Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 51.djvu/816

Tropical conditions are presented at the center; desert, arctic, and aquatic conditions are arranged for at other parts. Experiments are to be conducted to determine the effect of varying conditions upon organs. One of the principal subjects hitherto pursued in the field has been the determination of effects of varying environment. This field study is fundamental to, and directly suggests, the experimental work to be followed in the greenhouse. The building is supplied with an elevator which runs to the greenhouse, so that material may be taken down with a minimum of trouble to any floor where it is needed for laboratory work or class-room illustration. The upper floor of the laboratory is devoted to plant physiology. The professor has a suite of three private rooms—one his own office, one a herbarium and library, and one a laboratory. Similar suites of rooms are at the disposal of each of the teaching force. The largest laboratory on this floor is for general elementary work upon individual life processes. Smaller laboratory and research rooms for special and advanced students are numerous throughout the building. Everywhere the work tables are set near windows, and each is supplied independently with gas and water. The chemical laboratory, also on the upper floor, is admirably arranged. On the third floor the study of cryptogamic botany is pursued. The forms are studied (a) morphologically, (b) taxonomically. The space is divided between two instructors, one devoting himself to algæ and fungi, the other to mosses and ferns. Each of these teachers has the usual suite of rooms, while there are six absolutely independent private research rooms. The second floor is occupied by Dr. Coulter himself. Here is the seed-plant herbarium. There are three large rooms for herbarium or taxonomic work, also the library and reading room, club meeting room, and laboratory for advanced work upon seed plants. Upon the ground floor are two large laboratories crowded with students at elementary work. Their purposes are (a) elementary morphology, (b) ecology. In the present unsettled condition of the building those parts actually in use are overcrowded. One hundred and five students are daily at work in the various laboratories and research rooms. The Botanical Herbarium represents almost the whole collection work of Dr. Coulter. It contains all his monographic material and the type specimens of his Western flora. It was stocked up by Dr. Gray for the work on the Rocky Mountain flora, and is notably full and rich. The library presents two features of importance in research work: (1) remarkable richness in complete series of periodical and serial publications; (2) unusual fullness in the line of old taxonomic works. Most of these came to the university in the Calvary purchase. In the early days of the university it purchased a gigantic stock of books from a well-known