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HARVARD  UNIVERSITY  HERBARIUM. 
HARYARD  UNIVERSITY  HERBARIUM. 
This  establishment  is  noticed  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the 
President  of  the  University  to  the  Board  of  Overseers,  made 
in  January  last,  as  follows  : — 
"Dr.  Asa  Gray  has  presented  to  the  University  his  invalu- 
able Herbarium  and  his  Botanical  Library  •  which  have  been 
safely  transferred  to  the  fire-proof  building  furnished,  at  a  cost 
of  over  twelve  thousand  dollars,  by  the  generosity  of  Nathaniel 
Thayer,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  A  fund  has  also  been  raised  by  sub- 
scription, for  the  support  and  increase  of  the  collection  .  .  .  . 
The  gift  of  Dr.  Gray  cannot  be  estimated  in  money,  but  it  em- 
braces the  results  of  many  years'  labor  faithfully  given  by  that 
distinguished  botanist,  aided  by  the  generosity  of  his  collabora- 
tors and  correspondents  in  various  parts  of  the  world." 
The  collections  were  formally  presented  by  the  following  let- 
ter : — 
"  Botanic  Garden,  Cambridge,  November  30,  1864. 
"  To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hill,  President  of  Harvard  University : 
"  My  Dear  Sir  : — I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the 
Herbarium  and  Botanical  Library,  which  a  year  ago  I  offered  to 
present  to  the  University,  are  now  safely  deposited  in  the  build- 
ing erected  for  their  reception  by  Mr.  Thayer.  I  have  regarded 
them  as  belonging  to  the  University  from  the  beginning  of  the 
present  year :  but  I  wish  more  formally  to  make  them  over  to 
the  President  and  Fellows,  as  the  foundation  of  the  Harvard 
University  Herbarium. 
"  The  Herbarium  is  estimated  to  contain  at  least  200,000 
specimens,  and  is  constantly  increasing.  From  the  very  large 
number  of  typical  specimens  it  comprises,  its  safe  preservation 
is  very  important. 
"The  Library,  from  the  rough  catalogue  which  has  been 
made  out,  contains  about  2200  botanical  works — perhaps  1600 
volumes,  and  nearly  as  many  separate  memoirs,  tracts,  &c. 
"  The  current  expenses  of  the  establishment  for  the  first  half 
of  the  year  now  drawing  to  a  close  have  been  defrayed  by  Dr. 
Jacob  Bigelow,  who  placed  in  my  hands  a  special  donation  of 
two  hundred  dollars  for  this  purpose. 
"I  had  stated  that  the  income  of  a  capital  sum  of  $10,000 
