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HERBARIUM.

There has been no large collection made by the department during 1907 but the work' was continued upon the 1905 Fokien Collection. A large number of specimens from this and other collections, whose identification could not be completed in Hongkong, was taken to England by the Superintendent and worked out in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. More than 40 of the Fokien specimens proved to be new to science. The collection is an important contribution to the knowledge of the Chinese Flora and the enter- prise of the Hongkong Government in sending the expedition to Central Fokien will be much appreciated by botanists. Among the other novelties described and named at Kew were two wild Plums recently collected in this neighbourhood Prúnus marginata, Dunn, and Prunus fordiana, Dunu. Two new Hongkong trees Beilschmeidia Fordii, Dunn, collected 25 years ago by Mr. FORD in Wongneichong Village and Elaa mus Tutcheri, Dunn, collected near Cape Aguilar by Mr. TurCHER; a new Saussurea from the Superintendent's Korean collection mentioned in last year's Report and a beautiful Lovostigma collected many years ago by Mr. FORD on the N.W. River. All these are described in the Journal of Botany 1907, pp. 402-4. Another plant of the same family as the last named, collected by Dr. A. HENRY in Yunnan, was described in the Kew Bälletin (1908 p. 19) as Oreocharis aurea, Dunn. The publication of the above species, in addition to the usual roatine comprised the Herbarium work of the year. Descriptions and illustrations of several plants from the Hongkong Herbarium have also been published by Mr. HEMSLEY, Keeper of the Kew Herba- rium, in Hooker's Icones Plantarum Vol. IX. pt. II, viz., Sycupsis Putcheri, Hems!., from near Mountain Lodge, Hongkong, and the following four from Fokien: Distylium myricoides, Hemsl., Dysfilium strictum, Hemsl., Sycopsis Dannii, Hems!., Altingia gracilipes, Hemsl.

Two more hoxes of specimens of the economic products of South China were despatched to the Imperial Institute in April and were received in good condition. The Superintendent had the pleasure of calling upon Prof. DUNSTAN, the Director of that establishment, during the summer and of seeing the collections partially arranged in the Hongkong Court. This forms one of the series of exhibition gallerics devoted to the smaller colonies. It is a spacious, well lighted room and, although not yet completely arranged, promises to provide a particularly attractive feature in the Colonial collections. On the walls are excellent maps and photographs of Hongkong while the various economic and other specimens including fruits, oils, spices, bamboo-ware, fabrics, etc., are arranged in show cases at the sides and down the centre of the room.

The trouble taken by the Government of Hongkong and the various private firms that have contributed exhibits is duly appreciated by the Staff of the Institute. The capital exhibition now provided should do much to interest visitors in Hongkong matters as well as to advertise the commercial productions of our Colony.

During the year all the Balsam specimens in our Herbarium were sent, at his request, to Sir JOSEPH HOOKER for examination. They were received back before the end of the year, with determination attached. The careful drawings and dissections which had been inade on most of the sheets gave welcome evidence of that veteran botanist's continued vig- Ten ont of the seventeen species submitted proved to be new, their names are however withheld pending publication. The named specimens form a valuable addition to the Colo- nial Herbarium.

our.

Mr. TUTCHER'S list of additions to the Flora of Hongkong and the New Territories forms Appendix B.

It is not often that the botanical work of residents in the Colony outside of this depart- ment finds mention in this report. It is with special pleasure, therefore, that I put on re- cord the careful work which has been accomplished during the year by Mrs. L. GIBBS and the numerous additions made by her to the Herbarium as mentioned in Appendix B.

The chief donors of Herbarium Specimens were:--

Fleet Surgeon C. G. MATTHEW, R.N.; Mrs. GIBBS; Jardin Imperial de Botanique,

St. Petersburg; MERRILL, Mr. E.

BOTANICAL INVESTIGATION.

The only collecting done from the department was by a Chinese collector who was kind- ly taken by Fleet Surgeon C. G. MATTHEW, R.N., on his expedition to Lienchow.