60 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



several hours each day for about three mouths in assisting Professor 

 Cook in his work on the cryptogamic collectious. Dr. B. L. Robinson, 

 curator of the Gray Herbarium, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been of 

 great assistance to Mr. Eose in his work on the Mexican collections. 



Mr. Coville recommends the establishment of an exhibition series in 

 this department. The science of botany, except in certain economic 

 aspects, has never been represented in the exhibition series of the 

 Museum. He further states that it is very desirable that the crypto- 

 gamic portion of the collection should be developed. Some steps in 

 this direction have recently been taken, but in order to carry out any 

 comprehensive plan, more space is needed. The necessity of additional 

 room for the study series has already been referred to. 



The routine work of the department practically consumes the time of 

 both of the assistant curators, leaving very little oi3portunity for the 

 prosecution of special investigations. It is therefore recommended by 

 the honorary curator that an assistant be emi)loyed, whose duty it shall 

 be to look after some of the minor details. 



In May, 1897, Mr. Rose left for Mazatlan, on the western coast of 

 Mexico, for the purpose of collecting material illustrative of the botany 

 and ethno-botany of the country extending from that point eastward 

 across the lowlands and over the Sierra Madre Mountains. A plan of 

 work has been outlined by the honorary curator and approved by the 

 Acting Assistant Secretary. Through the courtesy of the Mexican 

 minister at Washington, the cooperation of the governors of the 

 States of Sinaloa and Durango, and other officials, has been secured. 



The total number of specimens received during the year was about 

 40,000, of which 32 007 were added to the permanent collection. In the 

 catalogue 374 entries were made. 



DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS. 



Prof. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist of the U. S. Geological Survey, 

 remains in charge of this dej^artment as honorary curator, with Mr. 

 Wirt Tassin as assistant curator. In January, Rev. Dr. L. T. Cham- 

 berlain, of New York City, was appointed custodian of the collection of 

 gems and precious stones. 



The relative scientific value of the accessions for the fiscal year end- 

 ing June 30, 1897, and those of the preceding fiscal year is about the 

 same. In the number of accessions, however, there has been an increase 

 of more than 50 i^er cent during the year covered by this report. 



From the Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, a series of 

 G3 minerals was obtained in exchange. Three specimens of gold pseu- 

 domorjih after calverite, and one specimen of telluride, were presented 

 by Mr. D. V. Donaldson, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mr. F. W. Trap- 

 hagen presented a specimen of corundum, variety sapphire, in matrix. 

 There were deposited by the Smithsonian Institution three pieces of 

 the meteorite which fell at Long Island, Phillips County, Kansas, an 



