MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



C. Eaton, Dr. A. W, Chapman, and others, still further enrich 

 this herbarium. 



This collection is one of the best of North American Ferns, but 

 one, that of Prof. Eaton, of New Haven, being more perfect as 

 far as Mr. Robinson could learn. The collection at Cambridge, 

 which was quite familiar to him, was inferior both in species and 

 in perfection and number of specimens. As there is no one 

 work which contains any considerable number of illustrations of 

 North American ferns, and as all the works on botany, could 

 they be collected here, do not contain more than two-thirds of 

 these species, this is the only way by which a person can easily 

 identify our ferns. The desirability of such a collection is very 

 evident from the interest expressed in the subject by many 

 frequenters of these rooms. 



Mr. Robinson added that we can hardly realize the time and 

 care required in collecting and arranging so large a series of 

 specimens, and he thought the Society should feel exceedingly 

 gratified at this result of Mr. Davenport's work, as he tells us that 

 it is to this library and to the persons he has met here that his 

 encouragement in the study of botany is in a great measure due. 



Mr. Robinson was also very glad to learn that Mr. Davenport 

 intended to continue his work by adding to this collection, and 

 making it as perfect as possible. 



Edward S. Rand, Jr., spoke of the much greater value of even 

 dried specimens of plants, as compared with the best plates, and 

 expi-essed the hope that this collection might be the beginning of 

 a herbarium to include all our native plants, and which might ulti- 

 mately extend to all plants. 



The vote of thanks was unanimously passed. 



[A catalogue of the Ferns in this collection is appended to the 

 report of this meeting, for the information of those interested in 

 the subject.] 



The following resolution was offered by Charles O. Whitmore : 



Resolved, That this Society, in consequence of the valuable 

 services rendered to it by Dr. Jacob Bigelow, is desirous of ob- 

 taining his portrait to be placed with the other memorials of its 

 founders, and that a committee of three be appointed to wait on 

 Dr. Bigelow, and request him to accede to the unanimous wish of 

 the Society. 



After remarks by Marshall !P. Wilder and Robert Manning, the 



