998 x General Notes. [October, : 
into consideration the question of English names for the fungi 
the diseases produced by them. The committee is composed . 
of J. C. Arthur of Geneva, N. Y., Wm. G. Farlow, Cambridge, 
Mass., and Wm. Trelease of St. Louis, Mo., who are to act in 
conjunction with F. L. Scribner of Washington, D 
A committee was also appointed to take into consideration the 
relations of the botanists of the country to the National Her- 
barium at Washington. This committee, consisting of John M. 
Coulter of Crawfordsville, Ind., and Wm. J. Beal of Lansing, 
Mich., reported in favor of ae: that the herbarium prepare a 
catalogue of its specimens and books so that the botanists may 
know what is to be found in it for consultation, and also in order 
that desiderata may be known to those who are able to supply 
them, 
Professor Beal read a few notes upon laboratory methods. 
Pera was followed by Mipciision and a general interchange of 
ote 
Pestetehe Halsted exhibited specimens of a wild grape from 
Iowa completely covered with Peronospora viticola, Near these 
specimens were many vines whose leaves were free from the par- 
asite but whose berries were badly affected. 
D. H. Campbell exhibited an organism from the Detroit river 
which he thought to be an alga. Other members doubted its 
vegetable nature. It was referred for further examination and 
stud 
Professor Coulter presented a list, with comments, of the plants . 
collected by the Greeley expedition. 
Professor Barnes described the peculiar dehiscence of the fruit 
of Campanula americana, in which a peculiar little flap opens 
and lets the seeds out when the weather is dry, but closes when 
it is wet. 
Professor Lazenby presented an additional list of plants new to 
the Ohio flora 
During the session in the botanical laboratory the whole time 
was given to the discussion of laboratory methods, and examina- 
tion of various microscopes and of ts laboratory books on the 
shelves in the room. 
Professor Burrill called attention to the grape disease due to 
Sphaceloma ampelina D.By. Specimens were exhibited and 
passed around among the members of the club. 
= Mrs. Wolcott described an abnormal form of Campanula which 
had suddenly appeared in her garden, which provoked a discus- 
_ sion on weed seeds, in which it was suggested that many weeds 
survive in fields and meadows by the yearly pain of depauperate 
plants which, though small, produce perfect see 
Professor Barnes showed that the iron given in most books 
; stomata of Marchantia polymorpha are erroneous in not 
