204 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



many valuable species obtained with practically no expense to the 

 Museum. 



The routine work of the office has progressed as usual, and a 

 gratifying interest is shown by the large increase in the corre- 

 spondence. The reports of voluntary observers, and lists of the 

 publications of the Entomologist and of contributions to the State 

 collections, contained in the State Entomologist's reports, are 

 records of other activities of the office. 



BOTANY 



During the past summer the field work of the State Botanist has 

 been largely devoted to the study and collection of specimens of 

 the species of thorn trees and shrubs growing in the eastern and 

 northern parts of ^ the State. The number of new species of the 

 genus Crataegus found in the United States and published in 

 recent years is very great. It is therefore important that a, better 

 knowledge of our New York species and a better representation of 

 them in the herbarium should be had, if we w^ould keep pace with 

 the progress made in* this botanic field. Specimens of many 

 species and forms not before represented in the herbarium have 

 been collected. The most prolific stations have been visited two 

 or more times in order to obtain specimens showing the flowers, 

 the young fruit and fully developed leaves and the mature or 

 ripe fruit. 



The investigation of our fungus flora has been continued as 

 opportunity was available, but, owing to an unusual scarcity of 

 the fleshy specdes of mushrooms in this part of the State, the 

 collections have not been large. 



For greater security against the attacks of insects and the defile- 

 ment of dust, the plan of placing specimens of our larger fungi in 

 covered pasteboard boxes has been adopted, and a considerable 

 number of specimens, including extra-limital ones, have been 

 arranged in this way. In order to economize in the use of space, 

 the boxes have been made of various sizes but multiples of each 

 other, a large box being used for large specimens and a small one 

 for small specimens. 



