122 



years' collections, numbering some tlioiisand sj^ecies, are val- 

 uable as being, many of them, new and authentic species 

 named from these very specimens. A collection of dried 

 fruits and seed-vessels has been commenced, and the cabinet 

 devoted to this purpose already exhibits a goodly display, 

 numbering about 250 specimens. 



The means of study offered to the public are naturally re- 

 stricted when the objects to be examined are dry, crumbling 

 leaves and flowers. Much work remains to be accomplished, 

 and until the loose specimens are securely glued to paper, 

 the Herbarium must necessarily remain locked from general 

 study ; only those who are thoroughly familiar with the 

 handling of perishable specimens can be j^ermitted to have 

 access to the Herbarium in its present state. The principal 

 additions during the past year have been a collection of New 

 England plants, about 1,800 in number, the bequest of our 

 late member, Mr. C. A. Shurtleff, and an admirably preserved 

 suite of German plants, numbering over 1,200 specimens, 

 from Col. Joseph Howland. Besides these we have been the 

 recipients of various minor donations from Drs. Kneeland, 

 Otis, Pickering and C. G. Putman, the Rev. Charles Mason, 

 Mrs. Fielding, Miss Kingman, Messrs. L. Babo, N. Bishop, 

 D. J. Browne, A. T. Hall, C. H. Parker, O. Pickering, S. H. 

 Scudder, John R. Willis and ]^. Willis, and the Essex Insti- 

 tute. 



The small room adjoining the Botanical apartment is that 

 devoted to the Section of Microscopy. The Bailey Bequest 

 forms the basis of this collection, of i^reeminent value. The 

 shdes number nearly 1,400, accompanied by manuscript cata- 

 logues or other memoranda, in which the j^osition of more 

 than 3,000 individual objects on the slides are noted with 

 reference to Bailey's universal indicator for the Microscoj^e ; 

 these are mostly Diatomaceae, but there are also many ani- 

 mal tissues and recent and fossil vegetable tissues. In addition 

 to these there is a great quantity of original specimens of 

 microscopic material, collected by various scientific and ex- 

 l^lormg expeditions, and an extensive series of specimens 

 received from European coiTCspondents, including Ehrenberg 



