Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/116

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96 BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. attained by the substitution of Asteracea for Composite. An alpha- betical arrangement is adopted, and separate lists are given of the donations to the Museum and those to the Herbarium. Among the former we note '* Cinchona Pombiana (R. Thorns. MS.)," and among the latter " Cinchona Pombiana, Enriques, MS." On referring to the Pharmaceutical Journal (3rd s. xxii. 876), where the bark is described, it would appear that this name is rather intended to apply to a cultivated form than to represent a species : it stands as ** 4. Pombiana under the heading "Valuable Cin- chona Barks from New Granada." As the list was published before the end of 1895, the matter is one which is commended to those who are preparing the Supplement to Mr. Jackson's Index — apropos of which we may note the curious entry in the list of new books given in the Spectator for Jan. 11th — *' Hooker (J. D.) and Another — Index Kewejisis." Mr. Jackson will be inclined to exclaim —

    • Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores."

The portrait of Mr. Carruthers which has been painted by Mr. P. A. Hay for the Linnean Society is now in the Society's rooms. The formal presentation will be made by Sir W. H. Flower, on behalf of the subscribers, at the Society's meeting on Feb. 6th. Nearly three thousand drawings of British Fungi by Mr. Edwin Wheeler, of Clifton, have been generously presented to the Depart- ment of Botany, British Museum, by Messrs. Edwin and Henry Wheeler. The drawings are not only of a high degree of artistic merit, but are faithful botanical studies of this difficult group, and of especial value as accurate records of colour characters. It is intended to make a special exhibition of a selection of them in the gallery of the Department. Another gift to the Botanical Department of great value and interest is a splendid series of specimens of giant Pacific Lami- narians from Mr. W. E. Shaw, of Leland Stanford University, California. Full-grown complete specimens of such genera as Nereocystis, Egregia, Macrocystis, &c., have been seen by few of our phycologists, and it is hoped that before long they will be on public view. Mr. G. F. Scott Elliot's account of his travels, entitled A Naturalist in Mid- Africa, will be published immediately ; and Dr. Gregory's book — The Great Rift Valley — will probably be issued this month. London for Jan. 23rd publishes an interview with the Director of Kew Gardens on the London University question; Mr. Dyer considers we have been all wrong," and advocates, as others have done, the establishment of a great teaching university in London. The same journal contains an account of the introduction of "girl gardeners" at Kew. "The Director could not engage them as regular gardeners, but as 'boys.'" Being called boys, they dress accordingly : " one condition laid down was that they should wear trousers, and they cheerfully complied," as "new women" might be expected to do. All this seems rather funny.