1897,] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 473 
The paper was discussed by Dr. Jelliffe and by Dr. Britton, especially 
with regard to the sudden escape of CO, after wounding, Dr. Richards 
considering it to be due largely to contents of intercellular spaces, but 
partly to solution within the cells; potatoes contain a very considerable 
amount of enclosed CO,, a quart of it being obtained from a pound of 
potatoes. Dr. Richards distinguished carefully the coincident but inde- 
pendent escape of a slight amount of CO, always aires off, even in pure 
hydrogen ; to be called “ intermolecular respiration.” 
The next paper was a contribution read by title, from Dr. Alexander 
Zahlbriickner of Vienna, a corresponding member of the club, entitled, 
“ Revisio Lobeliacearum Boliviensium hucusque cognitarum.” The 
paper, which is in Latin, enumerates all the species, giving synonymy 
and references to the literature, and cites collectors and their numbers. 
There are 39 species, as follows: 9 in Centropogon, 2 new; 20 in Sipho- 
eampylos, T new; 1 in Laurentia; 2 in Rhizocephalum ; 3 in Hypsela; 
4 in Lobelia. The paper will be printed in the Bulletin. 
Tuesday evening, March 9, 1897.—The ev ening was devoted to ferns 
with papers as follows: 
1. Mrs. Elizabeth G. Britton, “ Notes on some Mexican Ferns;” 
presented in Mrs. Britton’s absence by Dr. Rusby, with exhibition of 
numerous specimens, including species of Pellzea, Polypodium, Cysto- 
pteris and Cheilanthes. Dr. Rusby, having been himself present at 
their collection, described vividly the tongue of hard, black lava on 
which the collectors walked, and which was filled with large cavities 
often forming caves, containing some accumulation of soil and crowded 
with a luxuriant growth of ferns although in November and practically 
the winter season. 
2. Mr. Willard N. Clute, “The New York Stations for Scolopandr- 
ium.” Mr. Clute contrasted the wide distribution of the Hart’s tongue 
fern in the old world, from the Azores to Japan, with the extremely 
local North American occurrence, in five areas only, Mexico, Tennessee, 
‘Central New York, Owen Sound in Ontario, and New Brunswick. 
The Central New York locality was made known early in the present 
century through John Williamson, and was visited by Pursh in July, 
1807, who found it five miles west of Syracuse on the farm of J. Ged- 
des, where it has recently been rediscovered. About 1827, Wm. Cooper 
discovered it at Chittenango Falls where Mr. Clute found hundreds of 
plants growing last summer. Mr. Clute described the Chittenango 
ravine and its ferns. On sunny exposures of the limestone walls of the 
ravine grow rue spleenwort and purple cliff-brake in quanities ; in shady 
places, the slender cliff-brake; on the talus, upon the larger bowlders, 
