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P R 1^] F A C K . 



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During the last decade the National Museum has acquired hirge 

 collectiun.s of Mexican and Central American plants. These collec- 

 tions are rich in new material but evidently they are not sufficiently 

 comprehensive to Avarrant undertaking tlie publication of a general 



flora of any one of these countries without further exploration. In 

 order, however, to make i^ublic the scientific results of preliminary 

 studies of the collections a sci'ies of papers has been carried on in 

 the Contributions from the National Herbarium under the title, 

 " Studies of Mexican and Central American Plants," by Dr. J. N. 



Kose, associate curator. It is now proi)osed to begin a similar series 

 under the title, '' Studies of Tropical American Ferns," by ^Mr. Wil- 



curator. Although at present 



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Ham K. Maxon, assistant 

 deal larirelv with ^Mexican and Central American collections, it will 

 include also descriptions of new and noteworthy "West Indian species. 

 South American forms will be considered also, as circumstances may 



requir 





FeEDKRICK V, COVILLE, 



Curator of the United States National Ilerhariiim 



III 



