58 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1925 



sive plaster, 9,268 of this number by contract. The total number 

 of specimens mounted during the year was 42,544. There remains 

 unmounted not less than 25,000 specimens, including about 12,000 

 from the Philippines, 6,000 from China (Rock and Wulsin collec- 

 tions), and 6,000 Old World specimens in the Buchtien collection. 

 In mounting operations preference has naturally been given to 

 material from tropical America, in view of current studies on the 

 flora of this region. The present plan of mounting part of the 

 specimens wholly by adhesive plaster and others by glue and plaster 

 has worked well in practice and is more expeditious than the former 

 method of mounting wholly by plaster, notwithstanding the time 

 required to divide many of the accessions for this purpose. The 

 segregation of type specimens has been continued, chiefly by Mr. 

 Killip, a total of 12,2T8 now having been distinctly labeled, cata- 

 logued, and placed apart in individual covers. These constitute the 

 so-called type herbarium. The total number of duplicates distributed 

 in exchange during the year to institutions and to individuals was 

 13,935. Of duplicate material on hand there are (exclusive of the 

 Rock plants) about 20,000 unmounted specimens, mostly not yet 

 ready for distribution. These are kept in special cases, apart from 

 the study series. The Rock duplicates comprising between 50,000 

 and 60,000 specimens, packed in insect-proof boxes, are held in 

 stoi'age pending identification. 



The present condition of the National Herbarium is regarded as 

 good, with due allowance for the very great crowding of cases and 

 of specimens within the cases, and the scant amount of time that 

 can be given to strictly curatorial work. Current work of identifi- 

 cation and the diverse routine duties incident to handling the great 

 amount of material accessioned (116,636 specimens in the present 

 year), as well as that sent in for examination and report, leave 

 little time for critical work of redetermination and rearrangement 

 of specimens, that would otherwise be feasible. Additional cura- 

 torial assistance is greatly needed, but even with the present small 

 staff much more curatorial work of a general nature could be ac- 

 complished if the unfortunate congestion described were remedied. 

 The crowding retards in many ways work that is recognized as 

 necessary. An extreme expansion of herbarium facilities is not 

 urged, but merely an increase which will be sufficient to permit 

 normal growth. 



The work of the taxidermists, as explained in last year's report, 

 is not confined to the mounting of specimens for the exhibition 

 series, but on the contrary to a great extent consists in preparing 

 material fresh from the field for incorporation in the study series 

 in the divisions of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Thus out of the 



