THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 19 



terial, to add the modern botanical name in each case. The 

 second series of specimens has been distributed into sets under 

 the title "Reliquiae Robinsonianae." 



Mr. Merrill's attempt to interpret the species described by the 

 Spanish botanists Blanco and Llanos, of which no types are 

 extant, is being continued. These species have been obscure to 

 all botanists since they were described, because the authors pre- 

 served no botanical material. These species can be properly 

 interpreted only by a careful study of the original descriptions in 

 connection with all other data given by the authors — economic 

 notes, native names, habitats, dates of flowering, etc. — comparing 

 such data with our extensive collections of Philippine material, 

 and searching for individual species in the exact localities 

 mentioned by the authors. 



Doctor Brown's investigations on the relation of environmental 

 factors to the physical type of vegetation on Mount Maquiling 

 are nearly completed. All of the chief types of Philippine vegeta- 

 tion are represented on this mountain. A thorough series of 

 measurements, extending over two years, has been made on all 

 types of vegetation and the occurrence of the diff'erent physical 

 types thereby explained. His completed paper promises to be 

 of great importance, for no similar work, at least on such an 

 extensive scale, has ever been done in the tropics. 



Field ivork. — Aside from the work on Mount Maquiling, explo- 

 ration and collection trips were made to Samar, Laguna, Cavite, 

 Rizal, Eulacan, Pangasinan, and Batangas Provinces. Mr. R. 

 C. McGregor made an extensive and valuable collection in Biliran, 

 an island previously quite unknown botanically. Mr. Merrill did 

 field work in the vicinity of Baguio for about six weeks, and made 

 a number of short trips in the vicinity of Manila. Rich collec- 

 tions from Leyte and Bontoc have been presented to the Bureau 

 by Mr. C. A, Wenzel and by Father M. Vanoverbergh, respec- 

 tively. 



SECTION OF ICHTHYOLOGY OF THE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY 



Expert advice has been given regarding methods of fishing, 

 the formulating of pearling and fishing laws, as well as informa- 

 tion regarding the location of fishing banks and pearling beds, 

 and instructions regarding the construction of fish ponds. The 

 economic fisheries industries of the Islands, such as the produc- 

 tion of window shells and other commercial shells, fish culture, 

 the curing of trepang and other fishery products, and the 

 establishment of sardine canneries, have been stimulated in 

 many ways. The causes of poisoning from eating certain 



