REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I916 9 



Botanical Garden and Dr J. R. Weir of Missoula, Mont., in addition 

 to the collections made by members of the staff. 



Exchanges. Duplicate specimens of fungi, ferns and flowering 

 plants have been exchanged for desirable material with the New 

 York Botanical Garden, the National Herbarium at Washington, 

 Prof. J. Dearness of London, Canada, Dr J. R. Weir of Missoula, 

 Mont., and other institutions and individuals. 



Additions to the herbarium. The number of specimens of New 

 York State species which have been added to the herbarium from 

 current collections of the staff during the past year is 528, from 

 contributions 375, a total of 903 specimens. Of the total nimiber 

 of specimens received, 131 were new to the herbarium and 20 species 

 are described as new to science. 



In addition, about 900 specimens of species extralimital to New 

 York, from the Sheldon herbarium, presented in 19 14, representing 

 characteristic species of the eastern and southern flora, have been 

 remounted and incorporated into the herbariimi. It is not the 

 aim of the state herbarium to represent to any great extent the 

 flora of regions beyond the State's border. The Sheldon herbariimi, 

 however, contains over 13,000 specimens, representing nearly 8000 

 species, most of them extralimital to New York, and it seems 

 advisable gradually to incorporate the best of them into the herbarium 

 for purposes of comparison with our native species and as an aid 

 in the identification of specimens of plants collected outside the 

 State by persons who bring or send them here for determination. 



Twenty persons have contributed specimens to the herbarium; 

 363 species are represented by these contributions. This includes 

 specimens sent or brought for identification which were desirable 

 additions to the herbarium. 



Collections have been made by the staff in the following counties : 

 Albany, Bronx, Ca\aiga, Columbia, Genesee, Herkimer, Madison, 

 Monroe, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Queens, 

 Rensselaer, Suffolk and Wayne'. 



Identifications. The number of identifications made of specimens 

 sent or brought to the office by inquirers is 465. The number 

 of persons for whom these identifications were made was 95. 



Mushroom models. The Peck memorial collection of models 

 cast in wax of edible and poisonous mushrooms now includes 56 

 groups, of which 8 represent poisonous species. This constitutes 

 a most interesting exhibit and one of high educational value. It is 

 planned to arrange these in an attractive manner in wall cases. 



Man\- of these groups have been the subject of special study and 



