398 
A clear (i.e., not sodden -looking) blackish discolouration, studded 
with minute black points, is caused by a fungus, Asterina tenuissima, 
n. sp., which also discolours the green stems. This is quite super- 
ficial and does no damage. 
Miscellaneous.— A “die back” of Hevea saplings has been re- 
ported from one district. Two fungi have been 'found on the dead 
branches, but infection experiments with these have given negative 
result. Vermicular ia, sp., has been observed on seedlings which 
have died from decay of the root; this would probably be prevented 
by a change of nurseries and sterilisation of the soil. It too often 
happens that owing to difficulties in the matter of water supply the 
same ground is used for nurseries every year without any special 
sreatment. 
T. PETCH, 
Peradeniya Annual Report for 1905* 
THE WORK OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 
We have lately received a copy of the blue book containing the 
Report on the work of the Imperial Institute for I 9 ° 5 » which is a 
publication of no small importance to all who are in any way interes- 
ted in the Agricultural and mineral wealth of the Empire. The 
Institute was placed under the management of the Board of Trade in 
1 902 assisted by an Advisory Committee including representative of 
this Department, the India and Colonial Offices, Board of Agriculture 
and Governments of India and the Colonies. The principal branches 
of activity of the Institute were the Scientific and Technical Depart- 
ment, the collection of Economic products and the Commercial 
Intelligence Department. The latter has been absorbed into the 
Board^of Trade Intelligence Branch, located in the City of London, 
and the other two branches are carried on in the Imperial Institute 
building at South Kensington under the managership of Sir CECIL 
Clementi Smith formerly Governor of the Straits Settlements 
and Sir Alfred Bateman. 
Under the Directorate of Professor Wyndham Dunstan, aided 
by an energetic staff the progress of the extremely important work 
of the investigation of various Economic products of the Empire has 
made a truly remarkable progress. 
Before the evolution of this Department it was not at all easy to 
get an v new product examined and valued. Analyses could only be 
effected at a considerable cost, and there was no satisfactory method 
of bringing a new product, or an improvement of an old one to the 
notice of the trade, many valuable products remained wasting in 
different parts of the Empire, for want of a connection between the 
discoverer and the buyer, and for want of knowledge of their value 
and the best means of turning them to account. Many more riches 
lie at our feet waiting still till they can be put into the markets of 
the world. It seems remarkable in an Empire so rich in all manner 
of animal, vegetable and mineral products, that steps were not 
