theoretical  importance.  Intensive  work  on  regions  near  at  hand  has 
resulted  in  discoveries  even  more  striking  since  in  fields  which  had 
been  thought  exhausted.  Thus  a  single  season’s  close  examination 
of  Cape  Cod  by  one  of  the  most  skilled  of  the  Herbarium  staff 
brought  to  light  about  180  plants  new  to  the  region,  42  not  pre¬ 
viously  known  to  occur  in  Massachusetts,  and  no  less  than  15  entirely 
new  to  science. 
Publications.  —  The  publications  range  from  floras,  technical 
monographs  and  extended  bibliographies  of  high  excellence  to  semi- 
popular  accounts  of  discoveries  of  surprising  diversity,  such  as  the 
soil-preferences  of  plants,  the  historic  development  of  floras,  botanical 
evidence  as  to  the  site  of  the  early  Norse  settlements  in  America, 
and  proofs  of  post-glacial  land-bridges  along  now  submerged  por¬ 
tions  of  the  Atlantic  coastal  shelf. 
Relations. — As  one  of  the  major  botanical  establishments  of  the 
world  the  Gray  Herbarium  stands  in  relations  of  mutual  helpfulness 
to  such  well-known  institutions  as  the  Royal  Botanical  Gardens  at 
Kew,  the  British  Museum,  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  at  Paris, 
as  well  as  similar  establishments  at  Geneva  and  elsewhere.  In  recent 
years  it  has  been  cooperating  particularly  with  the  New  York  Botani¬ 
cal  Garden  and  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  in  various  enterprises 
of  tropical  exploration.  It  should  be  remarked  that  of  all  these  great 
botanical  establishments  the  Gray  Herbarium  is  almost  the  only  one 
which  does  not  enjoy  governmental,  state,  or  municipal  aid. 
To  the  Patrons  of  the  Gray  Herbarium. — The  new  endowment 
fund,  recently  and  very  gratefully  received  by  Harvard  University, 
while  of  the  utmost  importance  in  permitting  an  increase  in  the 
salaries  of  the  teaching  staff,  does  not  supplement  in  any  way  the 
capital  of  the  scientific  establishments  except  in  the  case  of  a  few 
specially  restricted  gifts.  The  income  of  the  Herbarium  is  still 
essentially  on  the  pre-war  basis,  while  its  expenses  for  specimens, 
instruments  and  other  equipment,  mounting  paper,  chemicals,  and 
all  supplies,  books,  periodicals,  and  printing  have  advanced  from 
30  to  more  than  100  per  cent.  Under  these  circumstances  it  will  be 
readily  understood  that  in  spite  of  cautious  management  the  un¬ 
avoidable  expenses  of  the  establishment  have  now  reached  a  point 
at  which  it  will  be  needful  to  curtail  the  normal  growth  of  the  collec¬ 
tions  and  restrict  in  important  ways  the  undertakings  of  the  staff 
unless  its  work  can  have  somewhat  increased  support.  Many  per¬ 
sons  have  in  the  past  aided  the  Herbarium  by  annual  contributions. 
Without  this  assistance  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  Her¬ 
barium  to  have  undertaken  many  scientific  enterprises  in  exploration 
and  publication  which  have  been,  with  such  aid,  brought  to  successful 
and  gratifying  completion. 
At  this  time  scientific  investigation  in  Europe  is  seriously  crippled. 
This  brings  to  American  establishments  an  exceptional  opportunity 
for  important  service  in  carrying  forward  work  on  problems  of 
much  interest  and  in  many  of  their  aspects  of  considerable  impor¬ 
tance  to  human  welfare.  From  these  considerations  it  is  believed 
that  the  patrons  who  have  in  the  past  aided  the  Gray  Herbarium 
will  feel  willing  to  continue  and  where  possible  increase  such  assist¬ 
ance  during  the  present  year,  and  that  others  may  be  inclined  to 
contribute  to  maintain  at  its  highest  efficiency  the  work  of  this 
notable  establishment. 
NATHANIEL  T.  KIDDEIl,  Chairman. 
JOSEPH  R.  LEESON 
JOHN  E.  THAYER 
MISS  SUSAN  MINNS 
MISS  KATHARINE  P.  LORING 
HARRIS  KENNEDY 
FRANCIS  W.  HUNNEWELL 
MRS.  GARDINER  M.  LANE 
WALTER  DEANE 
Members  of  the  Visiting  Committee 
of  the  Gray  Herbarium. 
Boston,  March  20,  1922. 
Remittances  should  be  addressed  and  checks  drawn  to  the  Oray  Herbarium, 
Cambridge,  Mass. 
Gifts  to  the  Gray  Herbarium  are  acknowledged  in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the 
President  and  the  Treasurer  of  Harvard  College. 
