ryj. TITK JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



which the Dopartinont o£ Botaii}' has rendered to the Government 

 during the War, so far as this can be done with due regard to certain 

 necessary restrictions : — An inquiry was made concerning a fungus- 

 which was destroying army tents at Malta and was costing the 

 Government thousands of pounds : a careful stud}^ of the growth of 

 the fungus on canvas treated in various ways led to the discovery of a 

 complete remed3^ The destruction of the envelopes of airships was 

 shown to he due to a similar cause, and remedies were suggested. There 

 were inquiries from several sources, including Government depart- 

 ments, as to the use of Sphagnum for surgical dressings; seaweeds 

 and fungi as sources of food ; seaweeds as source of potash for manures 

 and other uses ; lichens for use as dj^es. In addition to these were 

 inquiries from Government departments as to sources of supply of 

 various special timbers, and damage of timber by diseases ; composi- 

 tion of fodder alleged to be poisoning horses ; moulds attacking sacks 

 of Hour in railway transports, etc. Also numei-ous inquiries as to 

 preservation of fruit against attacks by moulds, diseases appearing on 

 garden allotments and their remedies ; the first indication of the 

 ])otato disease last year was diagnosed in the Depa\-tment, 



BIBLLOGllAPHICAL KOTES. 

 LXX. Edward Bvylts's "Botanic Pjitstc." 



An old treatise of Botanic Physic by Edward Baylis, M.r>., has 

 lately been shown to n.ie, and as no information about the author or 

 the book can be traced, it may be well to describe it, in the hope that 

 others may supply further details. The title-page is as follows : — 



'• A new and Compleat Body of Practical Botanic ]^hysic, from 

 the Medicinal Plants of the Vegetable Kingdom selected from some 

 of the best Authors : With useful observations and improvements, 

 necessary regimen and diet, under all diseases. Embellished with 

 beautifid Co)>])er-plates, colored to Nature. Bv Edward Baylis, M.D,, 

 Professor of Botany, at the Physic Gardens, Clifton, near Bristol." 



The book is now the projjerty of Dr. Newman Neild, of Clifton, 

 whom I have to thank for letting me see it ; it a])pears to be in the 

 original binding and to have remained since its issue in the library of 

 one person. 



Only one volume is known — a handsome quarto of 563 pages 

 with 41 f\dl size copper-plates of medicinal plants, printed in natural 

 colours, and, with one or two ex(^eptions, very satisfactorily executed. 

 No engraver's name appears on the first half dozen of them; all the 

 others bear the impress " John Frederick Miller del. 1791 " (or 1792), 

 and it may be assumed that his drawings were used throughout. 

 They seem to have been drawn for the book, as concerning Centavrea 

 Ci/amts (t. 15) the author states " I have requested Mr. Miller to 

 favour me with a drawing of one of the most curious [special culti- 

 vated forms] which I think he has beautifull_y displayed"; but on 

 all of them there are figui-ed coloured and enlarged details of blossoms 

 and fruit, to which no reference is made in the text. An examina- 

 tion of the ])lates by Mr. 13ritten, wiio j)iU)lished in this Journal 



