22 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



The number of specimens received during the year was about 869, 

 involving 95 catalogue entries. 



INVERTEBRATE FOSSILS ( MESOZ01C). 



Dr. C. A. White, honorary curator, reports gratifying progress dur- 

 ing the year. The most important accession was received from the 

 U. S. Geological Survey. This embraced a large number of specimens, 

 including some of the most important paleontological material studied 

 by members of the Survey. There were 419 catalogue entries during 

 the year, representing about 3,099 specimens. 



DIVISION OF BOTANY. 

 FOSSIL PLANTS. 



Prof. Lester F. Ward, honorary curator, states that the work has 

 been chiefly confined to the installation and care of specimens. There 

 were added to the collection more extensive and valuable accessions 

 than in any previous year. The most important was the collection of 

 fossil plants, presented by Mr. R. I). Lacoe, of Pittston, Pa. This 

 collection numbers 100,000 specimens and is of world-wide reputa- 

 tion. Prof. F. H. Knowlton continued during the year his study of 

 the Laramie flora, and identified a large collection of plants from the 

 P>ozeman (Montana) coal fields. The " Flora of the Dakota Group," by 

 the late Prof. Leo Lesquereux, was printed during the year. 



RECENT PLANTS. 



Dr. George Vasey, botanist of the Department of Agriculture, and 

 honorary curator of the department of botany in the National Museum, 

 reports that the growth of the National Herbarium has been steady, 

 although the percentage of increase has not been as great as in the 

 preceding year. The collections have been practically rearranged and 

 new labels provided. The duplicate specimens were threatened with 

 destruction by insects., and it became necessary to poison them to pre- 

 vent further damage. New specimens are now treated in this manner 

 when they first arrive. Considerable time has been spent in the prep- 

 aration of a card-catalogue of all the botanical works in the libraries 

 to which this department has access. Among the more important ac 

 cessions were the collections made by Mr. F. V. Coville, assistant bot- 

 anist of the Department of Agriculture (2,150 specimens); Mr. G. C. 

 Nealley (1,709 specimens from Texas and Arizona); Edward Palmer 

 (3,521 specimens from Mexico and Arizona); Mr. J. N. Sandberg (15,191 

 specimens from Minnesota and Idaho), and Mr. J. M. Holzinger (2,530 

 specimens from the Tinted States and Europe). There were 512 cata- 

 logue entries made during the year, embracing about 53,384 specimens. 

 Of the total number of accessions, 41 were transmitted directly to the 

 National Museum, the remainder being received by the Department of 

 Agriculture. 



