1880.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 419 



order (which has been performed by Messrs. Meehan and Biirk), 

 has been slow, but is now completed. 



From Di-. Gray, of Cambridge, important contributions have 

 been received. Dr. Garber has presented a collection of 100 

 species collected by himself recently in Porto Rico, while some 

 'i.'SO species of Mexican plants, collected b}' Drs; Parr}- and Palmer, 

 have been added. 



In the department of the Lower Cryptogams the additions have 

 been of a nearly complete series of the Mosses and Hepaticae of 

 X. America, collected and named by the late lamented Austin, and 

 presented by the liberalit}^ of members of the Section, and of 200 

 species of N. American Fungi, collected, determined and pre- 

 pared by J. B. Ellis, and presented l)y Mr. Martindale. 



The total number of species contributed during the year is 

 estimated at 3100, a very large proportion of them being new to 

 the Herbarium. 



Some progress has been made in the mounting of the Noi'th 

 American Herbarium, the orders from Polemoniacea? to Scrophu- 

 lariacej^} inclusive having been completed. Mr. Scriliner has con- 

 tinued his work upon the determination and the mounting of the 

 Grasses, though interrupted by long and serious illness. Those 

 familiar with Herbarium work can appreciate the amount of labor 

 yet required to sift the material now upon our shelves, to deter- 

 mine the doubtful species and to mount the whole.* Volunteer 

 labor is hardh' adequate to take care of the new accessions, and, 

 until some endowment shall secure to the Academy the constant 

 work of a competent botanist, the completion of the task must 

 remain for the future. 



Much inconvenience has been heretofore experienced from the 

 want of a proper place to receive and display such seed-vessels 

 and vegetable products as were too large to place in the herbarium 

 sheets. Such objects have necessarily been placed in the gallery 

 of the Museum, too distant from the botanical working-room to 

 be readily consulted. The liberalitj' of a member of the Acad- 

 emy, whose aid has often supplemented its needs and sustained 

 the hands of its workers, has removed this difficulty, and we have 

 now in the botanical room a most convenient and capacious work- 

 ing table, containing sixty-four large drawers for the reception of 

 seed-vessels, pine-cones, wood-sections, etc. 



The Conservator must acknowledge, as heretofore, tlie efficient 



