HARVARD  UNIVERSITY  HERBARIUM. 
301 
would  be  required  to  defray  the  current  expenses  of  the  Her- 
barium, i.  e.  for  the  purchase  of  certain  collections  and  books 
not  obtainable  by  exchange,  for  freights  and  charges,  paper, 
alcohol,  fuel,  &c.  I  am  informed  that  this  sum,  which  Mr. 
George  B.  Emerson  undertook  to  raise  by  subscription,  is  sub- 
stantially secured.  It  is  desirable,  but  probably  not  at  this 
time  practicable,  that  this  endowment  should  be  so  far  extended 
as  to  provide  for  the  services  of  a  Curator,  so  that  I  could 
myself  devote  valuable  time  to  the  prosecution  of  important 
botanical  works  for  which  I  am  prepared,  and  to  which  I  am 
pledged. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect,  very  truly  yours, 
Asa  Gray." 
We  understand  that  extensive  collections  of  botanical  speci- 
mens, to  be  added  to  the  herbarium,  have  recently  accrued. 
Among  them  are — 
A  full  suit  of  Mr.  Charles  Wright's  collections,  (about  2500 
specimens,)  made  in  Cuba  during  the  past  four  years,  and  just 
now  arranged  and  distributed  among  botanists. 
A  very  interesting  set  of  plants  recently  collected,  chiefly  by 
Professor  Brewer,  in  the  Geological  Survey  of  California  under 
Professor  Whitney. 
The  numerous  and  important  duplicate  Carices,  and  other 
OyperaceceA  of  the  late  Dr.  Boott,  presented  by  Mrs.  Boott; 
the  proper  herbarium,  set  of  Qarioes  having  been  bequeathed  to 
the  herbarium  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Kew. 
A  large  collection  of  plants  of  Mauritius  and  Madagascar,  and 
a  continuation  of  the  distribution  of  the  British  East  India 
herbaria  of  Griffith,  Heifer,  &c,  presented  by  the  directors  of 
the  Royal  Botanical  Gardens  and  Herbaria  at  Kew. 
A  similar  distribution  (in  continuation)  of  plants  of  the 
Dutch  East  Indies  and  Japan,  from  the  Royal  Netherlands 
Herbarium,  Leyden,  now  under  the  charge  of  Professor  Miquel. 
A  selection  from  the  Mexican  collection  of  the  late  Professor 
Liebmann  (Oaks,  Ferns,  Cyperaeecey  &c. ) ;  from'  the  Royal 
Danish  Botanic  Garden,  Copenhagen. 
An  extensive  set  of  authentically  determined  plants  of  Persia, 
Siberia,  and  Northern  China,  from  Professor  Bunge  of  Dorpat ; 
and  of  Algerian  plants,  &c,  from  Mr.  Cosson. 
