1877.] 187 [Annual Meeting. 



the course. For this purpose blank forms were distributed 

 to the teachers, which enabled each teacher to pursue his 

 examination of the flower in hand independently, prevented 

 confusion, and enabled the instructor to cover more ground 

 than would have been possible by any other method. 



The attendance was unusually large, averaging one hundred. 



LABORATORY. 



The work in the Laboratory has been steadily progressing 

 under the charge of Mr. Crosby. The collections for the 

 use of students are being rapidly built up, and will, it is 

 hoped, be completed during the next official year. The 

 room and collections have been used this year by the Insti- 

 tute of Technology, not only for the instruction of the usual 

 class, but also for the benefit of a class from the Boston 

 University. 



CONDITION OF THE COLLECTIONS. 



The Minerals are in the same good condition as when last 

 reported upon, but have received some very valuable addi- 

 tions through the generosity of the President, Mr. Bouve. 



The arrangement of the Geological Collection has been 

 completed by the same gentleman, and is now open to the 

 public. 



Mr. Crosby's report shows that excellent progress has been 

 made in the Paleontological collections, which are under his 

 charge. All the fossils of the Triassic and the Cretaceous 

 periods, and the larger part of the Jurassic formations in the 

 European Department, have been mounted, catalogued, and 

 labelled by Miss Carter, and are now on exhibition. 



The work on the North American collection has been 

 done by Miss Washburn, and has consisted in the rearrang- 

 ment, cataloguing, and relabeling of all the fossils of the 

 formations, from the Devonian to the Cretaceous, inclusive. 

 The work in the Paleontological Department also included 

 the identification of the new additions to the collections, 



