spection of which. 1 no?/ invite your attention. I trust that my statement 

 in regard to the extreme specialisation which has not yet reached its 



limits ,may sufficiently explain why my promised encyclopeadia of economic 

 "botany , planned "by Professor Gray for my hands, can never "be realized .Such 

 a treatise was possible in 1875: it is not possible now. You have only to 

 glance at the accumulations of special works on the multifarious sub- 

 jects involved, to appreciate the absudity of undertaking today to con- 

 stnuct such an encyclopaedia. Even the special works on Rubber, and the 

 periodicals devoted to its service, now number more than all the treatises 



on Rubber, Gums, Resins, Chicle rcha, and the like, in the early 



seventies. 



But , although a cyclopaedia is no longer to be thought of as a 

 living force in the specialised science, ever^ well-equipped Museum is 

 compelled to keep abreast of the times by its library and by its care- 

 fully gathered notes. You can appreciate ,1 am sure, that we are greatly 

 indebted to our friend for his useful gift. 



