to the possibilities here on account of the small size of the reading 
room. The growth of the library itself and the increase in the 
number of readers constitute one of the urgent reasons for the 
increase in the Laboratory Building (pp. 86-88). 
We repeat again, as we must continue to do until the require- 
ment is met, the urgent need of a larger endowment for the 
library. It is not only an indispensable adjunct to the work of 
every other department of the Garden but, as just stated, it is 
serving a very useful and greatly appreciated purpose through 
being open free daily to the general public. 
The decrease in the number of periodicals currently received 
from 1,024 in 1939 to 880 in 1940, and 818 in 1941—a loss of 
206 in two years, is due of course to the war which has caused 
the suspension of publication of many scientific journals in the 
Old World, and has interfered with the circulation of others 
through the mails. 
Special attention is called to the appended report of the 
librarian, including the record of 436 books bound and 2,000 
pamphlet binders made by WPA bookbinders during the year. 
THt HERBARIUM 
In the Annual Report for 1924 we recorded a gift from Miss 
Anna J. Pierrepont, of Brooklyn, of a collection of herbarium 
specimens of ferns and flowering plants of Florida. Miss 
Pierrepont, who died on November 17, 1940, left a bequest of 
$1,000 to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and on account of her 
botanical interest, as evidenced by her former gift, the bequest 
has been added to the small Herbarium Endowment Fund, 
increasing the principal from $3,000 to $4,000 
COOPERATION 
Federal Government: Works Progress Administration 
As of June, 1941, there were fourteen persons assigned to the 
Garden by the WPA, as follows: 3 gardeners, 1 laboratory 
assistant, 6 office and classroom assistants, and 4 bookbinders 
doing Botanic Garden work at the Brooklyn Museum. On 
June 26, Mr. H. A. Hahn, project manager for museums, botanic 
gardens, libraries, etc., for Greater New York, called at. the 
