42 



altitude of the tree.* A simple measurement of this horizontal, by 



pacing the distance, or by otiier means, thus gives the height of the tree. 



Fig. I, front view of the instrument. Fig. 2, vertical section of 



the same, side view. 



Ames, Iowa. 



C. E. Bessey. 



35. The Herbaria and Botanical Libraries of the United States^ V. 



Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia. — The Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, was 

 founded March 21st, 1812, by a few citizens " interested in the study 

 of the works and laws of the Creator." From the outset, the depart- 

 ment of Botany received a due share of attention, and the first con- 

 tribution to the Academy's Herbarium consisted of a collection of 

 plants made in the environs of Paris and presented by Nicholas S. 

 Parmentier, and still in excellent preservation. 



During the years which followed, this little nucleus received con- 

 stant accretions From the working botanists of the day, and the names 

 of Collins, Elliott, Pursh, Baldwin, Leconte, Conrad, Nuttall, Torrey 



and Pickering are noted upon many of the early tickets of the Her- 

 barium. 



In 1834, the Academy received the bequest of the collections made 

 by Rev. Lewis David Schweinitz during a period of forty years. Most 

 of the North American species were collected by himself, but many 

 came from Dr. Torrey, Major Leconte, Rev. Mr. Dencke, and other 

 correspondents. The F^uropean species were contributed by 

 Bentham, Brongniart, Schwaegrichen, Steudel .and Zeyher. The 

 Siberian plants were furnished by Ledebour, and those of India by 

 Wallich and Steinhauer. Many Chinese species were collected by 



Weld 



J 



WilH 



from South America were rich collections made by Von Martius, 

 Huffel, Hering and Baldwin. But perhaps the most valuable portion 

 of the bequest consisted of the extensive series of the lower cryp- 

 togams, of which Schweinitz had made a special study. 



Other valuable contributions followed the bequest of Schweinitz, 

 among which maybe specified the Poiteau collection of St. Domingo 

 plants; Chilian plants from Dr. Styles and Dr. Ruschenberger; Nut- 

 tail's collections made in his expeditions to Arkansas, Oregon and 

 the Sandwich Islands; Menke's herbarium of 7,000 species of Euro- 

 pean plants derived from Thunberg, Sprengel, Bernhardi, Trevi- 

 ranus, Mertens, etc.; the Ashmead collection of marine algae; 

 Lesquereux's collection of over 700 species of algae, authenticated by 



the best algologists of the age, and a large collection of cryptogams 

 from Ravenel. 



More recent additions are the herbaria of the late Thomas G. 

 Lea, of Cincinnati, and of Dr. Joseph Carson, late Professor of 

 Materia Medica in the University of Pennsylvania; a large collection 

 from Southern Europe and from'india, made by the late John Stuart 



. * The letter x, omitted by the en-ravirr, is supposed to be at the point of inter- 

 section of the lines a^ b and c. 



