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REPORT OF THE HEAD CURATOR OF THE 
MUSEUMS AND HERBARIUM 
Dr. N. L. Brrrron, DirEcTOR-1n-CHIEF. 
Str: I have the honor to submit the following report for 
the year 1908. 
The collections under my care have been enlarged and 
conserved mainly as during previous years, and all speci- 
mens, both of the public exhibits and those of the study col- 
lections, are in good condition. 
Accessions 
The additions to the collections may be itemized as follows: 
(2) Purchase. Specimens from nearly all parts of the 
eastern and western continents, aggregating 32,910, were 
acquired. 
(6) Gift. Various specimens, chiefly from Europe and 
America, aggregating 1,703 were presented to the institution. 
(c) Exchange. A total of 2,941 specimens from nearly all 
parts of the world were secured in exchange for duplicate 
material. 
(d) Exploration. Fully 19,080 specimens were brought 
together by members of the Garden staff, from temperate and 
tropical North America. 
The total number of specimens accessioned during the year 
is 56,634. 
Museums 
The arrangement of the exhibits of the Economic Museum, 
and the Synoptic Collection, the Local Flora and the Micro- 
scope Exhibit in the Systematic Museum was not materially 
changed, except for the interpolation of specimens here and 
there and the transfer of several exhibits in the west wing of 
the Economic Museum. The collections of fungi, mosses and 
hepatics, algae, and flowering plants, were described respec- 
tively in the January, February, July and October numbers 
of the JouRNAL. 
