NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 225 



arrangement of the collection of Fishes. The Mammalogical cabinet has been 

 arranged by Col. McCall and Dr. Camac ; and Dr. Wilson and Mr. Schaf hirt, 

 have been engaged in arranging the Insects. 



In relation to the Herbarium, Mr. E. Durand has furnished the following 

 statement : 

 To the Curators, — 



Dear Sirs, — The Herbarium BorealuAmericanum, upon which I have been engaged 

 for these four years, is now nearly completed. As far as it goes, it fills up more than 

 sixty large port-folios. 



In its formation, I have followed the arrangements of DeCandolle, and have just 

 finished the order Gramima: , which is the last of the PhEnogamous jikuits. The number 

 of described species therein contained, amounts to seven thousand two hundred and 

 forty-two, of which 5994 are dicotyledonous, and 1248 monocotyledonous species. It 

 contains, moreover, other plants, either new or as yet unpubUshed, wliich may, in all 

 probability, raise the whole number of plianiogamous species of this particular collection 

 TO eight thousand. When the cryptogams have been added to these, it will form a mass 

 of not less than ten thousand North American plants, constituting one of the most com- 

 plete Herbaria extant. 



This special North American herbarium had become an essential desideratum in an 

 Institution like ours, particularly devoted to the study of the natural wealth of the 

 country. In times past, it was inconvenient and difficult to the student of the botany of 

 North America, to search in the general herbarium, among a mass of forty-six thousand 

 species from all parts of the world, for the particular native plants which he was 

 desirous to examine. Now this work is rendered easy, and he may at once, and without 

 trouble or interruption, examine a whole suit of American species of the same genus or 

 of the same order. 



The Herbarinm Borcali-Americanum, as far as it reaches, has been made up from the nu- 

 merous packages of specimens transmitted to the Academy of Natural Sciences from all 

 jiarts of the country, and piled up, neglected, on the shelves of the Botanical room. It is 

 highly indebted to the valuable private collections of Major LeConte, and of the late Messrs. 

 Conrad and James Reed, and to partial invoices of Drs. Torrey, Gray, Englemann, Short 

 and others. From my own herbarium I have selected for it more than fifteen hundred 

 rare and frequently unique specimens of my collection, all from Texas, New Mexico, 

 the North-VVestern Territories, Oregon and California. The whole number of species 

 contained in this new botanical treasure is at least double that which is to be found 

 scattered in our general herbarium. 



I do not vouch for a complete accuracy of names; but I have performed my task to 

 the best of rny ability. If faulty in some rare instances, it remains open to correction 

 by those who will follow me. Ifit ])osseses other defects, one is that, in many cases, it 

 is overstocked with duplicates; but this I intend to obviate hereafter, by abstracting tht 

 superfluity, with a view to enrich the general herbarium, or to store up duplicates for ex- 

 change. 



The great merit of this valuable collection of North American plants is that it pos- 

 sesses a large number of authentic specimens — almost all the plants of Mr. Nuttali, 

 and many others from Messrs. EJhott, Baldwin, Pursh, Torrey, Asa Gray, Curtis, &c. 



With regard, your most obedient servant, 



Philadelphia, December ilth, 1857. E. Durand. 



The donations to the different departments of the Museum for 1857 are as 

 follows : — 



Mammals. — Of these, 31 specimens of 22 species have been added to the col- 

 lection ; the principal donors being Dr. T. B. Wilson, Dr, W. A. Hammond. 

 \Ir. L. De Vesey, and Dr. H. A. Ford. 



Birds. — Of these, 46 specimens of about 25 species have been presented, 

 principally by Dr. Hammond, Mr. De Vesey and Mr. Slack. Several small col- 

 lections, in which the number of species is not designated, have been presented 

 by R. W. Mitchell, Capt. J. P. McCown, U. S. N., and the Smithsonian Institute. 



Reptiles. — In the department of Herpetology, which is so zealously cultivated by 

 Dr. E. Hallowell, wehave receivedjich additions. Dr. W^ A. Hammond, U. S. A., 

 presented 480 specimens of 40 species, from Kansas Territory. 184 specimens 

 of 30 species were presented by Drs. Wilson, Leidy, Hallowell, and Mr. Conrad. 

 150 specimens of 30 genera from Ceylon and the Philipines, were obtained in 

 exchange. R. W. Mitchell presented 24 specimens of 10 species from New 

 Granada ; Mr. C. Hering, 29 specimens of 10 species from Surinam ; Dr. H. A. 



1857.] 



