64 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1022, 



to substitute, in part, mounting by means of glue, and during the 

 last five and one-half months a laboratory helper has been employed 

 in gluing plants. Altogether 26,000 specimens have been completely 

 mounted and await distribution in the herbarium; this will be ac- 

 complished during the present summer if the collections can be 

 spread sufficiently to accommodate this new material. There are on 

 hand at the present time about 12,000 specimens which have been 

 glued but not made ready for the herbarium by strapping. In order 

 that good progress may be made in mounting the accumulation of 

 nearly 50,000 specimens on hand at the present time, special help 

 will be required. The services of a laboratory helper for a part of 

 the next year have been provided for, and a clerk also should be em- 

 ployed in cataloguing this material in order that it may be made 

 available without undue delay. In preparing material for incor- 

 poration in the herbarium very great care is being taken to elimi- 

 nate all specimens which will not be genuinely useful. The segre- 

 gation of type and duplicate type specimens from the general her- 

 barium has been continued incidentally during the year, and a total 

 of 10,693 specimens has now been distinctively labeled, catalogued, 

 and placed in individual covers, forming the so-called type her- 

 barium. As a preventive measure, the type herbarium has been 

 fumigated several times during the year, and the general herbarium 

 also has been fumigated. The present condition of the herbarium is 

 in general as satisfactory as may be expected considering its crowded 

 condition and the fact that the numerous routine duties of the small 

 staff prevent critical and very desirable work of revision which 

 would otherwise be possible. As in previous years, it has been im- 

 possible with our small staff to add to the cryptogamic herbarium 

 material received during the past year and for several years past. 

 Material in these groups is pocketed and made ready for the her- 

 barium as promptly as possible following its receipt and is held 

 ready for incorporation in the herbarium at such time as the services 

 of one or more specialists may be available for this purpose. An 

 assistant curator in charge of the cryptogamic herbarium, or at least 

 an aid, is greatly needed. 



RESEARCHES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MUSEUM. 



The staff through its scientific activities has produced the usual 

 amount of research work on the material intrusted to its care. These 

 activities will be briefly enumerated below, the enumeration follow- 

 ing the order adopted in last year's report. 



Gerrit S. Miller, jr., has been able to devote a considerable amount 

 of time to studies of the cetacea. Three papers are now nearly ready 

 to go to press, one dealing with the whale from Florida presented 

 to the Museum by the Miami Aquarium Association, another on the 



