(3o) 



c. The Microscopic Exhibit.* This unique exhibit, both 

 conceived and presented by Mr. William E. Dodge, has been 

 temporarily installed in the hall of the west wing, and at 

 present consists of twenty-four microscopes of special design 

 mounted, by pairs, on twelve specially built oak stands. As 

 this collection occupies a hall otherwise containing only 

 cryptogams, it was decided to restrict the objects shown by 

 the microscopes to specimens selected from the plants below 

 the spermatophytes ; thus the microscopic exhibit enables the 

 visitor to see the minute structure of the principal groups of 

 the lower plants, from the myxomycetes or slime-moulds to 

 the ferns inclusive. Each microscope is accompanied by an 

 explanatory label referring to the object shown by the instru- 

 ment. 



4. Labelling. The printing press and outfit added to our 

 equipment last winter has been of great service. The print- 

 ing of labels has continued nearly throughout the year and 

 the specimens of each exhibit, or some of them, have been fur- 

 nished with labels giving the data that each one calls for. 



Labelling a museum in this way, i.e., by printing each 

 label from loose type, is necessarily a relatively slow process, 

 but it is the only satisfactory way to secure an instructive label, 

 and to say the least, it is the only way to maintain a present- 

 able exhibit. To partially overcome the conditions resulting 

 from this way of labelling, especially in order to make the 

 museum of use to students and of interest to the public gener- 

 ally, as soon as possible, it lias been our plan to label small 

 exhibits quite thoroughly, while in the case of large exhibits 

 a certain number of labels are first scattered through the 

 collection and then the gaps are filled out as soon as possible. 



A large label is being placed at the top of each museum 

 case in the economic museum so that a visitor can see at a 

 glance what each case contains. 



Each family represented in the synoptic museum is being 

 furnished with a label giving information relative to the size 



* For detailed descriptions of this exhibit, see Journal of the New York 

 Botanical Garden, 1 : 139-141 and 168-169. 



