(43 ) 
In all 560 specimens have been added to the collections 
under my charge. 
It is proposed to devote special attention during the coming 
year to the collection of aboriginal vegetable foods of the 
United States. A check-list is being prepared, and plans for 
securing as much as possible of the material are being made. 
It is also intended to greatly enlarge our representation of 
vegetable poisons, and to affix labels descriptive of their his- 
torical and other uses. 
A very important work is expected to be the installation of 
the Merck collection of proximate principles of plants, re- 
ferred to in previous reports, and which is scheduled to arrive 
in New York, from Darmstadt, on January 18. This will be 
in many ways one of the most important and instructive 
exhibits in our museum. 
Respectfully submitted, 
H. H. Russy, 
flonorary Curator of the Economic Collections. 
