28 EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



zeal and good faith in carrying ont the conditions previously mentioned, 

 on which the transfer of the plants was made, by fitting up a sjjacious 

 room with cases which contain 600 separate compartments for the recep- 

 tion of as many different families of i)lants, and by appointing a bot- 

 anist fully approved by the Institution. Dr. Parry, the botanist in 

 question, was a pupil of Dr. Torrey, and for the last twenty years has 

 been engaged in various government explorations, mostly in the western 

 part of the United States. He was warmly recommended by the first 

 botanists of the country, and, I doubt not, will discharge the duties of 

 his office to the satisfaction of all interested in the advancement of this 

 branch of natural history. He has begun to arrange the plants in sys- 

 tematic order for immediate reference, and finds the number of species 

 to be about 15,000, included in 25,000 specimens. The additions that 

 have been made to the collection during the past year, embracing those 

 which have been supplied by the Institution and the Department itself, 

 according to Dr. Parry number 8,000 specimens, including 3,000 species. 

 Besides the specimens of dried plants transferred to the Agricultural 

 Department, a large and interesting collection of woods, from Mexico 

 and South America, has been added to the deposit. 



Lectures. — Previous to the fire which destroyed the upper portion of 

 the main building, in 18G5, courses of free lectures were given by the 

 Institution to the visitors and citizens of Washington. These at first, 

 or as long as the novelty continued, were well attended, but in time, 

 owing, in part, to the difidculty of access, in the winter season, to the 

 building, and the absorption of the public mind by the events of the 

 war, the interest diminished, while the management of the system be- 

 came much more difficult, inasmuch as it was impossible to prevent the 

 introduction of political subjects. The call, however, on the i)art of the 

 citizens for lectures has lately been renewed. But it must be evident, 

 on a little reflection and from past experience, that the original plan 

 cannot again be adopted without great inconvenience and an expense 

 not commensurate with the value of the results produced. In order, 

 however, to assist in the establishing in this city, during the present 

 winter, of a course of lectures on scientific subjects, and at a low price 

 of admission, it has been thought advisable to grant a moderate ap- 

 propriation to the Young Men's Christian Association, to enable it to 

 secure the services of distinguished popular lecturers. The building 

 which has been erected by this society not only serves as an ornament to the 

 city, but supplies a want long felt in affording a spacious hall for lec- 

 tures, conventions, «&c. The lectures to which the Institution con 

 tributed were of a scientific character, requiring expensive illustration, 

 and, therefore, though they were well attended, they could not have 

 been given at the low i^rice charged for admission, had not aid been 

 afforded. 



