BOTANIC GARDEN, PEHADENIA. 131 



Plants of various kinds are now being raised from seeds received 

 from Calcutta, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope. 



III.— MUSEUM AND ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT. 



Amongst the additions recently made, I have the pleasure of men- 

 tioning a very valuble series of specimens of woods, consisting of 

 nearly 200 correctly-named kinds, presented by Mr. Wright,* of Pera- 

 denia. This, with the collections of woods previously in the Museum, 

 comprising the contributions of Mr. Bailey, assistant Government 

 agent at Badulla, and of Mendis Modliar, makes the number very con- 

 siderable ; and I have reason to believe that a donation from another 

 quarter will be made before very long. Mr. Samuel Jayetilleke, 

 Modliar of Kornegalle, has also been a contributor to the Museum 



during the past year. 



Fibres. — In conformity with instructions from the Government, I 

 addressed, in January last, a letter to the Honourable Francis Burke, 

 on the subject of his machine for the preparation of fibres, informing 

 him that Government had directed me to put myself in communication 

 with him; and I requested him to be so obliging as to inform me 

 whether his machines were then to be procured, and where application 

 should be made for them : I am sorry to say that no answer has yet 

 been received to this letter; so it is to be supposed that difficulties 

 still exist to prevent the machine being brought into that general use 

 in the colonies which there was every reason to believe, from reports 

 respecting it, would be the case before this time. I cannot doubt I 

 shall receive a reply to my letter, so soon as Mr. Burke is in a position 

 to give me any definite useful information on the subject, and I shall 

 then lose no time before making it known. 



Museum Building.- -By direction of Government, the civil engineer 

 has prepared a plan and estimate for a separate building to be erected 

 in these Gardens, as recommended last year by the Legislative Council, 

 to contain the specimens of woods, fibres, oils, gums, and other articles 

 of interest at present in the collection, together with such additions as 

 are likely, from time to time, to be made to them. The plan provides 

 for space in the building that will probably be sufficient for some kw 

 years, and additions could be made to it when found necessary. At 



♦ These two gentlemen have also contributed valuable collection of Ceylon woods 

 and fibres to the Museum of the Koyal Gardens at Kew. 



