REPORT OF assistant SECRETARY. 169 



hibit of specimens of marine algae. The series illustrating the flower- 

 ing plants included about two hundred and fifty plates, each repre- 

 senting a different species. It contained examples of all the princi- 

 pal orders, the specimens selected being such as, on account of their 



beauty <>r curious form, would be most likely to attract the attention 

 of the public. In many of these plates all of the parts of the plant, 

 were represented, and in some instances the parts of the flower were 

 enlarged to show the important characters of the species. 



The collection of terns was more complete. It contained eighty-one 

 plates, on which one hundred and fifty, out of one hundred and sixty 

 species of North American ferns were represented. These plates 

 were taken largely from the published works of Eaton, Meehau, 

 Sprague, and Groodale. 



The collection of algse included nearly all of the species known to 

 occur on the Atlantic coast of the United States and manv of the 

 common species from the Pacific. It was originally intended, in addi- 

 tion to the above, to show separate collections of the flowers and 

 ferns of the Ohio Valley, and also to prepare a comprehensive forestry 

 exhibit, which should include sample woods and herbarium specimens 

 of the principal trees of the Ohio Valley, photographs of the forest 

 trees of the United States, and maps locating the present forest areas 

 of the country: but the delay in the passage of the bill authorizing 

 the exhibit and the lack of space made it impossible to do so. A 

 collection of fossil plants to show the progress made in the study of 

 paleontological botany was omitted for a similar reason. 



8ECTION OF MINERALOGY. 



This exhibit was prepared by Prof. F. W. Clarke, Honorary Curator of 

 the Department of Minerals, with the aid of the Assistant Curator, Mr. 

 W. S. Yeates. It was at first intended to send a complete collection of 

 the minerals of North America, the floor space required being estimated 

 at 1,200 square feet, and negotiations were begun for the purchase of a 

 eollection, valued at $5,500, belonging to Mr. Joseph Willcox, of Phil- 

 adelphia, which was especially rich in North American materials, to 

 serve as a nucleus of the exhibit. The auditing officer for the Govern 

 meat, however, objected to the proposed expenditure, and the plan of 

 making a systematic exhibit was therefore of necessity abandoned. The 

 exhibit as finally sent consisted of a single case, containing such gems 

 and ornamental stones as were available from the collections already in 

 possession of the Museum, with the addition of a small amount of gem 

 material from other sources. It was limited almost exclusively to North 

 American specimens. 



SECTION OF TRANSPORTATION. 



Some months prior to the passage of the exposition bill, Mr. J. E. 

 Watkins, formerly with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was ap- 

 pointed curator of a newly-formed section of transportation in the Na- 



