26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



creditable to the Government and the Institution than it has ever yet 

 been. Such a collection will tend to draw to itself numerous isolated 

 collections, especially of anthropology, which, though they may be of 

 much interest to the individuals possessing them, are of comparatively 

 little value in the way of advancing a knowledge of the subject to 

 which they pertain, and, in case ©f the death of the owners, are geuer- 

 erally dissipated and frequently lost to the world. The only way in 

 which they can become of real importance is by making them part of a 

 general collection, carefully preserved in some public institution, where 

 they can be studied and compared with other specimens, and where, in 

 the course of the increasing light of science, they may be made to 

 reveal truths beyond present anticipation. 



Herbarium. — Au account of the transfer of the extensive collection 

 of plants of the Institution to the care of the Department of Agriculture 

 has been given in previous reports, but it is thought important to place 

 on record a more detailed history of this collection than has yet been 

 published, and I therefore present the following account of it from notes 

 furnished by Dr. Torrey. 



The Institution having accumulated a large number of botanical 

 specimens collected in various parts of the world, most of them brought 

 home by the Government exploring expeditions, others presented by 

 authors of botanical works, travelers or special collectors, the offer 

 was made by Professor John Torrey to arrange, without compensation, 

 all these separate collections into one general herbarium. This offer was 

 gladly accepted on the part of the Institution, and all the specimens 

 on hand, and all that were subsequently received up to 1869, were 

 transferred to him. When he commenced the task, the specimens, 

 especially those collected by the Institution, were still in bundles as 

 they were received, and all required to be poisoned to prevent their 

 destruction by insects, which had already commenced their ravages. 

 The plan adopted by Dr. Torrey for the arrangement of the plants was 

 of the most approved character. Each species, often represented by sev- 

 eral specimens, and all the marked varieties, are fastened to a half sheet 

 of strong white paper and labeled. All the species of a genus are laid 

 on one or more whole sheets of thicker tinted paper, on the lower left- 

 hand corner of which the generic name is written. The genera are 

 arranged according to the natural system, following for the most part 

 the order of De Oandolle. A very large proportion of the specimens 

 are authentically named by the authors who have described them ; and 

 as they are the type-specimeus or originals of several important works 

 are invaluable for reference. Some of the more valuable portions 

 of the Smithsonian herbarium are the following : 



1. The plants collected by the exploring expedition under the command 

 of Admiral Wilkes, during the years 1838 to 1842. Many countries were 

 visited in this voyage round the world, and an extensive herbarium 



