256 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
pore —— — the upper part of the plantlet frees itself and 
n independent existence. A paper on ‘ Scottish 
sou Stoikiovs ” by W. and G. 8. West, was read for the 
authors by Dr. F. E. Fritsch. “Little has hitherto been done to 
put on nal the phytoplankton * the freshwaters of these islands. 
Borge, in 1897, published a list of Mull plankton, and Dr. Fritsch 
as quite scanty issued a ceatinbudty report on that of the Thames. 
The present paper deals with [carers material from lochs in dif- 
ferent parts of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides. The Scottish 
plankton is found to differ considerably from that of the western 
part of continental Europe ; it is remarkably rich in Desmids, which 
striking, but Tistemes are wap sicastentet A ames feature 
is that both Diatoms and Desmids display long spines or processes ; 
this excessive development is ascribed by the authors to the 
assumption of a cenals free-swimming habit. Dr. Fritsch added 
his opinion that the assumed scarcity of Protococcoidew was due to 
the small percentage of organic material present. A paper by 
L. Lewton-Brain, ‘On the Anatomy of the Leaves of British 
Grasses,’’ was read in abstract. The author alluded to the work on 
this point by Duval-Jouve, Guntz, Schwendener, Pée-Laby, and 
Raunkier. The present paper is the result of testing the meg 
tion of leaf-structure devised wy Prof. Marshall Ward. Four m 
types are recognized :--(1) Leaves in which the upper surfac 
flat or nearly so; (2) the upper surface marked by distinct eens 
very high ribs ; (3) the upper surface marked by very distinct and 
high ribs; and (4) the upper surface reduced to a mere fold in an 
almost solid leaf. Observations are recorded on the epidermis, vas- 
cular bundles, bundle-sheaths, mechanical tissues, ana chlorophyll- 
containing tissue. Then follow descriptions of the grasses ex- 
amined, classified according to the char Saas presented, as note 
above, and the paper closes with a consideration of the structure as 
influenced by environment. 
We have received a circular signed by ving Ascherson, 
Engler, Schumann, and other botanists associated with the Berlin 
Botanical Museum as the Committee, of a new hiatal os ciety. 
The § ociety is to consist of those interested in Systematic ‘Botany 
and a Geography. A yearly subscription of 8 marks is sug- 
sre ga ae would give the right of taking part in the meetings 
and o ving the ‘ Pacsasiines, ” The latter will te opie 
in alba 8 Fabry and separate copies will be sent to members 
of the Society. As places of meeting will be cbettad university 
towns of Central Europe or towns which contain large botanical 
ms, and give opportunity for interesting botanical excur- 
sions. Special stress will be laid at the m eotings — detonstration 
and the i of recent i Sema otan by 
photographs. The first meeting will «carey > ae lin "from 
September 17 to 20, when the next meeting-place decided 
upon. Prof, K. Schumann will be glad to 
will be 
pconenieg: mamnen st 5. 
- Vo 
