6 
Baron F. VON Mueller sent 446 plants from Australia in exchange for Straits 
plants. 
During a short visit to Christmas Island, I obtained a few specimens of the flora 
peculiar to that Island, and also a few at Angler Point in Java, including a new and 
curious species of Panicum. 
Of other botanical specimens, Mr. COCK, of Perak, presented a collection of pre- 
pared rattans, and a series of rattans was also obtained in the island of Singapore 
with the native names. 
Datoh Meldrum presented a number of specimens of .timber from the Johor 
Sawmills, and other specimens were collected as opportunity offered. 
The collections of guttas, resins, fruits, timbers, etc., formerly preserved in the 
Museum, are being transferred to the Gardens, where they will be of more use and 
available for study. £ 
It is still found very difficult to keep down mould in the collections, as there is no 
means of drying in the herbarium and office during heavy rains, and even specimens 
previously thoroughly dry often become mouldy on these occasions. 
Specimens were sent to Dr. King, Calcutta; the British Museum ; Baron F. VON 
Mueller (in exchange for Australian plants) ; Sir Joseph Hooker, Mr. C. B. 
Ci.arke, and Mr. Baker, at Kew, and Prof. Hackel, of St. Polten. 
Outside Work. m 
* « 
A large number of trees consisting of Pterocarpus indicus , Inga saman, Eugenia 
grandis and Poinciana regia were planted along the face of the Esplanade, where 
the ground has been enlarged. The Pterocarpi and Poinciana have grown well 
but the Eugenias for some reason have not been so successful. They were badly 
attacked by beetles at first but are now mostly recovering. 
In the Government House grounds the trees have been pruned, and additional 
ones planted, while a number of old and worthless ones have been removed. 
A rtist. 
In March, Mr. De Alwis arrived from Ceylon and was employed out of the vote 
f or the publication of the Malay Flora, in making drawings of the rarer and more 
interesting plants of the Peninsula. He executed seventy-eight highly finished and 
accurately coloured drawings. 
The Coco-nut Trees Preservation Ordinance. 
In the early part of the year an Ordinance was passed, the object of which was 
to prevent owners of coco-nut trees and others from permitting the beetles, so 
destructive to the coco-nut trees, to breed in their property, and to infect that of 
others. A report was published by myself in the Journal of the Asiatic Society in 
Singapore on the subject, and the outcome of this was the above-mentioned Ordinance. 
The greatest amount of injury inflicted on the cultivators was due to the small holders 
of a few trees to whom the destruction of these trees by beetles w r as of little moment 
and it was evident that steps were required to prevent these persons from inflicting 
injury on others. On the passing of the Ordinance, in July, a coco-nut trees inspector 
was employed at a salary of 15 dollars a month, who, with two coolies, inspected all 
the plantations of coco-nut trees, and all places where it was probable that there 
were accumulations of cow-dung, tan-bark or other refuse in which the coco-nut beetles 
might be breeding. In every case where trees were found badly infected and where 
old decaying stumps or rubbish suited for the development of the black beetle were 
found, notices were served upon the owners, requiring them to destroy this material 
at once. In almost every case the proprietors willingly complied, but at first it was 
found requisite to summons a number of persons who ignored the notices served on 
them. With the exception of one or two, all on receiving the summonses immediate- 
ly complied with the requirements, and were dismissed on paying the cost of the 
summonses. Since this it has been not found necessary to summons any one. 
During the year two hundred notices were served and 4,854 trees and stumps 
condemned to be destroyed and thirteen piles of rubbish, manure and tan bark to be 
removed. 
In most cases the timber of the trees was used as firewood, in some cases it was 
utilised by burying at a considerable depth to form a substratum for roads. Al- 
though it was understood that in cases of poverty the Government were prepared, 
on the explanation of the state of the case, to destroy the trees at its own expense, 
in no case did the owner plead that he was too poor to perform the work. 
