1881.] Botany. 135 
tongue as he believes. But the species I noted have curved nec- 
taries, which it would probably try the patience of a busy bee to 
course, even if the tongue were long enough. Moreover if my 
observations are worth any thing, Aquilegias hereabouts are 
cross-fertilized by pollen-hunting insects. It may be that honey 
bearers cross-fertilize them sometimes, for one man cannot see 
everything ; but I have never seen a case. If this be the fact, as 
I believe it to be, the arrangement of the nectarium in the case is 
superfluous.— Zhomas Mechan. 
THe Epriror of this department has in preparation for the 
NATURALIST a sketch of the Progress of Botany in the United 
States in the year 1880, and solicits copies of papers and other 
publications made during the year, together with such other 
information as will make the account as full and accurate as 
possible. 
BoranicaL Nores.—A good many years ago DeBary suggested 
the animal nature of the slime moulds (Myxomycetes), and was 
very severely criticised for doing so, the naturalists of that da 
feeling bound to maintain the old dogma of the absolute distinct- 
ness of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Now, however, any 
one at all familiar with the Monera and the slime moulds cannot 
fail to see the remarkable similarity between the organisms which, 
on the one hand, are called animals, and on the other, plants. 
This has led W. Saville Kent, in his recently published work on 
“Infusoria,” to take strong ground in favor of regarding them 
as animals. M. C. Cooke, in Grevillea for December, rather im- 
patiently takes the learned author to task for his boldness. After 
all, what is the use of quarreling over a matter like this? The 
position of the slime moulds in the great kingdom of life, is the 
same whether we draw our imaginary bisecting line on this or 
that side of them. The temper of the discussion of the fore- 
going question is much like that which (on one side at least), 
characterizes the articles on the several theories as to the nature 
of Lichens. A good illustration of this occurs in the same num- 
ber of Grevillea, in a. letter from Dr. Minks, the propounder of 
the new doctrine of the intra-hyphal origin of the gonidia of 
lichens. Dr. Minks attempts to set right Mr. Phillips’ somewhat 
defective translation of the former’s paper on Microgonidia in 
Revue Mycologique, and, it must be confessed, scarcely betters the 
matter. At some future time a summary of Dr. Minks’ doctrine 
will be given in these pages. Charles B. Plowright, in Grevillea, 
describes the method of spore diffusion in a species of morel 
(Morchella gigas). Specimens gathered and laid upon boards in 
a room, were observed in the slanting rays of the setting sun to 
be surrounded by a cloud three or four inches deep on all sides. 
This proved to be due to the myriads of ascospores which were 
elastically escaping from the asci. In the December Your- 
nal of Botany, there appears an interesting account of George 
