
914 The American Naturalist. [October, 
classed as of contemporaneous age with the undoubted glacial deposits 
at Hendon, Finchley, and on the slopes of the Brent valley. Mr. © 
Hicks is therefore satisfied that man lived in the neighborhood of the 
Thames valley in the early part of the Glacial period, probably in pre- 
Glacial times. (Geol. Mag., July, 1891.) 
BOTANY. 
Botany at the Washington Meetings.—From the 12th until 
the 29th of August there were almost constant sessions of scientific 
men in Washington at which botanical papers were presented, In the 
first place, the Association of the American Agricultural Colleges and 
Experiment Stations held a four days’ convention, and during the 
opening session there was a report from the chairman of the botanical 
section of the work done at the various stations by the botanist thus 
employed. It was evident from this report that while systematic 
botany, making of collections, and the field study of various plants 
were important features, the main one in several states is the study 
of the fungous enemies of cultivated crops. In the meetings of the sec- 
tion of botany much time was spent in a consideration of the question 
of an exhibition to be made by the stations at Chicago in 1893. The 
work in botany will be divided, and those workers best able to exhibit 
fungi of the cereals will have them in charge, while others take the 
fruits, etc. Professor Tracy, of Mississippi, is chairman of the Botan- 
ical Committee of the Columbian Exhibition. 
Professor Atkinson presented a paper upon the cotton fungi, and 
exhibited several oil paintings of diseased leaves showing the rust, blight 
“ frenching,’’ etc. The question of the importance of common names 
for fungi came up, and was discussed, with the conclusion that finely 
illustrated bulletins are the best way to overcome the difficulty. Pro- 
r Alwood presented two papers, one upon an apple-leaf blight 
which is very destructive in Virginia, and the results of his successful 
crossing of wheats. Many specimens of the latter were shown, and a 
lengthy discussion followed. A bacterial disease of the cabbage was 
reported upon by Professor Garman, while Professor Crandall exhib- 
ited a quantity of Rocky Mountain June berries, and spoke of them 
as one of the coming fruits for Colorado. Professor Brewer exhibited 
some hybrid butternuts, and Professor Halsted presented a paper upon 
the germination of spores of species of fungi. 
During the sessions of the College and Station Association, Mr. R. _ 
Worthington, F.C.S., of Rothamsted, England, decan six lectures? — 



