April 1902.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 209 



nucleus of a consulting library for the Herbarium in the 

 Eoyal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. 



The Library consists of about 1000 volumes, and many 

 of the books are valuable and useful for Herbarium work. 

 You are aware that the Herbarium at the Garden is open 

 to the public, as well as to the members of the Society, and 

 many of them consult it. There has, however, been long 

 felt a want of books to consult in the examination of plants. 



The Society are aware that you, as Eegius Keeper of the 

 Garden, have endeavoured to remedy this defect by granting 

 visitors the use of books from your own private library. 



The Society believe that no public collection of dried 

 specimens of plants can be available for scientific purposes 

 without a consulting library. 



They therefore wish for the sake of the public, and for 

 the advancement of Botanical Science, to do what they can 

 to supply the deficiency. 



The Society will hand over to the Government the 

 entire Library, and continue to send any botanical works 

 which they may from time to time receive, on the 

 understanding that the Government will provide for 

 their accommodation and keeping, and that they will be 

 open for consultation to the members of the Botanical 

 Society, as well as to the public who may wish to consult 

 the Herbarium. 



The Society have desired us to send this communication 

 to you, with the request that you will forward it to head- 

 quarters, with such a statement as you may think necessary 

 to make. The Society believe that by this offer they are 

 conferring a great favour on the public — that they are 

 enhancing the value of the Herbarium at the Garden — as 

 well as contributing in no small degree to the promotion 

 of Botanical Science, and are thus endeavouring to .secure 

 for Scotland what England already possesses in the 

 valuable Government Library at Kew. 



We enclose an extract from the Minutes of the 

 Botanical Society, authorising us to make this offer. 



Signed in the name and by the authority of the Library 

 Committee. 



Wir.LiAM Craig, M.D., CM., 



Chairman of Library Committee. 



