

r \l E V A CE. 



During the last decade the National Museum has acquired large 

 collections of Mexican and Centra] American plant-. These collec- 

 tions are rich in new material but evidently they are not sufficiently 

 comprehensive to warrant undertaking the publication of a general 

 flora of any one of these countries without further exploration. In 

 order, however, to make public the scientific results of preliminary 

 studies of the collections a -eric- of papers ha- been carried on in 

 the Contributions from the National Herbarium under the title. 

 "Studies of Mexican and Central American Plant-.'" by Dr. J. \. 

 Rose, associate curator. It is now proposed to begin a similar -• 

 under the title. "Studies of Tropical American Ferns," by Mr. Wil- 

 liam R. Maxon. assistant curator. Although at present this will 

 deal largely with Mexican and Central American collect ion-, it will 

 include also descriptions of new and noteworthy West Indian species. 

 South American forms will be considered al-o. ; i- circumstances may 

 require. 



Frederick V. ( )o\ n.n. 

 Curator <>f tht United States National II> rim fin m. 



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