X11I.-DEPARTMKNT OF FOSSIL PLANTS. 



ByLxBTBB r. Ward, Honorary Curator 



Only a few scattering accessions have been made t<> the department 

 daring the year, and do work strictly appertaining to the curatorship 

 \v;is undertaken until alter the beginning of N<>\ ember, owing to my not 

 having any assistants and to being constantly employed in the prepara- 

 tion of reports for the Geological Survey. The material which [am 

 elaborating for these reports will, however, be ultimately turned over to 



the Museum, and will largely increase its collections. 



On November 5, Mr. Frank II. Knowlton was assigned to duty in the 

 Department of Fossil Plants, and since that date he has been employed 

 in devising and perfect ing a system of cataloguing and installing the ac- 

 cessions. A large amount of miscellaneous and undetermined material 

 had accumulated which it had been impossible for me to attend to, and 

 this he lias carefully and intelligently examined, classified, and cata- 

 logued. This material, therefore, I am now able, for the first time, to em- 

 brace in my enumeration of stock in hand. Mr. Knowlton has also 

 performed a large number of minor duties incident to the routine work 

 of the department which had been deferred for want of time, and is in- 

 trusted with the care of specimens as they arrive, and with all clerical 

 work, which I hope may hereafter be attended to without delay. 



Mr. A. L. Schott, formerly of the Botanic Garden, who has ben 

 ployed in the Museum to attend to the palms and other ornam< 

 plants in the rotunda and on the adjacent balconies, was also assig 

 to my department early in November, and the permission given :. 

 command his services during such portion of the time as they were not 

 required in the care of the plants intrusted to his charge. The great 

 need 1 was la. oring under of specimens of living plants for comparison 

 with fossil impressions, coupled with Mr. Scbott's peculiar fitness 

 collecting the exotic plants of the parks, streets, and greenhoua 

 the city, determined me to intrust him with the duty of making such a 

 collection. It gives me pleasure to testify to the intelligent and satis- 

 factory manner in which he has performed this duty. The specimens 

 he daily brings, and which are carefully dried and preserved, repri 

 species from all parts of the world, and especially from the tropics and 



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