REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY, 



FOR THE YEAR 1895. 



Nothing startling has occurred in the alTairs of the library 

 during the year. As in former years there has been no difficulty 

 in spending all our available funds to good advantage, and, as 

 usual, a full list of all purchases, as well as of books and pam- 

 phlets received as gifts, will be found in the Transactions in due 

 time. It is not necessary to name many of these acquisitions 

 here, but the completion of the Hortus Kewensis is an event of 

 such exceptional importance that it deserves especial mention. 

 Probably no work we possess will be more useful than this, which 

 does for species what Bentham and Hooker's great work does for 

 the genera of plants. 



Another work, our Catalogue of Plates, is, we believe, of equal 

 importance within the limits of our own library, and even outside 

 of this place and Society it has proved of value and will be more 

 and more so as time goes on. We are of opinion that no money 

 the Society has appropriated has been spent to better advantage, 

 and we take pleasure in stating that the advance made in it this 

 year has been no less than in former years. 



This report would hardly be recognized as emanating from the 

 Committee on the Library if no mention were made of the lack of 

 room ; and yet it seems hardly necessary to speak of it with such 

 an object lesson continually before our eyes. Wherever we look 



