1881.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 495 



most important of these, we may refer to the large and nearlj'^ 

 complete series of sections of North American woods, collected 

 imder the direction of Prof. Chas. S. Sargent, Commissioner of 

 the Forestry Department of the U. S. Census of 1880, and by him 

 presented to the AcademJ^ Mr. Canby has contributed during 

 the 3'ear 52Y species of plants, mostl}^ European, but with many 

 rare species from South Africa and Australia. To Mr. Martindale 

 we are indebted for the 5th, 6th and Tth Centuries of Ellis' N. 

 American Fungi, containing a series of carefully determined 

 specimens illustrating that most difficult department of Crypto- 

 gams. From the Cambridge Herbarium we have received a small 

 but interesting collection of plants from Afghanistan, collected 

 by Dr. J. E. T. Aitcheson during the advance of the British army 

 into that country in 1879. 



The Conservator has continued to direct his main attention to 

 the work of bringing into more orderl}^ arrangement the somewhat 

 chaotic mass of material in the Herbarium, believing that in this 

 way he can best facilitate the labors of those who may come after 

 him. During the year provisional alphabetical lists of species 

 have been prepared for a considerable portion of the general 

 Herbarium, to which the arrangement of the species in the genus 

 covers has been made to conform. Those who have occasion to 

 consult the Herbarium will appreciate the great saving of time 

 which this arrangement will eftect. It would be gratifying if this 

 labor could be accompanied by a thorough study and working 

 over of the material represented, but with the limited time at the 

 Conservator's disposal, this is absolutely impossible, and will be 

 better performed hereafter when the Academy shall be able to 

 secure the constant services of an experienced botanist. Yet this 

 end has not been altogether neglected, and in the mounting of the 

 N. American Herbarium, which work is still continued, careful 

 revision of names has been kept in view, and if error has not 

 been altogether avoided, it has at least been greatly lessened. 

 The mounting of that portion of the collection covered b}' the 

 issued part of Gray's Synoptical Flora, is now complete, and 

 some little progress has been made in other portions. 



During the year Dr. Eckfeldt has carefully examined and 

 catalogued the lichens of the collection, contributing also 100 



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