Proceedings of Societies. A5 



HOW TO STUDY BOTANY. 



I wish to consult you in regard to a matter, which, I think, will 

 interest you as well as me 



I have here a large school of intelligent boys and girls, who, 

 living in all parts of the valley and adjacent foot-hills, have a very 

 fine opportunity to see and collect the vegetable and floral pro- 

 ducts of the region, which I am sure are rich and varied. 



So I huve intended for some time to interest my school in Bot- 

 any, and study the flora of the San Jacinto Valley, and collect a 

 complete herbarium illustrating the same. The pupils could each 

 day bring in the plants they find round about their homes ; we 

 could study them, classify them, preserve them, and by the end of 

 the year, could make good progress in knowledge and herberium. 



Can you tell me — 



1st. What book or books can I get that will describe the plants 

 I will find here ? 



Will Rattan's Text Book help me to determine the species in 

 this country? 



2d. What arrangement had I best use for pressing, drying and 

 preserving specimens. Tell sizes, details, particulars, &c., &c. 



There are hills, mesas, swamps, forests, canons, lakes, valleys, 

 mountains hereabout. Such a variety of conditions ought to 

 yield a richly varied botanical collection. 



Very cordially yours, 



San Jacinto, Cal., Feb. ir, 1887. Edward Hyatt. 



[The Botany of California, by Prof. Sereno Watson, in two 

 large volumes, uniform with the Geological survey, form the 

 standard authority on the flora of the Pacific coast, and cost $11 

 when ordered direct from the author, residing in Cambridge, 

 Mass. For the commoner flowering plants, Rattan's " Popular 

 Flora" will be convenient and useful. Ed.] 



PR O CEEDINGS OF SO CIE TIES. 



Ventura Society of Natural History. — December 20, 

 1886. Dr. Stephen Bowers, on the Geology of Ventura County; 

 Miss Anna Seward, on Gordii, or the horse hair snake; Miss 

 Agnes Howe, on the Natural History of the Flea. 



January 17, 1887. Rev. T. D. Murphy read a paper on the 

 Myths of Montezuma. 



San Francisco Microscopical Society. — ^January 12, 1887. 

 Mr. Howard, on Diatomaceous Material from Arizona; Dr. Stal- 

 lard. on the discovery of Bacillus Tuberculosis in milk supplied by 

 certain San Francisco dairies. 



