3 
tive formalin solution being freely used in glass jars. Fossil 
plants are shown in this collection along with the living ones to 
ich they are most nearly related. A system of swinging 
frames will exhibit a specially mounted herbarium of plants grow- 
ing naturally within one hundred miles of New York. Special 
exhibits of physiological and morphological features of plants are 
to be subsequently installed upon this floor. About aaa 
of the case equipment required to fill the halls of the first 
second floors has been put in position; additional cases ma cn 
added as the need for them arises. The method of labelling in 
all the collections is designed to answer “al ordinary questions 
about the specimens and their felaonships after the several 
series have been letely installed than is possible during 
the formative stage it is neuened to publish hand guides in which 
the description of the objects will be elaborated. The mounting 
and labelling of many thousand specimens will be required in 
order to make the series measurably complete, and this will re- 
quire time, but it is believed that the collections will be of much 
interest from the beginning. 
The third floor has the library as its central feature consisting 
of a large reading room immediately under the dome and a stack 
room just behind, shelved so as to carry about 10,000 volumes. 
The stacks are of metal, arranged to carry books of quarto and oc- 
tavo size, or smaller, above, and of folio size below ; these are sup- 
tion, thus affording the possibility of doubling the book-carrying 
capacity of the room. The reading room walls also be 
shelved in the future, if itis so desired. The number an volumes 
now in the collection is about 7,500, of which about two-thirds 
are the botanical library of Columbia University, deposited with 
the Garden under an agreement between the Board of eee 
and the Trustees of the University, while one-third are the 
erty of the Garden. West of the library rooms are meee 
