74 REPOKT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1903. 



iiiiiking- a total of 225 now in use. About 125 additional cases will be 

 required to complete the reinstallment of the herlmrium, and it is 

 hoped that these can be provided next year. The Honorary Curator, 

 Mr. F. V. Coville, reports as follow^s regarding- the work done on the 

 collections during the year: 



During the year we have added 111 standard insect-proof cases, making 255 now 

 in use. It is hoped that some 125 new cases will be built during the coming year, 

 which will about complete the installation of the collection. It will then be in a 

 better condition than ever before. Very few insects are to be found in our new cases. 



At the time the herbarium was actually transferred to the National Museum, July 

 1, 1894, we began to stamp every herbarium sheet added to the collection. It was 

 assumed that there were then not less than 200,000 sheets in the herbarium, and the 

 stamp therefore was set at 200,000. The number of specimens stamped and added to 

 the herbarium since then is 220,000. Of these 17,055 have been added this year. 



The work of recording the old part of the herbarium has almost ceased and speci- 

 mens are only stamped in cases where they are sent away as a loan. This record 

 extends from 1 to 27,218. In addition to this, 125,001 to 156,835 have been stamped. 



It was decided at the close of the year that all the herbarium sheets 

 hereafter printed should bear the legend "United States National 

 Museum" as well as the impress of the nimibering stamp, which bears 

 the words "United States National Herbarium." 



Blueprints of the standard herbarium cases adopted by the Museum 

 were sent by request to the chief of the Insular Bureau of Agriculture, 

 Manila. 



At the suggestion of Dr. C. W. Stiles the matter of imperfections in 

 the red labels used inside of receptacles containing type specimens of 

 animals preserved in liquid was taken up by a special committee. 

 The committee submitted a report recommending the sole use of 

 labels printed with a permanent ink containing sulphide of mercurv. 



LOAN OF COLLECTIONS AND COOPERATION OF SPECIALISTS. 



The loan of specimens to specialists in the United States and in 

 foreign countries for purposes of scientific research continued during 

 the year as usual. Onl}^ the more important transactions of this char- 

 acter can be noticed in this report. As explained last year, the Museum 

 usually benefits quite as mucli by these transactions as the persons who 

 obtain the use of the material, as the specimens are studied, identified, 

 and also quite conmionly labeled. The results of the investigations 

 are sometimes puldished by the Museum, sometimes by the scientific 

 organizations to which tlie specialists belong, and sometimes under 

 private auspices. 



In the Division of Birds, 11 loans were made, comprising 188 speci- 

 mens. Mr. Frank M. Chapman, of the American Museum of Natural 

 History, obtained the use of 68 specimens, chiefly shore larks, genus 

 Otocoris. Forty-five specimens of warlders, genus Dendroka,. were 

 sent to Mr. Joseph Grinnell, of Palo Alto, California, to assist him 



