REPORT OF THE HEAD CURATOR OF THE 

 MUSEUMS AND HERBARIUM 



Dr. N. L. Britton, Director-in-Chief. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report for 

 the year 1909. 



(a) Series of specimens and various special collections, 

 making a total of 6,236, were acquired by purchase. 



(b) Gifts amounting to 3,347 specimens were received. 



(c) Exchanges with other institutions and individuals 

 added 6,113 specimens to the collections. 



(d) Exploration in various parts of North America re- 

 sulted in bringing together 23,459 specimens. 



The total number of specimens accessioned during the 

 year is 39,155. 



Museums 



The public exhibits were enlarged as specimens were 

 received. The specimens already installed were kept in 

 order and cleaned as occasion demanded. Labeling pro- 

 ceeded as rapidly as specimens were installed. 



Fossil Plant Museum. The majority of the speci- 

 mens added to this museum are from western North Amer- 

 ica. About one half are of recent collection. The re- 

 mainder, belonging to the J. S. Newberry collection, were 

 found during the year in storage at Columbia University. 



The tentative general arrangement of the exhibits adopted 

 last year was found to be the most advantageous for the 

 display of the specimens now comprising the collections. 

 Many changes, however, were made in individual specimens. 

 The cases containing carboniferous plants and those show- 

 ing the fossil flora of the vicinity of New York City, of New 



