388 ae General Notes. [May, 
saturated, it was fastened into a cork exactly 4s the-grass blade had 
been, and a number of observations were made upon it to see 
whether it would respond to the changes in light as the grass 
leaf had. The results are given in the table below: 
: Weight of empty] Weight of tube |Increase (= wa- 
tight, AOS, tube. after 1% hour. | ter evaporated). 
ReASMRERING 25 s5 Csi. ece | 63-68 20.4437 20.4717 0.0280 
2 Se ee irsley sy le) 20.4418 20.5120 0.0602 
q pDatkness oso See on 907-74 20.4418 20.4450 0.0032 
4 sho Sado peace 109 20.4430 20.4480 0,0050 
5 SOs ee aray wine | 61-97 20.4425 20.4439 0.0014 
6 Seo NN ie iia Wiese ak | gg-120 20.4422 20.4471 0.0049 
Here we had, without doubt, a purely physical action, and yet 
the evaporation was about ten times as great in light as in dark- 
ness. Now, light itself could not have been the cause of this 
increased evaporation in this case, and it is a just inference that it 
was no more the cause in the previous experiments upon the 
leaf—C. E. Bessey. 
Tue Frora or ARKANSAS.—From the geological formations, 
varied surface features and central geographical position of Ar- 
kansas, one would expect to find a flora rich in genera and 
species. 
The State embraces Silurian, Sub-carboniferous, Cretaceous, 
Tertiary and Quaternary formations. The surface comprises 
mountains, uplands, prairies, alluvial bottoms and swamps. 
Geographically it is so situated as to invite the floras of the 
States on the north-east, south and west, and also has a flora of 
These important elements, favoring plant occurrence and distr- 
bution, combine to make the botany of Arkansas interesting, an 
the species numerous and varied. A few instances will serve t0 
show the richness of the flora of Arkansas as compared with 
that of Iowa, which lies on the same side of the Mississipp! 
river, but some degrees further north. 
There are 34 species of the order Rosacea in Iowa, while the 
order is represented in Arkansas by 35 species. There are 208 
species of Composite in Arkansas and only 156 in Iowa; ! 
species of the genus Quercus in Arkansas, only 10 in Iowa; 110 
species of grasses in Arkansas, only go in Iowa. The genus 
Carya is represented in Arkansas by all the 8 species found 1n 
the United States, while only 4 are recorded from Iowa. ; 
The flora of Arkansas is represented by all the orders found in 
Iowa and in addition by Magnoliacez, Droseracee, Calycantha- 
cez, Melastomacez, Loasacez, Passifloracez, Hamamelaceds 
Aquifoliaceee, Styracee, Loranthacez, Saururacee, Ceratophy!- 
lace, Myricacee, Palma, Hemodoracez and Bromeliacee. 
~ 
