96 REroET— 1887. 



Report of the Committee consisting of Professor M. Foster, Pro- 

 fessor Bayley Balfour, Mr. Thiselton-Dyer, Dr. Trimen, Pro- 

 fessor Bower {Secretary), Professor Marshall Ward, Mr. Car- 

 ruthers, and Professor Hartog, appointed for the purpose of 

 taking steps for the establishment of a Botanical Station at 

 Peradeniya, Ceylon. 



The Oommittee for the purpose of taking steps for the establishment of a 

 botanical station at Peradeniya, Ceylon, report that they have communi- 

 cated with Dr. Trimen since his return to his duties at Peradeniya, and 

 that he has provided them with the following memorandum on Pera- 

 deniya as a site for a botanical station : — 



' Ceylon is the only British colony in the trojjics which possesses a 

 botanic garden of importance, provided also with a good library and her- 

 barium, arranged, and available for reference and study. 



' Though the immediate neighbourhood of Peradeniya gardens is 

 mostly land which has been or is now under cultivation, and thus does 

 not exhibit the natural wild vegetation of the Eastern tropics in a very 

 characteristic manner, yet there are within easy reach by railway and 

 road all descriptions of country, including high mountains, and the south 

 and west coasts ; and on the whole Peradeniya is favourably placed for 

 the study and collection of tropical plants of all types (the contents of the 

 gardens themselves being also taken into consideration). 



' There is no special laboratory for microscopic and other work here, 

 but a large room in the museum building is well suited for the purpose. 

 There is at present no apparatus there. In the gardens themselves there 

 is no suitable accommodation for students, but in the close neighbour- 

 hood are several bungalows, some of which are generally unoccupied. 

 That in which Professor Bower lived in 1886 is quite close to the gardens 

 and could easily accommodate two men. It is possible that if there were 

 any prospect of a succession of students this little house might be acquired 

 by the Government, and furnished with the few requisites for tropical life. 



' The climate is very healthy ; elevation 1,540 feet above the sea ; 

 mean annual temperature about 77° F. ; rainfall about 90 inches, pretty 

 evenly distributed throughout the year, December to April being the 

 driest months. 



' (Signed) Henry Trimen, Director.' 



In addition to the advantages, thus noted by Dr. Trimen, which Pera- 

 deniya possesses over alternative sites, it may be mentioned that it is the 

 residence of the permanent director of the gardens in Ceylon ; also that 

 the extensive garden would supply large quantities of material suitable 

 for research ; further, that a large number of the plants in the garden are 

 labelled, while attempts are being made to arrange the plants as far as 

 possible according to their natural alBnities. Again, there is attached to 

 the gardens a body of experienced native collectors, whose duty it is to 

 bring in plants from remote districts, and thus access is gained to plants 

 which would not otherwise be readily obtained. These are facts of im- 

 portance which contribute to make Peradeniya a most fitting place for the 

 visits of students who have not had any previous experience of a tropical 

 flora ; and this, it must be remembered, will be the position of most of 

 those who will wish to study there. On these grounds your Committee 



