their water supply, as, from their habitat, this supply must be precarious. In temperate regions nearly all of the species are terrestrial, and have thin leaves, the soil about their roots serving to protect them from the cold and also giving them a more constant water supply: they do not, therefore, need pseudobulbs or thickened stems. Coming from all parts of the world as they do, their blooming time varies greatly, so that at almost any time of the year, be it winter or summer, some of these interesting plants may be found in bloom.

On the central bench is an interesting palm, the double cocoanut (Lodoicea maldivica), a native of the Seychelles Islands, also known as the coco de mer, and coco des Maldives, and one of the rarest palms in cultivation; in the specimen here shown the upper portion of the seed may be seen projecting above the soil. The tree in its native wilds attains a height of ninety feet, bearing aloft a magnificent crown of green leaves which make it an important feature of the landscape. This is the only plant in this house not a member of the orchid family; it is kept here for cultural

reasons.

Conservatory Court. There are two attractive features here during the open season, viz., the water lily collection and the collection of desert plants. The water lilies may be found in two tanks, one in each end of the court. In the easterly tank are placed the hardy sorts, such as are able to withstand the severe cold of our winters, which remain permanently where they are, winter and summer. In the westerly pool are the tender kinds, or such as require protection during the winter, and many of these are stored in a warm cellar during winter and placed on view again in the spring. The most conspicuous of the tender sorts are the royal water-lilies from South America; these are not hardy in this climate, and, as they are too large to protect from the cold, they are grown anew from seed each year; the seeds are sown in the propagating houses late in winter, and the young plants placed on view late in the spring or in early

summer.

In summer the collection of desert plants is in three beds in front of the entrance to house No. 1. The central bed contains American desert plants only, made up largely of members of the cactus, amaryllis and lily families; in the easterly beds will be found desert plants from southern Africa. In the western bed are representatives of the orpine family.

Conservatory Flower Beds. To the north of the conservatories, occupying a portion of the area below the terrace, are several large plots devoted to a miscellaneous display of shrubs, evergreens and herbaceous plants. Attractive flowers may be seen here from the earliest spring until late autumn, while the evergreens make a pleasing effect during the winter. The herbaceous plants are plainly labeled, thus adding much to their interest for the visiting public.

Range No. 2

This range, four houses of which have been constructed, is located on the easterly side of the grounds, in the midst of the deciduous arboretum. The completed portion consists of a transverse range, running east and west, divided into three compartments, and a smaller house at right angles to this range. The tropical ferns and their allies and the cycads are exhibited here.

In the easterly compartment of this transverse range the collection of sago palms or cycads has been installed. This family of plants is represented by large specimens of Cycas revoluta, from Japan; by Cycas circinalis, from the Molucca Islands; by a single plant of the rare Stangeria eriopus, from southern Africa, where it is known as the kaffir's-head; by a number of specimens of the genus Zamia, including the small Florida coonties; and by the Kaffir-bread (Encephalartos), two species, from Africa; the stems and trunks of plants of this family contain much starch, which is extracted, in the countries in which they grow, by crushing and washing, and pass into commerce under the name of sago starch.

In the middle and westerly houses of the transverse range

may be found the tropical tree-ferns and the larger specimens of the low ferns and fern-allies.

The graceful tree-ferns usually inhabit the mountains of the tropics, commonly at an elevation of 1500 feet or more. Many of the plants here have been secured by Garden expeditions to different parts of the American tropics. Another feature of interest is the collection of staghorn-ferns, hanging over the walk in the center house; the application of the common name staghorn is quite evident in several of the species. Suspended from the roof in baskets are many desirable ferns. A fern from China and Tartary, known as the Scythian Lamb (Cibotium Barometz), may be found here; it is of interest as forming the basis of a marvellous tale, current in early times, to the effect that on a vast plain to the eastward of the Volga occurred a wonderful plant, looking like a lamb; this animal, so the story ran, was supported upon a stalk and as soon as it had exhausted the vegetation at hand died from starvation.

In the small house may be found a collection of tropical ferns arranged in botanical sequence, thus bringing closely related families and genera into juxtaposition and enabling a comparative study of these plants to be made. It is only possible to represent in this sequence the position of the treeferns by very small specimens. These may be studied to better advantage in the larger houses.

Power Houses. Steam for heating the conservatories, range 1, is supplied from the power house, located near the New York Central Railroad just south of the 200th Street entrance and connected with the conservatories by a subway about six hundred feet long containing the steam mains; five boilers are installed and supply steam not only to the conservatories, but also to the museum building through another subway about twelve hundred feet in length.

Steam for heating the conservatories, range 2, is supplied from a boiler house near this structure, a little to the north.

2. The Botanical Museum

The Museum Building has a frontage of 312 feet, and in so far as now constructed, a depth of about 90 feet; the plan of this building contemplates its future extension toward the rear, so as to form a quadrangle enclosing a court. The architectural style of the building is Italian Renaissance. The walls are of light-colored brick and the trimmings of terra-cotta. It has a steel frame and concrete floors. Three floors are devoted to public exhibits, while the upper floor contains study rooms, the library, laboratories and herbarium, which may be used and consulted by permission.

The building is approached by two straight driveways and accompanying sidewalks leading from the main park driveway near the New York Central Railroad station; this front approach to the building is ornamented by a bronze fountain executed by the sculptor Carl E. Tefft, and by terra-cotta fountains and marble seats designed by R. W. Gibson, the architect of the building. The vista lines are formed by four parallel rows of trees.

The public collections in this buildings are:

1. THE MUSEUM OF ECONOMIC BOTANY This occupies the entire main floor, and here are brought together both crude and refined products of plants used in the arts, sciences and industries, illustrated also by photographs and drawings. The specimens are arranged as products, including food, drugs, fibers, gums, resins, sugars and others as indicated by the accompanying floor plan.

The arrangement of the larger groups is as follows: Foods and fibers occupy the west hall, the former in cases on the north side, the latter on the south. The west wing is mainly given over to exhibits other than foods, fibers, drugs and woods. The east hall contains the drugs, while the east wing is set aside for the woods and wood products, and for a collection illustrating North American dendrology.

Fibers. Cases 1 to 18.-In the first case of the series