REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF FOSSIL PLANTS IN THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, IWu 



By Lesteii F. Ward, Honor aru Curator. 



Comparatively i\'\\ additions liave been made to tlie collcctiou during 

 the year, tlie most important being a series of 33 species (93 specimens), 

 presented by ]\Irs. IT. C Leckwitli. IMost of the specimens in tin's do- 

 nation were coHected by Rev. A. Lakes in the vicinity of Morrison, Colo., 

 the rest from Golden, Colo. 



The other additions consist of specimens sent by the various cor- 

 respondents of the Institution for identification. 



The routine work in the department has lieen confined to caring for 

 the specimens as they have been received, and in boxing up an<l send- 

 ing for determination the large mass of mnterial, which has been accu- 

 mulating for many years. 



In September, 188,^, ten boxes of miscellaneous material were sent to 

 Prof. Leo Lesquereax, of Columbus, Ohio, for identific;ition. This 

 material has been accunnilating since the founding of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, and had become of such magnitude that the question of 

 space was a serious oiu\ In working up this material Professor Lesqne- 

 reux has found much that is incapable of satisfactoiy determination, and 

 such has been discarded. On the last of May, 1880, these specimens were 

 returned to the Museum, all carefully labeled. From this material Pro- 

 essor Lesquereux was able to determine about 150 species, of which 

 number 107 species were new to the collection and 11 new to science. 



PRESENT RTATl': OF TtlK COLLKCTION. 



(1) Total number of spccimena of ciitalojxnod material (esclnaivc of my recent 



collection still in hand for stndy ) 7, 439 



(2) Number of specimens not specifically idtuitilicd (mostly fossil wood) 1,713 



(:>) Determined material T), 013 



(4) Number of specimens discarded 113 



(f)) Duplicates now stored in tlie Armory J>uildin<;- 1,091 



(()) Number of distinct species identified, c.-italogued, and installed : 



I'aleozoic - 330 



Mesozoic • 194 



Cenozoic •'^48 



1,072 



231 



