REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 75 



uecessary to seek some other meaus of providing for the care of the 

 collection. The Department of Agriculture was, as already stated, 

 asked to assume this responsibility. It consented, with the under- 

 standing that the appointment of the botanist to be placed in charge 

 should be approved by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 that the collections should be accessible to the public for practical or 

 educational purposes, and also accessible to the Institution for scien- 

 tific investigation. It was further agreed that full credit be given to 

 the Institution in the publications of the Department for the deposit of 

 the original specimens as well as for such additions as the Institution 

 might make from time to time. 



The following agreement was formally signed by the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution: 



First. All the botanical specimens in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 about 20,000, and all that may hereafter be collected by it, shall Ije transferred to the 

 Agricultural Department on the following terms: 



1. That a competent botanist, a^iproved by the Institution, shall be appointed to 

 have charge of the collection. 



2. That the collection shall, at all times, be accessible to the }inblic lor educational 

 purposes and to the Institution for scientific investigation, or for supplying any 

 information in regard to plants that correspondents may ask for. 



3. That due credit be given to the Institution in the report of the Agricultural 

 Department for the original deposit and for such additions as may be made to it, 

 from time to time, by the Institution. 



Second. That the Agricultural Department shall transfer to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution any specimens it may now have, or may hereafter obtain, that are not ueces- 

 sary to illustrate agricultural ecouomy, such as those of ethnology and of various 

 branches of natural history, similar credit to be given in this case as required in 

 the former. 



The transfer was made in 1869, and the conditions were fulfilled. Dr. 

 Parry was appointed botanist, and at once commenced a systematic 

 arrangement of the Herbarium. He found the number of species to be 

 about 15,000, included in 155,000 specimens. The most valuable portions 

 of the Herbarium thus transmitted by the Smithsonian Institution to 

 the Department of Agriculture were: 



1. The plants collected by the exploring expedition under Admiral 

 Wilkes (1838-1842). The botanists of this expedition were Mr. William 

 Rich, Dr. Charles Pickering, and Mr. W. I. D. Brackenridge. 



2. The collection of plants made by Mr. Charles Wright during the 

 North Pacific Exploring Expedition, under Commanders Einggold and 

 Rodgers (1853-1856). 



3. The plants collected by the naturalists who accompanied several 

 surveying parties which made explorations for the route of a Pacific 

 railroad. 



4. Collections made during the survey for the Mexican boundary by 

 Dr. C. C. Parry, Dr. J. M. Bigelow, Mr. C. Wright, Prof. George Thurber, 

 and Mr. Arthur Schott. 



5. Numerous contributions to the North American portion of the 



