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REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRITISH MUSEUM, 

 FOR 1889. 



By William Carruthers, F.R.S. 



During the year 51,652 specimens have been mounted, named, 

 and inserted in their places in the Herbarium. These have consisted 

 chiefly of plants from Europe, collected by various botanists ; from 

 Portugal, by the Rev. R. P. Murray ; from Greece, by Haussknecht; 

 from Singapore, by Ridley ; from China, by Hance ; from Japan, by 

 Bisset ; from Borneo, by Whitehead ; from the Atlas Mountains, by 

 Johnstone ; from Socotra, by Professor Balfour ; from Madagascar, 

 by the Rev. Deans-Cowan, and others ; from South Africa, by 

 Professor MacOwan, Bolus, and others ; from Australia, by Von 

 Mueller, and others ; from Canada, by Professor Macoun ; from 

 Mexico, by Palmer and Pringle ; from Dominica, by Ramage ; and 

 from the Republic of Columbia, by Lehmann. 



In the progress of incorporating these additions, the following 

 Natural Orders have been more or less completely re-arranged : — 

 Caryophyllacece, Hypericinece, GuttifercB, Ternstroemiacea, Compositoc, 

 Cupuliferce, Iridacece, Commelinacea, Graminea, and Filices. 



The Fungi have been entirely re-arranged ; numerous Alga3 have 

 been incorporated with the Herbarium, as well as extensive series 

 of Musci and Lichenes. 



The exhibited series of British plants has been completed, as 

 far as the vascular plants are concerned, every species recognised 

 by Bentham, in his British Flora, being placed in the case, with its 

 description from that work. 



A thorough revision and improved arrangement of the specimens 

 and illustrations exhibiting the Natural Orders of plants has been 

 begun, and the whole of the Monocotyledonous Orders have already 

 been completed. 



The extensive series of original drawings of Indian and Chinese 

 plants have been mounted, named, and systematically arranged. 



The principal additions to the Herbarium during the year have 

 been the acquisition by purchase of the microscopic preparations 

 made by the late Professor de Bary, of Strassburg, in connection 

 with his investigations into plant anatomy and the parasitic diseases 

 of plants. The total number of slides in this collection is 4429, 

 and of these 1220 are Fungi illustrating the life-histories of many 

 plant diseases described by de Bary, in numerous scientific papers; 

 206 slides of Lichens, showing especially the structure of the 

 thallus ; 105 Characese ; 40 Alga3 ; 11 Musci; 286 Vascular Cryp- 

 togams; 1160 Flowering plants ; 1112 slides illustrating de Bary's 

 researches on Plant Anatomy as described in his published works, 

 and 289 slides showing various points of plant structure. 



The Herbarium of Lichens formed by Horatio Piggot Esq., has 

 been presented by him to the Trustees. It contains many specimens 

 collected by himself, and numerous specimens communicated by 

 Mudd, Leighton, and others, including the collection of Dr. Deakin, 

 consisting altogether of 2383 specimens. It forms a valuable 

 addition to the collection of Lichens. 



