1897.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 749 
Emily L. Gregory, the late honored Professor of Botany at Barnard 
College, an active worker in the club. Announcement was made of 
the gift by President Low to the Botanical Department of Columbia of 
a valuable set of water-colors to illustrate mushrooms, the work of the 
late lamented Wm. Hamilton Gibson. 
Prof. Britton made a report relative to the progress of the Botanic 
Garden. A beginning is made in planting the systematic herbaceous 
garden. Eight acres are set aside for this with the families grouped 
in beds; the intention is to get as many of each genus together as will 
grow in this climate in the open. Several hundred species are already 
in place, and quite a display is already produced by the beds of the 
Ranunculacese, Composite, Iridaceæ and Cruciferæ. Seeds of some 
8,000 different species are now germinating, including 2,240 species 
generously sent from Kew. These will be transferred to the herba- 
ceous garden as soon as ready. Meanwhile their permanent stake- 
labels are in preparation. 
The paper of the evening was by Mr. Marshall A. Howe, entitled, 
“A Preliminary Comparison of the Hepatic Flora of California with 
that of Europe and of the Eastern United States.” 
Mr. Howe alluded to the distribution of Cephalogia turneri, a rare 
hepatic of Europe, frequent in the coast ranges of California, and oc- 
curring in limited numbers in a few localities in Ireland, England, 
France and the Mediterranean region. 
Mr. Howe presented the following table exhibiting the comparative 
distribution so far as yet known. 
California. Gray Manual Reg. 
Total number of species 77 5 
In common with the British Isles......... 34 or 44 per cent. | 78 or 54 per cent. 
In central and northern Europe.......... 40 or 52 per cent. | 91 or 63 per cent. 
In Mediterranean region 45 or 584 per cent. | 78 or 54 per cent. 
Peculiar to Pacific Coast......++ s+ -sse+++e0 26 or 34 per cent. 
In common with the Gray Manual Re-| ` 
gion 37 or 48 per cent. 
Peculiar to Gray Manual Region.......+- 40 or 28 per cent. 
In common with California 32 or 22 per cent. 
It was shown that the hepatic flora of California has more in com- 
mon with northern and central Europe than with the eastern United 
States, and is still more allied to that of the Mediterranean region. In 
particular species of Astorella and Riccia are better developed in Cali- 
fornia and southern Europe than in the eastern United States. 
