1888.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 449 
The Conservator’s report to the Section, giving the details of these 
additions, is added as a part of this report.. 
Respectfully submitted, 
Thomas Meehan, 
Vice-Director. 
Conservator's Report for 1888.—The Conservator of the Botanical 
Section reports that during the year closing Dec. 10th, the additions 
to the herbarium consist of 2525 species, of which 2296 are vascular 
plants, and 229 are Lichens, Fungi and Algae. Of the 2296 species 
of vascular plants 1040 are believed to be new to our collection, 77 
of them being of genera not before represented. 693 species are 
North America, 1414 are from Tropical America, 171 from the East¬ 
ern Continent, and 18 are Australian. 
It is gratifying to know’ that the rate of increase has not declined, 
and that so large a portion of it is of forms not previously represent¬ 
ed. 
The most important addition of the past year is the completion of 
the collections made by Dr. H. H. Rusby in Bolivia and the neigh¬ 
boring regions in 1885 and 1886, consisting of 983 species of which 
nearly 600 are believed to be new to us. Including the portion of 
this collection received by us the previous year, the whole consists 
of 1433 species. These have been contributed by members of the 
Section, supplemented by the proceeds of duplicate plants sold by 
its order. Other valuable additions to our representation of the 
flora of Tropical America are—266 species collected by C. G. 
Pringle in the Province of Coahuila, Mexico, and 100 species 
collected in the Mexican Province of Tabasco and presented by Sr. 
Jose X. Rovirosa, from whom we have reason to expect further con¬ 
tributions. 
The number of species of vascular plants in the herbarium of the 
Academy, at the date of the last report, w’as estimated at . 27,267 
to w hich add the accession of new species of this year . 1,040 
giving the estimated present total ..... 28,307 
of which 8200 are North American, that is from the region covered 
by Gray’s Synoptical Flora. 
In May last was completed the work of mounting the special 
herbarium of North American plants. This w’ork was begun in 
1878, and has been continued from year to year in the intervals of 
other duties. In this the Conservator received most efficient aid 
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