127 
scope, and made many discoveries of importance to biology and 
medicine. 
ce 
jen 
the father 
Catalogus 
Several volumes by John Ray, who has been callec 
of English naturalists,” traced his work from the little “ 
plantarum circa Cantabrigiam,” 1660, his first book, to the large 
two volume and supplement “ Historia plantarum .. . de plantis 
in genere ... ,” 1686-1704, in which he summarizes the chief 
facts then known about the functions and structure of plants, and 
describes 18,625 species. 
A small group of first editions of Carl von Linné filled another 
case, together with an autograph letter from Linné to the Duc de 
Chésne, one of the library’s prized possessions. The post-Linnean 
books covered a wide range, including foundational literature of 
the sciences of ecology, heredity, and genetics. There was a copy 
‘ 
— 
of Spallanzan, ‘* Nouvelles recherches sur les découvertes micro- 
scopiques et la genération des corps organisés . . . ,” 1769, which 
was one of the first experimental disproofs of the doctrine of 
spontaneous generation. Included with this was the original pub- 
lication of Mendel’s paper, “ Versuch tiber Pflanzen-Hybriden,” 
CONT 
in volume 4 of the “ Verhandlungen ” of the Naturforschenden 

Verein, Brunn, the now famous description of his breeding experi- 
ments with peas, which laid the foundations of the modern science 
of genetics, 
This exhibition, although consisting of only a small part of the 
collection, proved of great interest to the scientists who attended 
the meetings during the anniversary celebration, and to many 
others, students and visitors, who came at a later date to inspect 
the work of the library. 
REGULAR SERVICE TO READERS 
Throughout the vear, the regular library routine was maintained. 
Service to other institutions, to students, and to our own staff con- 
tinued as usual, and small displays of seed catalogs, books, pictures, 
etc,, were made from time to time. In December, approximately 
300 books were prepared and sent to the bindery, about one quarter 
of the material now ready and waiting for binding. Work on the 
preparation of pamphlets was discontinued, owing to lack of covers, 
