
Votes and News. 59 
botanists. Our trips during the last few months have added thou- 
sands of insects, shells, plant specimens and a host of other 
objects to our private museum, which will furnish subjects for 
numerous contributions to science as soon as they can be placed 
in the hands of specialists for study. Our correspondents must 
pardon any seeming neglect on our part, as we are away much 
of the time. The condition of our post-office and its management 
furnishes us with -a still further excuse frequently, ana corres- 
pondents should write again if they fail of a reasonably prompt 
reply. 
The mineralogical notes in this issue are selected from several 
papers received from George F. Kunz, to whom we are indebted 
for many favors and who keeps us posted on mineralogical news. 
The San Francisco Microscopical Society, again shows signs of 
activity. We have missed their interesting reports for some 
time, 
WOLTES- AND NEWS. 
There were only two sun spots during November and Decem- 
ber, 1888, this being the year of sun spot minimum. 
Rev. J. G. Wood, F. L.S., the well-known naturalist, and 
author of popular works on natural history, died early in the year. 
Of the territory of Africa, England has the controlling influence 
over 1,000,030square miles; Germany, 740,000; France, 700,000. 
Bee ee. Curran, M. )., recently visited San: Diego, col- 
lecting numerous plants for the herbarium of the California 
Academy of Sciences. 
W. G. Wright has returned from his trip into Mexico. 
T. S. Brandegee has made an extended botanical exploration 
in Lower California, in company with Walter Bryant, the ornith- 
ologist, and others. 
S. B. Parish is trying to raise certain classes of plants at his 
home from seed, to study the constancy of some of their char- 
acteristics. 
Dr. C. C. Parry devoted some time this spring tothe plants of 
Santa Barbara. 
Papaver Californica has been observed abundant in San Diego 
county by the editor, and also by Mrs. Curran. 
No trace of staminodia could be detected in fresh flowers of 
Hookera Orcutti, Greene, numerous specimens of which were 
lately carefully examined by the editor. The segments of the 
perianth are tipped with royal purple; the tube is white. 
A large and life-like engraving of Prof. W. O. Atwater em- 
bellishes the American Agriculturist for March. Prof. Atwater 
is one of the most prominent agricultural scientists of the times. 
His articles on science applied to farming, in the American Agri- 
