1885.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 427 



The officers elected for the coming year are : — 



Director, . . . W. S. W. Ruschenberger, M. D. 



Vice-Director , . . Thomas Meehan. 



Recorder, . . . Charles Schaeffer, M. D. 



Treasurer, . . . Isaac C. Martindale. 



Cor. Secretary, . . Isaac C. Martindale. 



Conservator, . . John H. Redfield. 



Submitted, 



Thomas Meehan, 



Vice-Director. 



Conservator' 's Report for 1885 Since the last annual report, 



the Conservator has completed the provisional lists of species 

 contained in the Herbarium, so far as refer to the phanerogamic 

 orders and the vascular cryptogams. These lists are strictly 

 provisional and temporary, intended to facilitate ready access to 

 the contents of the Herbarium, and in no way to take the place 

 of such careful revision as is greatly needed, but which must 

 necessarily require much time, and more careful studj r than can 

 now be bestowed. It is greatly to be desired that the same work 

 should be continued in the lower cryptogamic orders, and it may 

 not be amiss here to suggest to those of our associates in the 

 Microscopical Section who are directing their attention to the 

 structure of these lower forms of vegetable life, that here is an 

 excellent opportunity to utilize in systematic work the technical 

 training they have received. 



So far as the lichens are concerned, this work has been accom- 

 plished by our fellow member, Dr. J. H. Eckfeldt, who has not 

 only catalogued the species of that order contained in the Her- 

 barium, but has also contributed largely to supplying deficiencies. 



The enumeration of the phanerogamic species contained in the 

 Academy's Herbarium, which was referred to in the last report, 

 has been completed, and the result is, . . 24,268 species. 

 To this add Ferns, Lycopods, Equisetacete, Mar- 



silise and Isoetese, ...... 1,145 



Total phanerogams and vascular cryptogams, 25,413 

 Approximating very closely to the estimate in the last report. 



The attention to the proper mounting of the specimens in the 

 Herbarium has been continued, with the efficient aid of Mr. 



