63 
outside the walls of Athens except on military service, or when 
drawn, as he said, by the “bait of discourse.” But when Phaedrus 
thus lured him out of the city to the banks of the Ilissus he was 
surprised to discover the beauty of nature and gave himself up 
wholeheartedly to its enjoyment. One may not learn botany from 
books alone. The pioneers in plant study were, of course, obliged 
to get their “botany” wholly without books, for no botanical books 
were possible until plants themselves had first been studied. But 
once a literature of a science develops it can never be disregarded 
by a student of that science; thus a library of pertinent literature 
becomes an indispensable adjunct of any institution devoted to the 
advancement of the science. 
As the librarian has pointed out, the library of the Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden, starting with a gift of only nine books, as of 
January, 1911, now has nearly 23,000 bound volumes and more 
than 21,000 bound pamphlets, exclusive of the American Fern 
Society Collection, and has nearly reached the capacity of the 
shelving. This is one of the several needs which, as noted in the 
preceding report, makes an addition to our building increasingly 
urgent. 
The American Library Association continued its subscriptions 
to the journals Ecology and Genetics (published by the Garden) 
for foreign subscribers for delivery after the war. The amount of 
these pre-paid subscriptions was $300 for Ecology and $330 for 
Genetics. 

Aw rad precautions were made early in the year. It was de- 
cided not to remove any of the publications until danger from air 
raids became more imminent, but suitable boxes were specially 
made in our own wood working room for the removal and pro- 
tection of the incunabulae and later pre-Linnaean volumes and 
other rare and expensive or irreplaceable items. Arrangements 
were also made for the storage of these boxed items in a “bomb- 
proof” vault. During the year no occasion arose indicating 1m- 
mediate danger and so no removals were made. 
HERBARIUM 
Dr. Svenson reports the addition of 2,898 specimens to the 
Phanerogamic Herbarium, and 3,456 to the Cryptogamic Her- 
