The British Association at Winnipeg. 369 
In the afternoon Mr. Harold Wager gave the semi-popular 
lecture on “ The Perception of Light in Plants.” Mr. Wager’s 
views on this subject are well known, as they have been recently 
published. It will therefore suffice to say that he suggests, as an 
alternative to Haberlandt’s theory, that the chlorophyll grains of 
foliage leaves are the organs which perceive the direction of the 
incident rays of light. The lecture attracted a large audience, and 
was illustrated by a number of exceedingly beautiful lantern slides. 
Monday, August 30th, was devoted to a joint discussion on 
“ Wheat,” by the chemical, botanical and agricultural sections. 
The first paper read formed the only botanical contribution to the 
discussion. This was by Dr. Otto Stapf, on “The History of the 
Wheats.” There are some ten principal races of wheat known to 
agriculturists. These are usually grouped into the “wheats proper” 
and the “ spelt wheats.” The former possess tough spindles, grains 
loose in the husk, and thick pericarps: the latter, brittle spindles, 
grains tightly enclosed, and thin pericarps. These are important 
practical differences, and at first sight are apparently also of 
considerable taxonomic importance. But Dr. Stapf shows that in 
each case the three characters behave functionally as one, and can 
therefore be disregarded in attacking the problem of phylogeny. 
In fact, the author concludes that the practical division into 
“ spelts ” and “ proper ” wheats, does not in any way represent true 
affinities. He is of opinion that all the modern varieties of wheat 
may be traced back to some four (or possibly only three) primitive 
wild forms. All these had their home in a comparatively restricted 
area, which included South-eastern Europe, Asia Minor, Syria, &c. 
Papers were also read by a number of English and Canadian 
chemists and agriculturists. Amongst the subjects discussed were 
the following:— the factors determining the yield of wheat: the 
influence of environment on the composition of the grain : the 
strength of wheat: wheat breeding, &c. 
V o' V h' V 
The interest was well sustained to the last, and on Tuesday 
morning, August 31st, a number of papers were read, dealing chiefly 
with mycological and cytological questions. 
The first paper was by Professor A. H. R. Buller (of Winnipeg), 
on the “ Spores of the Hymenomycetes.” The author described a 
number of interesting features connected with spore dispersal. 
Amongst the points touched upon were the number of spores 
