O. MISCELLANEOUS. 593 



series of experiments, the board came decidedly to the con- 

 clusion that the present Springfield gun, of all those exam- 

 ined by them, is really the best adapted to the military serv- 

 ice, and they accordingly recommend that this be adopted. 



The Elliot breech-loading carbine is recommended for 

 mountain service ; and of the several calibres of barrels 

 brought forward, that of 0.45 of an inch was preferred as 

 having more advantages than any other. This was accord- 

 ingly proposed to the Secretary of War, and approved by 

 him. It was also advised that the barrels of the muskets 

 and carbines be browned. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENTAL CENTENNIAL BOARD. 



The President some time ago directed the heads of the 

 several departments of the government, at Washington, to 

 name for approval an officer whose duty it should be to take 

 charge of every thing connected witn the exhibition of ar- 

 ticles on the part of the government at the Philadelphia 

 Centennial, and this having been done, the composition of 

 the board has been announced as consisting of Hon. R. W. 

 Tayler, First Comptroller of the Treasury, on the part of 

 the Treasury Department ; Colonel S. C. Lyford, for the War 

 Department; Admiral Thornton A. Jenkins, for the Navy; 

 General John Eaton, Jr., for the Interior; Dr. Charles T. 

 M'Donald, for the Post-office Department; William Saun- 

 ders, for the Department of Agriculture ; and Professor S. 

 F. Baird, for the Smithsonian Institution. This board, of 

 which Colonel Lyford has been named as chairman, will 

 probably be intrusted with every thing relating to the ex- 

 hibition of books, maps and charts, photographs, models of 

 machinery, of military and naval implements, animal, vege- 

 table, and mineral products, and all other objects illustrating 

 the operations and work of the government. 



ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM IN 1874. 



According to the report of Dr.Vasey, curator of the Her- 

 barium of the Agricultural Department, made to the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture, the most important additions to the 

 collections of that department in 1874 consisted of a large 

 series of plants brought in by the expeditions of Lieutenant 

 Wheeler and Professor Hayden, and transmitted to it by the 



