156 
Journal of the Mitchell Society 
[. December 
America were so successful in arranging their sessions as to avoid 
any conflict of programs, but it was found necessary to segregate 
the papers on fungi into a separate program. This withdrawal of 
the fungologists into sessions of their own marks another step in 
the process of specialization that characterizes the advance of all 
our sciences. The economic importance of the fungi in producing 
diseases of plants and animals has naturally attracted much atten- 
tion to them, and papers on their structure and habits are becom- 
ing more numerous with each succeeding year. 
Attractive as the newer fields of botanical research undoubtedly 
are, they have not led to a decline of interest in the subjects of 
morphology and classification. Such papers as Chrysler ’s “On 
the nature of the fertile spike in the Ophioglossaceae” which 
throw new light on relationships, and as Shattuck’s on the 
“Origin of Heterospory in Marsilea”, a good piece of work on 
experimental morphology, never fail to attract attention. 
During the last few years the most notable development in our 
knowledge of morphology has been along the line of vascular 
anatomy. In the words of Prof. John M. Coulter “Phylogenetic 
vascular anatomy was developed at an auspicious time, for phyl- 
ogeny based upon reproductive structures was beginning to waver. 
Wider research had begun to dissipate rigid categories into mists, 
and especially had expermental morphology begun to play havoc. 
The whole situation has been steadied, at least momentarily, by 
the recent development of vascular anatomy, including as it does 
the enormously important ancient history of the vascular groups.” 
Prof. J. C. Bose, a hindoo, who was here on a commission 
from the government of India, gave an address on the little known 
subject of “Electrical response in plants” that attracted much 
attention . 
From the program it was obvious that the study of ecology* is 
gaining ground. A symposium on the subject was held by the 
Botanical Society of America in which papers were given by 
^Students of Dr. W. K. Brooks will remember how much he disliked that 
word, claiming that it was not needed, its meaning being entirely covered 
by the word “biology”. 
