REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF FOSSIL PLANTS IN THE U. S. 

 NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1886. 



By Lester F. Ward, Honorary Curator. 



Comparatively few additions have been made to the collection during 

 tbe year, the most important being a series of 33 species (93 specimens), 

 presented by Mrs. II. 0. Beck with. Most of the specimens in this do- 

 nation were collected by Rev. A. Lakes in the vicinity of Morrison, Colo., 

 the rest from Golden, Colo. 



The other additions consist of specimens sent by the various cor- 

 respondents of the Institution for identification. 



The routine work in the department has been confined to caring for 

 the specimens as they have been received, and in boxing up and send- 

 ing for determination the large mass of material, which has been accu- 

 mulating for many years. 



In September, 1885, ten boxes of miscellaneous material were sent to 

 Prof. Leo Lesquereux, of Columbus, Ohio, for identification. This 

 material has been accumulating since the founding of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, and had become of such magnitude that the question of 

 space was a serious one. In working up this material Professor Lesque- 

 reux has found much that is incapable of satisfactory determination, and 

 such has been discarded. On the last of May, 1886, these specimens were 

 returned to the Museum, all carefully labeled. From this material Pro- 

 essor Lesquereux was able to determine about 150 species, of which 

 number 107 species were new to the collection and 14 new to science. 



PRESENT STATE OF THE COLLECTION. 



(1) Total number of specimens of catalogued material (exclusive of my recent 



collection still in hand for study) 7, 439 



(2) Number of specimens not specifically identified (mostly fossil wood) 1,713 



(3) Determined material 5, C13 



(4) Number of specimens discarded 113 



(f>) Duplicates now stored in tbe Armory Building 1,091 



(G) Number of distinct species identified, catalogued, and installed: 



Paleozoic 330 



Mesozoic 194 



Cenozoic 548 



1,072 



231 



