Eeport of the Director, 9 



needed; and these were completed about the end of July, 1872. 

 Last year I had hoped to report these cases as completely occupied 

 before this time ; but my own ill-health, compelling a suspension of 

 work for a time, has prevented the completion of the rearrangement 

 proposed. 



In the mean time I will here state what has been done towards 

 making use of our improved facilities. 



The Herbarium has been transferred to the new cases provided for 

 it, together with the recent extensive collections of Fungi and Lichens, 

 made by the Botanist. The " Beck Collection " remains in its ori- 

 ginal case, while the vacated case will be appropriated to extra-limital 

 species, received through exchange or donation. The Herbarium 

 now embraces at least twice as many species as it numbered five 

 years ago, and is in a greatly improved condition. Many of the 

 flowering plants, which were indifferently represented, have been 

 illustrated by better specimens. From the care taken in securing 

 the collection, it is believed to be now entirely free from insect 

 depredation. The value of the Herbarium is attested by the frequent 

 recourse to it by students for the purpose of determinations or study. 

 In the collections made by the Botanist there are large numbers of 

 duplicates, which, when labeled, will be highly valuable for exchange 

 or for distribution to educational institutions; and many of these 

 being species first described by our Botanist, their value is thus 

 greatly enhanced. 



In the new case adjoining the Herbarium has been deposited 

 the Entomological collection of Mr. Lintner; this consists of above 

 five thousand specimens, carefully prepared and well preserved, 

 illustrative of the several orders of the Insect fauna of IN^ew York. 

 Of these the Lepidoptera are classified, and the greater portion accu- 

 rately labeled ; afibrding facilities to students and institutions for 

 determination of their collections. 



The special care which Botanical and Entomological collections 

 absolutely require for their proper preservation forbid that they 

 should be freely exposed to the thousands who frequent the Museum ; 

 but access to them may always be had by the student or appreciative 

 visitor, upon application at the Director's room. 



Many of the new drawers in the back room have been appropriated 

 to the purposes for which they were designed. Twenty-eight deep 

 drawers have been occupied with dup*licate botanical specimens. 

 That portion of the Pickett collection which has been opened and 



