(272) 



(b) Local Flora. This collection has proved to be much 

 more popular than we at first anticipated. During the year 

 all the large plant-groups, with the exception of the Algae 

 and Fungi, have been mounted and the greater portion of the 

 collection, consisting of the ferns, fern-allies and flowering 

 plants, has been renovated and completely labeled. About 

 seven more stands similar to those now in use are needed for 

 the algae and the fungi. 



(c) Microscopic Exhibit. The popularity of this exhibit 

 has continued as heretofore. Experiments on several antici- 

 pated additions, and corrections of some of the original de- 

 tails have been made. 



7. Fossil Plant Museum. During the summer the 

 paleobotanical collections of Columbia University were 

 brought to the Garden and deposited in the east exhibition 

 hall of the basement of the museum building. Work de- 

 signed to accomplish a temporary installation was at once 

 begun and about the middle of December the hall was 

 thrown open to the public. The case equipment is inade- 

 quate, and relatively few of the specimens can be displayed. 

 There are many valuable specimens still in boxes and the 

 bulk of the material is yet unsorted. In order to get rid of 

 all boxed material, a rack of sorting drawers is now being 

 constructed and in a short time the whole fossil collection 

 will be accessible, at least for study and teaching purposes. 

 The estimated number of specimens in this collection is 

 about 8,000. 



8. Care of the Collections. The usual amount of re- 

 adjustment of exhibits and the replacing of inferior specimens 

 with better or more illustrative ones, has been continued. 

 Both the newly received specimens and such of those already 

 installed that require it, have been poisoned with mercuric 

 chloride, chloroform or carbon bisulphide in order to insure 

 good preservation. Considerable attention has been devoted 

 to keeping the specimens fresh in appearance ; much of the 

 dry material preserved in jars soon soils the inside surface of 

 the glass so that once or twice during the year it is necessary 



