THE NATIONAL SCIKNTIFIC IN.STI'1'IJTION.S AT I51;RLIN. 125 



director, his assiistaiit«, and the piactilioiiers it affords means for spe- 

 cial investigation in vegetable physiology' and the diseases of cnlti- 

 vated plants. 



The Vegetable Division of the Museum.— When the recpiest was made on 

 the agricniturists to furnish exhibits for the Paris l]xposition of 18G7 

 they readily responded, but expressed themselves desirous of transfer- 

 ring their exhibits, after the close of the exposition, to the Government, 

 to serve in the foundation of an agricultural museum. This pr()i)osi- 

 tion was accepted, and many objects were added to those exhibits, by 

 donation or by purchase. The products of agriculture, of course, re- 

 ceived the first consideration, and thus the wealth of the division may 

 be explained. Corresponding to the enlargement of the agricultural 

 administration to a department of agriculture, lands, and forests, the 

 science of forestry has received consideration, and the collection of 

 woods has become a very complete one, owing to donations of foreign 

 governments, especially of those of Indiii, Japan, and of the French 

 colonies. 



The Zoological Institute. — The collections of the Institute are rela- 

 tively complete, especially with regard to the osteology of mammals; it 

 contains the collection of skulls and skeletons of Ilerm von Nathu- 

 sius and those of the abandoned agricultural acadeujies of Eldena and 

 Proskau. In addition to the skulls of other mammals it contains large 

 collections of the skulls of horses, hogs, cattle, sheep, and dogs of the 

 various breeds, domestic and foreign, which in completeness can not be 

 excelled by any other museum. The remaining divisions of the zoolog- 

 ical collections are generally restricted to the European animals of 

 interest or importance to the agriculturist, without, however, excluding 

 such foreign animals as may be required in the systematic study of the 

 animal kingdom. The Institute proposes to investigate all zoological 

 questions relating to agriculture, and to carefully trace the derivation 

 and evolution of all domesticated animals, tor which purpose a special 

 interest is given to the fossil and subfossil remains of the domestic 

 animals and to their relatives. 



The Institute of Animal Fhi/siologi/. — Since the eid;irgement of the 

 last year, the institute has the use of two largeand four small laborato- 

 ries, which are provided with all improvements recjuired for the analyt- 

 ical and vivisectory labors of the institute. It also controls a stable 

 with divisions for the various animals and some basement rooms which, 

 on account of their good light, are well adapted Jbr the keeping of ani- 

 mals under observation. A small respiratory apparatus has found room 

 in the basement. 



The institute possesses the required apparatus for microscoi)ical 

 work and for the study of material changes of the mechanism of the 

 nervous system, of respiration and (jirculation. Additions to the appa- 

 ratus are made whenever needed, as far as the means at disposal per- 

 mit. 



