REPOET OF ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 63 



City, spent a few days at the Herbarium in individual work on the 

 Asclepiadacere, which she is engaged in monographing. Dr. John K. 

 Small, curator of the Herbarium of Columbia University, iS^ew York 

 City, consulted the Herbarium frequently during a short visit to Wash- 

 ington in August, and in connection with his work he greatly assisted 

 the Museum by making a number of critical determinations. Mr. C. H. 

 Thompson, of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, was engaged 

 for a few days in the study of Lemnaceie. Prof. L. M. Underwood, 

 Columbia University, i^ew York, visited the Herbarium in November 

 and studied the Pteridophyta. Prof. E. L. Greene, of the Catholic 

 University, Washington, frequently consulted the collection. He has 

 made many valuable suggestions, and has generously placed his library 

 at the disposal of members of the Museum staff. Through the oppor- 

 tunity thus afforded of studying certain works not to be found elsewhere 

 in the city, the members of the staff have been materially aided in 

 certain lines of investigation. Mr. William Canby, of Wilmington, 

 Delaware, made several visits to the Herbarium, and has contributed 

 some valuable plants. Mr. Canby has long been a correspondent of 

 the Museum, and has added many rare plants to the collection. Mr. 

 Hermann von Schrenk, of the Missouri P>otanical Gardens, spent a 

 short time at the Herbarium in June. Prof. F. A. Waugh, of the 

 University of Vermont, examined certain specimens. Professor Euth 

 of the -University of Tennessee inspected the arrangements in the 

 Herbarium. 



In the Division of Stratigraphic Paleontology many visitors have 

 requested the privilege of examining specimens, and their wishes have 

 been arceded to whenever practicable. Dr. E. C. E. Lord, of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, and Dr. Thomas L. Watson, of Cornell University, 

 Ithaca, New York, studied the collections in the Division of Geology. 

 Prof. O. P. Hay has examined the large Cretaceous fishes from Kan- 

 sas with a view to deciding certain points in the structure of the 

 skull and vertebral column, and also to ascertain whether or not the 

 genus Porthens is synonymous with Xiphactinas.. Several new points 

 in the structure and affinities of XiphactUias were ascertained and the 

 conclusion reached that XipJiactinas Leidy was identical with rorthcus 

 Cope, the latter name being a synonym. Prof. Henry F. Osborn 

 studied the types of such species of Coryphodon as are contained in the 

 collections, with the intention of making a revision of the si)ecies of 

 that genus. 



On January 7, 18!)8, Miss Mary Bartlett Smith was given ])ermission 

 to serve as volunteer assistant in the Division of Marine Invertebrates. 



The privilege granted to visitors to the Smithsonian and Museum 

 buildings of photographing and sketching objects in the exhibition 

 halls has been availed of by a large number of persons. Many classes 

 from the public and i)rivate schools of Washington visited the Museum 



