66 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913 



as the National Herbarium is very deficient in material from South 

 America. Among other important additions were about 7,000 plants 

 from the West Indies, collected by Dr. J. N, Rose and assistants; 

 and nearly 3,000 specimens, chiefly from the same region, obtained 

 in exchange from the New York Botanical Garden. 



An exceptionally notable contribution was the well-known col- 

 lection of diatoms assembled by the late Prof. C. Henry Kain, of 

 Philadelphia, Pa., said to be the largest and most diversified in this 

 countiy and one of the finest in the world, which was received as a 

 gift from Mrs. Kain. 



Reference should also be made to the generous gift by Miss Eleanor 

 Lewis, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, of over 500 flower studies in water 

 color, composing all that had been kept together of the large and 

 well-known series painted by her aunt, the late Miss Adelia Gates 

 during extensive travels in this country, Europe, Palestine, and the 

 northern part of Africa. Additions to the collection have been 

 promised by several friends of IVIiss Gates, among whom a considera- 

 ble number of the paintings were distributed. 



The number of mounted plants added to the herbarium was approxi- 

 mately 111,500, of which the greater part, consisting of the grasses 

 in the two large collections, were received in that condition. The 

 number of specimens momited in regular course was about 18,000, 

 including some material in arrears, leaving at the end of the year 

 less than 5,000 specimens to be so prepared. Owing to the unusual 

 extent of the accessions and to a considerable accumulation of mate- 

 rial, the work of distributing specimens to their appropriate places in 

 the herbarium involved more than the customary amount of labor. 

 The segregating of types and of collections representing type material 

 was continued with good progress, and a large number of duplicates 

 were separated and prepared for distribution. 



Mr. Frederick V. Coville, curator of the division, continued his 

 studies on the Vacciniaceae. Mr. W. R. Maxon, assistant curator, 

 prepared two papers on tropical American ferns, identified the Panama 

 specimens of several genera of the same group, and gave some time 

 to the preparation of copy for the fern portion of the North American 

 Flora. Mr. P. C. Standley, assistant curator, determined the species 

 of certain famihes of plants in coUections from Panama and, mainly 

 in this connection, monographed several small genera of tropical 

 American forms. In collaboration with Prof. E. O. Wooton, he also 

 prepared a paper describing over 200 new species from New Mexico, 

 consisting of excerpts from the manuscript of the flora of New Mexico 

 mentioned in the last report. This manuscript was also under revi- 

 sion by Mr. Standley to adapt it for pubhcation in the Contributions 

 from the National Herbarium. Mr. E. S. Steele, in addition to his 

 editorial work, pursued his study of the genus Laciniaria. 



