18 
It has been estimated that the work of verifying, arranging and 
fastening down specimens, now going on by the voluntary work of 
the members of the Section, could not be completed under four or 
five years, even though there were no new additions. The dire 
necessity for a regularly employed official is therefore obvious. 
The Section is clear of debt and has a balance in the treasury. 
Meetings are held regularly on the second Tuesday in each month, 
except during the three summer months, and matters of wide botani¬ 
cal interest have been regularly discussed. Mr. Stewardson Brown 
has been serving very efficiently as Conservator pending the annual 
election. His report showing the condition of the Herbarium, is 
herewith appended. 
The officers elected for the ensuing year are as follows:— 
Director, 
Thomas Meehan. 
Vice-Director, . 
. Charles E. Smith. 
Recorder, 
Charles Schaffer, M. D. 
Treasurer, 
Stewardson Brown. 
Corresponding Secretary, . 
Joseph D. Crawford. 
Conservator, 
Stewardson Brown. 
Thomas Meehan, 
Director. 
The Conservator of the Botanical Section reports as follows :— 
In presenting this report for the year your Conservator wishes to 
congratulate the Section on the general good condition of the Herba¬ 
rium at the present time. 
The permanent mounting of the specimens in the general Herba¬ 
rium, commenced some years ago, has been carried steadily forward 
during the present year, largely through the untiring efforts of the 
Director of the Section, Mr. Thomas Meehan; and we can now 
report the work done as far as Umbelliferae. 
The additions received during the year have been 1,683 species, 
of* which 332 are lower Cryptogams, and 1,351 Phanerogams and 
Ferns ; of the latter, 442 species are from North America, 426 from 
tropical America, 253 from iVsia, and 226 from Australia and 
Polynesia. 
Notable among these are the following collections :— 
245 species of Newfoundland plants received from the Howard 
Herbarium, Cambridge ; 111 species of Northern California plants 
