[ 8 j 
3. On arriving in England, 1 was readily granted permission by Sir 
J . D. Hooker to compare what specimens remained with those in the 
Kew Herbarium, a work which occupied me some considerable time. 
4. While thus engaged in the Herbarium, 1 received from the Hon’ble 
Major J . E. A. McNair, r,a„ c.m.g., Lieutenant-Governor of Penang, and 
Hugh Low, Esquire, c.m.g.. H. B. M.’s .Resident in Perak, several consign- 
ments* of dried Botanical specimens of the forest trees of those countries, 
and to which I drew their special attention before leaving Singapore, but 
unfortunately all of those sent could not be Lotanically identified. 
5. Among those determined, however, were many of great interest, 
such as Gutta-producers, &c.. and notoriously so among those specimens 
collected from trees in the jungle in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore, 
which seem to have remained unrecognised since the formation of the 
Gardens : their identification has, however, greatly added to the Garden 
Catalogue published in 1880. 
6. Of the above, two proved entirely new to science — one of these, 
a Dracaena with ornamental foliage and of some commercial value, is 
being propagated with the intention of introducing it into England. 
7. Having finished with the above, I set about an inspection of the 
Herbarium itself, and noted carefully its construction and general work- 
ing, together with the excellent Library attached. 
8. This examination led to my recommending the establishing of 
an Herbarium and Library, on the same principle, but smaller scale, in 
connection with the Gardens here, and I rejoice to think the Government 
has so far approved of the plan as to have the work already in hand. 
9. It is proposed to confine the Herbarium thus commenced to the 
local flora or plants of the Peninsula and adjacent Islands. The Garden 
flora will also form a part of its contents, hut in a separate arrangement. 
10. This latter will include all plants at present growing in the 
Botanical Gardens, and introductions from time to time, and will thereby 
maintain a distinct line of demarcation between introduced and indige- 
nous species, and be particularly useful for reference when labels get 
misplaced or lost. 
11. An Herbarium being chiefly for reference, a written description 
of its contents should always he at hand, and when this description is 
scattered over many books, the establishment of a suitable Library 
becomes a necessity, but it is not always easy to hit upon the precise works 
which are likely to prove most useful, I therefore asked the aid of 
Sir J. D. Hooker to assist me in making a suitable selection to recommend, 
to which he readily consented. The selection made has been submitted, 
and its purchase approved of. 
12. With the provision thus made, unnamed timber trees and plants 
of the peninsula generally will soon be a thing of the past, and the gar- 
den, it is hoped, will become what it is now called, hut what it has never 
been, namely, a “Botanical Garden,” and one capable of dealing with the 
flora of the peninsula in a scientific and practical manner. 
13. Sir J. D. Hooker having kindly relieved me of the work 
mentioned, I lost no time, previously obtaining the sanction of the 
Director, in setting about making a selection from the Kew green-houses 
of sucb economic and other plants which I considered would be of use 
in Singapore. 
