116 



to the herbarium these vakiable specimens — apparently representing 

 the forms evolutum and affine as described by Angstrom, and quoted 

 by Milde in his " Botrychiorum Monographia '* 



Dav. Herb., Oct., 1880. 



Geo. E. Davenport. 



92. The Herbaria and Botanical Libraries of the United States, 



III. — The Herbarim Olneyanuum of Brown University, — The 

 herbarium of the late Col. Stephen T. Ohiey of Providence, R. I., 

 was left by his will to Brown University, on condition that it be 

 placed in a fire-proof building. It is probably known to the readers " " 

 of the Bulletin that Col. Olney was an invalid and incapacitated for 

 business during the last years of his life. At that time the herbarium, 

 which had been stored by the owner in Butler Exchange, was trans- 

 ferred by the trustees to the fire-proof library building of Brown 

 University, the only edifice possessed by the college which would 

 fulfil the requirements. The present writer was requested to 

 examine and arrange the collections, which he did in connection with 

 Mr. James L. Bennett of this city. He is greatly indebted to this 

 gentleman for valuable suggestions and assistance which his natural 

 neatness of method and mature experience rendered easily possible. 

 He it was who arranged the Carices, (which were Col. Olney's spe- 

 cialty), together with the lower Cryptogams, many of which he had 

 himself collected. 



_ We found this elegant herbarium, one hardly surpassed by any 

 private collection in America, badly injured by insects. The first 

 work, then, was to poison what could be saved. It is not an exag- 

 geration to say that one-third of the Phanerogams had suffered. In 

 places a whole genus would be riddled by the Anthrenus. It was a 

 sad sight ; for the specimens had been prime, were superbly mounted, 

 and many of them impossible to replace. Col. Olney was so neat in 

 his methodsthat he disliked to see a blemish on any paper ; hence his 

 very sense of order was perhaps a means of loss. Every plant had to 

 be thoroughly poisoned! Now that the college has come into pos- 

 session, it will be necessary to throw out mutilated specimens and 

 replace them by others. Mr. Bennett and the present writer stand 

 ready to fill the vacancies from their own herbariums. 

 _. _ The collection is a fine one in every way. In Rhode Island plants 

 It is only equalled by that of Mr. Bennett. It is very rich in South- 

 ern and Western plants of Hale, Chapman, Curtis, Ravenel, Fendler, 

 -Farry, Thurber and many other well known collectors. There is a 

 fine set of Wright's Cuban plants, of Robin's Potamo^etons, of Sulli- 

 vant s and Austin's Mosses, etc., etc. Indeed, the owner spared no 

 expense (and he was a wealthy man) to build up his herbarium In 

 the genus Carex it must long remain unique and classic There is 

 much raw material and many duplicates in Carex. As Col. OIney's 

 correspondence shows him to have been in debt as regards 

 exchanges, the writer, who now has charge of the herbarium >vould 

 be pleased to communicate with such botanists as have not received 

 returns. He will then, acting under the direction of the college au- 

 thorities, endeavor to discharge all such obhgations. Col Olney be 



