Donors.
Adams, Rev. J. S., Ningpo. Armstrong, J. M.
Botanic Gardens, Adelaide, South Australia.
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Mauritius.
Melbourne.
Natal.
Penang.
Brisbane.
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Jamaica.
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Townsville.
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Trinidad.
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Cook, Mrs.
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Port Darwin. Saharanpur.
Singapore.
Cox, J. H.
Cundall, C. H., Manila. Diercks, F., Hankow.
Henry, Rev. B. C., Canton, Johnstone, D. A., Hoihow. Kneebone, Miss.
Koch & Brunner, Messrs., Cebu. Livesey, J., Stone-Cutters' Island. MacGowan, Dr. D. J. Roebelen, C.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta.
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Ceylon.
Kew, London.
Cooper, W. M., Ningpo.
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Palm Nurseries, U.S.A.
Schultz, Mrs., Perak.
Thurston, K.C.M.G., Sir J. B., Fiji. Veitch & Sons, Messrs. J., London.
HERBARIUM.
The facilities and accommodation not only for extending, but even for maintaining the collections of scientific dried plants are still lamentably deficient. We have now about reached the limit of possibility of progress unless the suggestions which I have made on several occasions be responded to. There are now large collections of plants put away which have been made, dried, and poisoned, and which cannot be mounted, labelled and incorporated with the general collections in cabinets until the additional accommodation for working at and storing the specimens is available.*
As much attention as possible has been given to the herbarium demands whenever a little time could be obtained between other work. A considerable number of plants have been poisoned, and mounted by the clerk and office boy, and labelled and incorporated by myself, but there are large numbers which it has been impossible to overtake.
A collection of nearly 2,000 named specimens of chiefly Asiatic plants have been procured by purchase. Since they came into our possession they have all been poisoned to preserve them from damage or destruction by insects, and many of them have been mounted. Another large collection was obtained during a journey made by myself, with Chinese assistants, up the North and Lienchau Rivers in the Kwangtung Province. Duplicates of all these have been sent to Kew Gardens. They have not yet been examined and determined, so that I am not yet able to make a report on the species which were obtained.
Donations of dried plants have been received from the Rev. E. FABER, of Shanghai, amongst which were many species of Chinese plants which were not before in our herbarium.
BOTANICAL LECTURES.
When the Chinese Medical College was inaugurated last year I was invited to give the Botanical Lectures to the students. With the approval of the Government I consented to do this, and have continued since last October to deliver two lectures a week. The lectures have all been given after office hours. For the sake of the demonstrations it would have been more convenient to give the lectures during daylight, but this was found impracticable to work into the time table of the College. Botanical specimens to illustrate the lectures, have been supplied to the students from the Botanic Gardens.
Since the Herbarium has been provided with more suitable accommodation, the students have received their lectures twice a week in the Herbarium room instead of at the Medical College. By this arrangement the resources of the Herbarium have been readily available and of great assistance to the students. The students take great interest in the botanical lectures, and many of them give promise of capacities for making considerable acquirements in botanical science.
LIBRARY.
A copy of the Chi Wa Ming, a valuable work on Chinese Botany which is difficult to procure, was obtained from Peking, through the kind aid of the Registrar General's Department of this Colony, and of Dr. DUDGEON at Peking.
I have to thank the Indian Forest Department for sending regularly copies of its various Reports which have been received throughout the year, and also the Directors of the many Botanic Gardens in various colonies for Annual Reports.
To Mr. THISELTON DYER, Director of Kew Gardens, we are specially indebted for numerous copies of the "Index Flore Sinensis" of the various parts as they were published, and also for copies of "Icones Plantarum" and the "Kew Bulletin," the latter complete for the year 1887, the first year of its publication.
* Since the above was written I am very pleased to say that by some alterations in the departmental buildings very greatly improved accommodation has been provided by the Government, and work long delayed is now progressing satisfactorily.
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