126 REPORT OF NATIONAL MU«EUM, 1891. 



tesy of the Commis.sioiier of Patents >si)e('iticatious and patents illustrat- 

 ing- the development of pliotograpliy and the graphic arts in the United 

 States and in Germany have been obtained. 



Hon. X. H. K. Dawson, the Commissioner of Education, presented a 

 series of very interesting i)ublications relating to American educa- 

 tional history, 



roST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. 



The Post-Oflfice Department has contributed to the welfare of the 

 Museum, although in a less degree tlian the others. In 1887 it pre- 

 sented to the Mu.seum a collection ot^ United States postage stamps, 

 newspaper wrappers, stamped envelopes and newspaper stamps, num- 

 bering one hundred and seventy specimens. Through the courtesy of 

 the Postmaster-Cxeneral, the super-intendent of the Dead-Letter Ottice 

 has been instructed to inform the Museum of the receii)t in his <^fhce of 

 objects received which might l>e of value to the collections. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRK'liLTURE. 



By far the largest part of the JSTational Herbarium has been in the 

 custody of the Department of Agriculture since 1869, when, at the re- 

 quest of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the Commissioner 

 of Agriculture consented to house the nmterial received either direct 

 or through the Smithsonian Institution, and to permit the botanist of 

 the Department to bestow as much time upon the collection as was 

 necessary in ordei' to keep it in a good state of preservation. The Na- 

 tional Herbarium has for many years been under the charge of Dr. 

 George Vasey, botanist of the Department of Agriculture. In later 

 years the curator of fossil ])lants in the National Museum found it de- 

 sirable to ha\ e available for his use, in comparing recent with fossil 

 forms, a limited number of specimens within easy access, and in this 

 way a second collection of recent plants has sprung up, both, however, 

 forming parts of the National Herbarium, Avhich will be transferred 

 wholly to the care of the Museum, as soon as it shall be found practi- 

 cable to provide in'ojjer accommodations for the collection. In 1886, 

 Prof. C. V, Riley, entomologist of the Department, and honorary cura- 

 tor of the department of insects in the National Museum, gave his collec- 

 tion of North American insects, representing theresults of hisown labors 

 for more than twenty five years. This collection is by far the most im- 

 portant accession which the department of insects has ever received. 

 The Museum is indebted to the Department of Agriculture for the vol- 

 unteer services of the following named gentlemen as honorary members 

 of the scientific stall': Prof. C. V. Riley, in charge of the department of 

 iusects; Dr. B. K. Fernow, in charge of the section of forestry; Dr. 

 George Vasey, in chaige of the de]»artment (»f botany, and Prof. W. O. 

 Atwater, in charge of the section of foods. 



