- BOTANY. 167 .- 
excite enthusiasm among all educators and lecturers. Mr. Marcy 
seems to have done the best that can be accomplished with coal 
oil as a source of light; and he constructs a very powerful lamp 
for this purpose, with this especial merit in its plan, that it has no 
chimney to be broken otherwise to annoy the operator. Besides 
the description and figures of the Sciopticon, the manual contains 
very full direction for experimenting, photographing and otherwise 
preparing slides, etc. One chapter is contributed by Prof. Henry 
Morton, the most successful American demonstrator ‘and experi- 
menter with the lantern.— E. C. B. 
BOTANY. 
Tne Horse Disease. — Referring to the communication in the 
February number (pp. 120-123), as Mr. Morehouse found that 
many of the organisms he represents were present in the air of 
the stable, he should now, when the disease has passed, as soon as 
possible expose similar glass slides to the same conditions, — so 
as to ascertain whether these organisms are not still there. Upon 
the result of this the whole importance of the observations 
depends. 
While the pen is in hand, we beg to dissent from the idea that 
lichens are parasitic and haye no chlorophyl (p. 67) ; and no less 
from the statement that the “ plants are very few” which require 
the aid of insects to secure fertilization, and which attract them 
by their bright colors; and that most flowers could accomplish 
their destined purpose just as well were they clad in the drab of 
the veriest Quaker (p. 70). The young people whe read “How 
lants Behave” will know better. — 
Tar Creracrous Frora or Norra GREENLAND. — Among the 
interesting collections which the Swedish polar expedition of 1870 
brought to Europe was a fine suite of fossil plants, collected at the 
desire of Dr. O. Heer, in Zürich, who in his “Flora Fossilis Arc- 
tica” proved that certain black sales at Kome, north of the penin- 
sula Noursoak, belonged to the Cretaceous series. This is now 
conclusively proved. The specimens brought from Kome are forty- 
three in number, among which Dr. Heer recognizes Filices, Rhi- 
zocarpeæ, Equisetacee, Cycadee, Coniferæ, Monocotyledones, and 
Dicotyledones. The Ferns are very numerous, Gleichenia being 
-~ peculiarly abundant. The Cycadee and Conifere are also repre- 
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