56 THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



recommend that an appropriation for these purposes be made 

 when funds are available. 



Philippine flora. — Mr. Merrill has continued his work on geo- 

 graphic distribution and classification, taking up ec6nomic phases 

 of the subject as occasion arises. Data and material have ac- 

 cumulated to such an extent that it is highly desirable that work 

 be commenced on a comprehensive systematic enumeration of 

 Philippine plants, or perhaps on the preparation of a compre- 

 hensive flora of the Philippines. Such a work would gather up 

 all the data that are available on the distribution of the numerous 

 species both in the Philippines and outside of the Archipelago. 

 The value of such a work would be great, for it would not only 

 record valid native names and most important uses and make 

 available in compact form all the results of our twelve years 

 work on the classification and taxonomy of 7,500 species of Phil- 

 ippine flowering plants and ferns, practically all of which are 

 represented in the collections of the Bureau of Science, but also 

 that of all other botanists who have worked on the flora of the 

 region, information which is now found scattered through hun- 

 dreds of separate articles in the botanical literature of America, 

 Europe, Asia, and Australia. With the reduction in the "Bureau 

 staff, the increase in routine work, and the increase in duties 

 of instruction at the University, it has been quite impossible to 

 begin this work. Desirable as it is, nothing can be done on the 

 subject until our botanical force is increased and Mr. Merrill 

 is relieved of a part of his duties at the University. With a 

 force of but two men, one of whom is in the field practically 

 all of the time, it is a manifestly impossible task to keep up the 

 routine work of the herbarium, prepare and edit the manuscripts 

 of the section of botany of the Philippine Journal of Science, 

 teach from nine to eighteen hours per week at the University, 

 and do anything else. Under present conditions economic prob- 

 lems must be slighted, and some very important phases of 

 economic work ignored. Due to the familiarity of Mr. E. D. 

 Merrill, the chief botanist, with the Philippine flora, the work of 

 preparation of the manuscript will be comparatively easy, and 

 no other botanist is in a position to undertake such a task with- 

 out many years of previous experience on the Philippine and 

 Malayan floras ; therefore I recommend that the personnel be in- 

 creased to permit Mr. Merrill to prepare this manuscript and 

 that ?=2,000 be made available during the calendar year 1916 

 for printing the same. 



Robinson memorial. — You are already familiar with the work 

 of Dr. C. B. Robinson and the circumstances concerning his 



