REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 1 75 



was appointod lionorary curator of the Dcpartiiiciit oC Botany in the 

 National JMuseuni, March 28, 1893. 



During the past year, up to the time of liis deatli, Dr. Vasey was 

 engaged upon researches in connection Avith a publication entitled 

 "Monograph of the Grasses of the United States and JJritish America," 

 basing his work upon the very full collection of Gramineae in the 

 National Herbarium. The work on this subject was about four-fifths 

 (;oniplet(Ml at the time of Dr. Vasey's death. The report on tlie botany 

 of the Death Valley expedition, in preparation by Mr. Frederick V. 

 Coville, was also continued during the first part of the present year 

 and Avas finished in December, 1892. Work on the collecjtions made by 

 Dr. Edward Palmer in western Mexico during the years 1890 to 1892 

 was continued by Dr. J, N^. Rose. 



The Herbarium collection, which is deposited in the Department of 

 Agriculture, consists of study and duplicate series only, no specimens 

 having been prepared for exhibition purposes. In general the her- 

 I)arium is in excellent condition, the system of classification being so 

 carried out as to greatly facilitate access to the material contained 

 in it. 



During the year about 33,000 specimens were received, involving 

 567 catalogue entries. Specimens to the number of 14,308 were sent 

 out as exchanges, and 4,117 mounted sheets were added to the Her- 

 barium proper. 



Mr. Coville reports as follows upon the important accessions re- 

 ceived during the year: 



A large collection of specimens from northwestern Idaho, collected by Dr. J. H. 

 Saudberg and assistants. The whole collection contains 1,03.5 numbers. 



A collection of 168 numbers from Yakutat Bay, Alaska, made by Frederick Fun- 

 eton during the summer season of 1892. These specimens are in excellent condition 

 and excel in their value as specimens any collection heretofore received from 

 Alaska. 



Dr. Edgar A. Mearns, captain, U. S. Army, has continued to send in collections 

 made upon the International Boundary Commission (United States and Mexico), 

 which, although not yet critically examined, will furnish material for a future 

 report on the botauj^ of this region. 



Dr. H. E. Hasse of Soldiers' Home, Los Angeles County, Cal., has contributed a set 

 of 255 specimeus from the southern ])ortion of the State of California. 



Mr. G. C. Nealley has continued his collections in Texas, having sent in about 1,650 

 specimens from that State. 



Through Mr. P. A. Rydberg have been received a valuable collection from the 

 Black Hills of South Dakota, containing about 2,500 specimens. 



From Dr. Edward Palmer has been received a collection of specimens from middle 

 California in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, and in the Sacramento and Sau 

 Joaquin valleys. 



From Mr. J. W. Toumey, of Tucson, Ariz., was received a series of .■ii>ecinu'ns col- 

 lected on a .journey from Tucson northward past San Francisco mountain to the 

 Grand canyon of the Colorado and return. 



From Dr. E. F. Franchschi was purchased a collection of 21-1 plants from Attica, 

 Greece, the specimens in by far the best condition of any yet received from Europe. 



From Mr. John Macoun, Ottawa, Canada, was purchased a set of 100 Canadian 

 lichens ami 100 Canadian mosses. 



