Miscellaneous Intelligence. 513 



Third, seeds from a graft are better than those from the same 

 plant ungrafted. Besides the immediate advantage which results 

 from this, it may be possible for us in this way to regenerate and 

 preserve varieties. 



Fourth, herbaceous plants which are blanched cannot be 

 grafted. 



Fifth, from seeds produced from grafts new varieties can be 

 created. g. l. g. 



3. Inflorescence in Descriptive Botany. By M. F. Hy. (Revue 

 gen. de Botanique, 15 Oct. 1894). — The author has introduced 

 new terms descriptive of the multifarious forms of compound 

 flower clusters. The terminology itself does not appear to possess 

 any marked advantage over that which has been employed in 

 more recent German treatises, but in the projections in a dia- 

 gramatic form some curious relations are brought out which 

 render the communication of considerable value. 



The relations of inflorescence to the environment and to sys- 

 tematic affinities are not sufficiently dealt with. g. l. g. 



4. Researches on the Structure and affinities of Terebinthaceae. 

 By M. Jadin. .(Annales des sciences naturelles, xix, I, 1894). — 

 The following conclusions are reached : The stem in this Order 

 is always characterized by canals of secretion developed in the 

 liber. These canals are protected by enveloping fibers. This 

 character is so marked that it should be taken as the most impor- 

 tant character of the family. Second, there are no characters drawn 

 from the anatomy of the stem by which the genera can be identi- 

 fied. Nevertheless in certain cases, such characters really aid 

 when they are added to those of gross anatomy. 



Third, the character drawn from the presence or absence of 

 canals in the pith cannot always be taken as an important charac- 

 ter. It however serves for certain cases. 



Fourth, It does not appear that climate has any important influ- 

 ence on the development of the secreting canals in the pith. The 

 following genera are excluded: Ganophyllum, Bl. Filiciiim, 

 Thw. Cory?iocarpus, F. Faiveusea Welw. Juliania, Schlecht. 

 All of these are excluded on account of anatomical peculiarities. 



G. L. G. 



IV. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. National Academy of Sciences. — The following is a list of 

 the papers presented at the meeting of the National Academy 

 held in New Haven, Oct. 30-Nov. 1: 



William A. Rogers: An indirect experimental determination of the energy 

 of obscure heat; Determination of the errors of the circles of an electrotype 

 copy of Tycho Brahe's altitude azimuth instrument now in possession of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



Hubert A. Newton: The Winnebago County, Iowa, meteorites, and the 

 meteor. 



George W. Hill : Literal expression for the motion of the moon's perigee. 



