DEPARTMENT OF RECENT PLANTS. 235 



table products the general public will be stimulated to give material 

 which is now allowed to be wasted. 



The research work has been confined in the main to the identification 

 of material that has been sent for determination by its correspondents, 

 or has in other ways become the property of the department. When 

 the routine work of installing the collections now in hand is completed 

 it is hoped that more extended researches may be undertaken. 



According to the record furnished by the card-catalogue, there are 

 now in the herbarium and accessible 15,538 species of plants. Of the 

 actual number of specimens it is impossible to state, but 30,000 may be 

 taken as a safe estimate, as it is less than an average of two to each 

 species. It is also impossible to give the exact number of duplicates for 

 distribution or exchange, but there are probably from 5,000 to 8,000 

 specimens. 



The last entry in the Museum catalogue on June 30, 18S5, was 23, and 

 the last on June 30, 1886, was 63, making a total of 40 entries during 

 the year. 



