N. Y. ; C. K. Dodge, Port Huron, Mich. For Secretary— -Will R. 

 Maxon, New York City; George L. Parmele, Hartford, Conn. 

 For Treasurer — James A. Graves, Susquehanna, Pa. ; Miss E. H. 

 Thompson, Litchfield, Conn. 



Balloting begins October ist, and ends November ist. Only 

 active members may vote. President Waters has appointed Miss 

 Margaret Slosson, Pittsford, Vt., as judge of elections, and to her 

 all votes should be sent, preferably by postal card. The naming 

 of the candidates above will not prevent members from voting for 

 other active members if desired. 



THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CHAPTER. 



HAT a body of students interested in a single branch of 



science could continue to exist for six years without a 



meeting, speaks well for the enthusiasm of its members. 

 This same enthusiasm took twenty members of the Linnsean 

 Fern Chapter to Boston on Wednesday, August 24th, to the first 

 meeting the Chapter has ever held. The meeting was successful 

 beyond the most sanguine hopes of its promoters. The papers 

 were listened to by an audience of nearly a hundred fern students, 

 many of whom had come long distances especially for this meet- 

 ing. So far as could be learned, the members of the Chapter at- 

 tending were: Messrs. Bates, Davenport, Eaton, Gilbert, Davis, 

 Grout, Fletcher, Kingman, Floyd, Barry and Clute, Mrs. Stevens, 

 Mrs. Rich, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Coffin, and Misses Hutchinson, Lin- 

 coln, Howarth, E. A. Noyes, and Zirngiebel. 



The meeting was announced to be held in Horticultural Hall 

 from 9:00 a. xM. to 2:00 p. m. , but some time before the hour set 

 students began to arrive. People who had corresponded for years 

 here met for the first time, and so busy were all in getting ac- 

 quainted that it was with some difficulty that the program for the 

 day was begun. 



At about 10:30 a. m. Secretary Eaton called the meeting to 

 order and in the absence of the president, Willard N. Clute was 

 elected chairman. To the cordial address of welcome from Mr. 

 Geo. E. Davenport, Rev. James A. Bates made a happy reply in 

 behalf of the Chapter, and the papers for the day were then taken 

 up. The first, on "Hybridity in Ferns," was presented by Mr. 

 Geo. E. Davenport, who discussed the possibility of fern hybrids. 

 His paper was prefaced by some remarks on the variation in the 



