REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. • 79 



One tower room, 12 by 10 feet, lias been fitted np with shelves on four sides. This 

 room is for storing unmounted material. One new balcony has been built, adjoining 

 the main balcony on the south and running at right angh^s, covering a iloor space 

 6 by 48.5 feet. This has been furnished with long shelves for the distribution of 

 specimens; also an herbarium case extending along its entire length. The case con- 

 tains eight hundred pigeon-holes, and will hold eighty thousand specimens. This 

 has relieved somewhat the congested condition in the main balcony, although we 

 shall soon need additional space if the present growth of the collection continues. 



Much work has been done in readjusting, relabeling, and shifting of the packages 

 of phmts. While mmh remains yet to be done, all parts of the collection are read- 

 ily accessible to the assistants and to visiting botanists. It is not improper to state 

 here that the collection has never before been in such good condition. 



The stamping of the herbarium, which was referred to in last year's report, has 

 extended from the Malvaceas to the Anacardiaceaj. The number of specimens thus 

 stamped is four thousand. It is very important that the whole collection be stamped 

 as early as possible, but with our present force we are not able to make much progress. 



The transportation to the main herbarium of the collection now stored in the 

 south balcony has been continued, although little progress has been made owing to 

 other duties. Six thousand specimens have been transferred. This work ought to 

 be completed during the coming year. 



The Department of Agriculture transferred to the Museum in March the collection 

 of alga>, lichens, hepatics, mosses, and ferns. The grasses, conifera', and i)arasitic 

 fungi are still in charge of the Department of Agriculture. 



The work of selecting and marking the type specimens in the herbarium has been 

 continued. Thus far nine hundred species have been marked with a type label, 

 indexed, placed in special sheets, and returned to the herbarium. 



During the year thirty-six thousand specimens have been stamped and added to 

 the permanent collection. This includes twenty-two thousand Avhich have been 

 mouuted during the year and fourteen thousand which were not (luite ready for dis- 

 tribution at the end of last year. 



There is no exhibition series in this department. The need of still 

 more space for the study series will soon become imperative. 



Mr. J. N. Rose, one of the assistant curators, has published a report 

 on Mexican Umbellifera^, mostly from the State of Oaxaca. This i^aper 

 contains descriptions of four new genera and twenty-seven new species. 

 Mr. Eose has also published a number of shorter papers containing 

 descriptions of new or rare species. During the year he determined 

 the PolypetaliTB of Mr. C. G. Pringle's Mexican collection, continued 

 work upon the collections made by Mr. E. W. Nelson and Dr. Edward 

 Palmer in the same locality, and began a monograph on the Commeli- 

 nacea^ of the United States. In the latter it is intended to include 

 colored drawings of all the species. 



Mr. Charles L. Pollard, assisted by other Washington botanists, has 

 continued his revision of Professor Ward's "Guide to the Flora of 

 Washington and Vicinity." It is hoped that the manuscript will be 

 ready for the printer during the coming winter. 



Mr. Coville states that no exi^lorations have been made directly under 

 the auspices of the Museum which resulted in additions to the collec- 

 tions in this department, although important material was obtained by 

 Mr. E. W. True and Dr. Leonhard Stejneger while they were in the 

 service of the United States Fish Commission. Mr. W J McGee, of 



