﻿244: 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  is 
  absolutely 
  no 
  flaw 
  in 
  the 
  workmanship. 
  Every 
  detail 
  is 
  given 
  

   with 
  perfect 
  accuracy 
  and 
  all 
  are 
  drawn 
  to 
  scale. 
  

  

  The 
  subjects 
  are 
  supplied 
  to 
  the 
  artists 
  in 
  the 
  three 
  following 
  

   ways,— 
  (1) 
  Plants 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  raised 
  out 
  of 
  doors 
  in 
  the 
  garden 
  

   near 
  the 
  laboratory 
  and 
  studio 
  are 
  cultivated 
  from 
  seeds 
  and 
  roots 
  

   sent 
  from 
  this 
  country. 
  (2) 
  Central 
  and 
  South 
  American 
  exotics 
  

   are 
  freely 
  furnished 
  from 
  the 
  Greenhouses 
  of 
  the 
  Court 
  of 
  Saxony 
  

   at 
  Pilnitz, 
  one 
  mile 
  from 
  the 
  studio, 
  and 
  (3) 
  the 
  economic 
  plants 
  

   of 
  the 
  tropics 
  have 
  been 
  studied 
  by 
  Rudolph 
  Blaschka 
  during 
  a 
  

   recent 
  journey 
  made 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  The 
  sketches 
  for 
  these 
  

   plants 
  are 
  among 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  enter- 
  

   prise. 
  They 
  consist 
  of 
  accurate 
  drawings 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  plant, 
  

   and 
  of 
  microscopic 
  details 
  throughout, 
  together 
  with 
  full 
  records 
  

   of 
  impressions 
  as 
  to 
  color. 
  These 
  multifarious 
  sketches 
  are 
  sup- 
  

   plemented 
  by 
  alcoholic 
  and 
  dried 
  material 
  prepared 
  for 
  the 
  spe- 
  

   cific 
  object 
  of 
  supplying 
  all 
  possible 
  information 
  regarding 
  

   structure. 
  

  

  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  specimens 
  where 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  very 
  

   delicate 
  wire 
  is 
  needed, 
  all 
  the 
  models 
  are 
  constructed 
  of 
  glass 
  or 
  

   a 
  transparent 
  enamel. 
  In 
  some 
  instances, 
  the 
  color 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  

   the 
  glass 
  before 
  the 
  model 
  is 
  made 
  ; 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  mineral 
  pig- 
  

   ments 
  are 
  added 
  after 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  the 
  form. 
  In 
  no 
  case 
  has 
  

   there 
  been 
  observed 
  the 
  slightest 
  change 
  in 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  added 
  

  

  figments 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  by 
  exposure 
  to 
  light, 
  

   t 
  may 
  be 
  assumed, 
  therefore, 
  that 
  these 
  models 
  possess 
  a 
  high 
  

   degree 
  of 
  permanence 
  under 
  ordinary 
  museum 
  conditions. 
  Since 
  

   they 
  are 
  absolutely 
  faithful 
  copies 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  in 
  hand, 
  and 
  

   since 
  they 
  undergo 
  no 
  change, 
  they 
  are 
  valuable 
  records 
  of 
  form, 
  

   color 
  and 
  texture 
  for 
  future 
  comparison. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  American 
  plants 
  which 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  iden- 
  

   tical 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  old 
  world, 
  the 
  artists 
  have 
  been 
  urged 
  to 
  

   employ, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  practicable, 
  the 
  most 
  typical 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  

   old-world 
  form. 
  This 
  has 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  conviction 
  that 
  in 
  no 
  case 
  

   yet 
  studied 
  are 
  the 
  old-world 
  species 
  exactly 
  like 
  ours. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  

   instances, 
  the 
  differences 
  are 
  sufficiently 
  marked 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  

   separation 
  into 
  two 
  distinct 
  varieties, 
  and 
  in 
  two 
  cases 
  the 
  dif- 
  

   ferences 
  would 
  be 
  interpreted 
  as 
  specific. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  foregoing, 
  it 
  will 
  appear 
  that 
  the 
  rapidly 
  increasing 
  

   collection 
  at 
  Harvard 
  University 
  Museum 
  is 
  of 
  use 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  

   the 
  public 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  students, 
  but 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  systematist 
  who 
  is 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  coordinating 
  plant 
  forms 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  expressing 
  

   affinities. 
  

  

  Further, 
  it 
  will 
  plainly 
  appear 
  that 
  these 
  models 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  

   possible 
  illustrations 
  of 
  the 
  economic 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  tropics, 
  sup- 
  

   plementing 
  the 
  alcoholic 
  and 
  dried 
  specimens 
  which 
  are 
  every- 
  

   where 
  found. 
  

  

  The 
  artists 
  have 
  already 
  constructed 
  some 
  models 
  to 
  illustrate 
  

   types 
  of 
  Cryptogamia. 
  They 
  have 
  proceeded 
  cautiously 
  along 
  

   this 
  path, 
  but 
  their 
  success 
  is 
  regarded 
  by 
  competent 
  authorities 
  

   to 
  be 
  assured. 
  No 
  specimen 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  leave 
  their 
  laboratory 
  

  

  