. 345), the implied 

 "osmosis of starch" (p. 106, p. 356) and that plants absorb only 

 useful substances (p. 32). These graded reference lists are helpful, 

 and the varied illustrations add much to the value of the book. 



* Hunter, George William. Essentials of Biology Presented in Problems. Pp. 

 448. American Book Company. 191 1. 



t Sharpe, Richard W. A Laboratory Manual for the Solution of Problems in 

 Biology. Pp. 352. American Book Company. 1911. 



