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self at the Pan-American Exhibition. The large and impor- 

 tant collection, including about 250 specimens, secured bv 

 Mr. Percy Wilson in the East Indies, deserves particular 

 mention. Of these, again unfortunately, many cannot be 

 exhibited at present, owing to the lack of cases. 



A complete collection of North American woods, the 

 samples small, but representing excellently their properties, 

 has been donated by Mr. Morris K. Jesup and fills several 

 cases in the eastern wing. 



A set of gunpowder carbons and gunpowders has been 

 contributed by the Hazard Powder Company. 



A costly collection of vanilla beans has been donated by 

 Messrs. Dodge & Olcott, of this city. 



A large number of the specimens received from the Philadel- 

 phia Museum and the Field Columbian Museum, referred to 

 in my last report, have been mounted in the cases and la- 

 belled ; others are awaiting case room. 



Owing to the exhaustion of our supply of museum jars, 

 during the first half of the year, and also to the lack of case 

 room, the work of securing exhibits was not active during 

 the second six months, and attention was turned more espe- 

 cially to the study of material. A large number of species 

 of South American plants were studied, and much careful 

 work was done in studying important drugs. Three exten- 

 sive papers dealing with the definitions and descriptions of 

 drugs of the United States Pharmacopoeia, were published in 

 the Druggists Circular, for September, October and Novem- 

 ber. A careful study was made of the Coca leaves of com- 

 merce, and a new species, Erythroxylon Trux/llciise, was 

 described, the description drawn from living plants in our 

 greenhouses. The nomenclature of a number of drugs long 

 in dispute was critically studied, and a paper on the subject 

 published in the Druggists Circular for December. Refer- 

 ence ma}' be made to the fact that these reports, relating to 

 drugs in their technical aspects, were deemed more appro- 

 priate for publication in a drug journal than in any of our 

 own publications. 



