230 
half-a-dozen that have been regarded as previously undescribed. 
Widely different is the Flora of the Solomon Islands, which is 
rich in singular endemic species, and also contains some of the 
specially pm em iypes only known to exist elsewhere in such 
distant parts as the Society Islands. For what is known of this 
interesting Flora, Kew is principally indebted to H. B. Guppy, Esq., 
M.B.. author of The Solomon Islands and their Natives, in which 
work will be found, pp. 280-307, an interesting account of the 
vegetation and veget etable products, and a izl furnished by Kew, 
of the plants collected by the author, Sin thet date (1887), 
many interesting additions have eh made x the flora by some 
of the officers, Lieutenants B. T. Somerville and S. Weigall, of 
H.M.S. * Penguin," and the Rev. R. B. Comins, who, in spite of 
arduous missionary Faller has made many noteworthy botanical 
discoveries. ome of the principal novelties will be found 
described in the Bulletin, 1894, pp. 211-215 ; 1895, pp. Ded 
in the Journal of the Li innean Sociely, XiX., pp. 293 3-297 ; 
pp. 163-165, and 211-217; in the An nals of Boki E 
pp. 501-508, and vi., pp. 203-210, and the Journal of the Linnean 
Society, xxxii., pp. 419—489. Most of the articles are illustrated. 
Jamaiea Botanical Department.—A detailed account of the 
history and organisation = this important Department » given 
in Dr. Morris's * Report on the Economie Resources of the West 
Indies” (Kew Bulletin, votes Series, I., pp. 137 248). 
The following account of the recent work of the Department is 
taken from the last report of the Jamaican Government presented 
to both Houses of Parliament :— 
ExTRACT from Colonial Reports, Annual, No. 283, Jamaica, 
Report for 1898-9, pp 31 32, 
The Botanical Department did useful work during the year in 
experimental cultivation, in the distribution of plants and seeds, 
and in affording information by means of bulletins ia private 
correspondence with planters. 
e Department distributed during the year no less than 
x din ,139 plants, of which the greater proportion were economic 
pia 
Advice was given during the year to orange growers as to 
remedies for sickly plants, to cocoa planters by leaflets and 
demonstrations by the Agricultural Instructor of a Department, 
to viticulturists "roh the Instructor, whos vice given 
during the last few years has resulted in gemunerativ cultiva- 
tion o e a dry district of 
s for t o rket d 
St. Elizabeth, hitherto considered of little iius for agricultu 
el ged to sugar planters by distributing the best varieties (the 
No. 95” variety having afforded a planter more than double the 
yield of the kind hitherto grown on his estate), to tobacco 
eultivators by obtaining the best kinds of the famous Vuelta | 
Abajo tobacco, with which the Hon. Evelyn Ellis a 
planted out 60 de poet xs tobacco which realised s 
