(446) 



especially by the collections of Mr. Earle in the eastern and 

 southern United States and in Jamaica, West Indies. The 

 number of mosses added to the permanent collections during 

 the year amounted to 8,208. The specimens are from all 

 parts of the world, while a greater number of duplicate 

 mosses, namely, 8,752 specimens, were sent out in exchange. 

 The collection of flowering plants has been greatly strength- 

 ened by large additions of specimens from western North 

 America and tropical America. 



2. Mounting and Conserving of Herbarium Ma- 

 terial. During the year the herbaria have been aug- 

 mented by 72,583 mounted sheets. This addition represents 

 fully 80,000 specimens, as in the case of the lower crypto- 

 gams, several specimens are commonly mounted on a single 

 sheet. 



Especial effort was made to reduce the residue of the ac- 

 cumulation of specimens secured in the early years of the 

 Garden's existence, from which accumulation we have for 

 several years past gradually been drawing material to mount 

 as the case demanded, and time allowed. We were quite 

 successful in this effort, and nearly all of the valuable speci- 

 mens, comprising the several herbaria which the Garden se- 

 cured several years ago, have been mounted. 



The general use of the herbarium, especially in connec- 

 tion with American plants, necessitated getting as many 

 species of the western hemisphere into species-covers as pos- 

 sible at an early date. The purchase of 2,500 pounds of 

 species-covers enabled us to furnish with covers essentially 

 all the North American and such tropical and South Amer- 

 ican specimens as were needed for immediate study. 



All specimens subject to insect ravages have been poisoned 

 with a solution of mercuric chloride and alcohol before being 

 mounted. This method has proved very successful in pre- 

 venting insect depredations, for since it was put into opera- 

 tion, nearly all signs of insect life have disappeared from the 

 herbarium cases. , 



3. Disposition of Bulky Herbarium Material. The 



