■REPORTS on the gardens and forest departments, 
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 
BOTANIC GARDENS, SINGAPORE. 
General Introduction. 
i The changes in the staff consequent on sickness have, to a certain extent, 
interfered with the progress of the Department. Mr. Curtis, the Superintendent 
at Penang, left for 12 months’ leave on a medical certificate in January, Mr. Derry 
came from Malacca to relieve him, and it was necessary to employ Mr. HOLMBERG, 
of the Land Department, Malacca, in his place,/' 
Mr Derry himself suffered a good deal from fever during his stay at Penang, 
and it will be a question whether the Superintendent’s bungalow there should not be 
moved, as there are signs of the locality being malarious. 
2. In the Botanic Gardens at Singapore, too, there was much sickness. ^ The 
Chief Mandor VlNCENT CON 1 S, became seriously ill early in the year, and finally 
broke down in May with hemiplegia, and has, I regret to say, been pronounced 
incurable by hhe Senior Medical Officer. ' . , r 
The second Mandor, Mohammed Aniff, ill charge of the Experimental Gar- 
dens, was attacked with beri-beri, and was absent on sick leave for nearly three months. 
The Herbarium Keeper, TASSIM Daud, contracted a bad form of fever while with 
mein Pahang, which incapacitated him from work, not only at that time, but foi some 
Notwithstanding the unhealthiness of the year, a considerable amount of progress 
was made in all branches of work in Singapore, while the establishments at Penang 
and Malacca were kept well up to their last year's standard. 
• " . 
Visitors. 
« The number of visitors to the Gardens was as large as on former years, and 
there were an unusual number of Botanists, and Curators of other Botanical Establish- 
ments who visited the Gardens. It Is still found difficult to prevent visitors from 
gathering the flowers in the plant-houses and elsewhere. The depredators are 
mostly mail passengers, but there are not wanting residents in Singapore who have 
done damage in this way. 
Aviaries. 
, The aviaries stand much in need of repair, and a large portion should be 
reconstructed on a more solid basis. I hope to do this shortly. A number ol very 
interesting animals and birds were obtained during the year, and though some did 
not live long, owing to the poor condition in which they were received, otbeis have 
adapted themselves well to their confinement, and are thriving well. 
'Among the more interesting mammals received, by purchase or piesentation, 
were - a new species of mouse deer (Tragulus) from Borneo ; the small kind known 
as^Wo/rom Singapore-(a distinct species, the existence of which has been 
doubted by seme Naturalists) the wawa (female) (Hyhbates ag* S ) presented by 
Lieut. Kelsall- a distinct black species of Hylobates; a remarkable black Semnofi- 
thecus stated to have come from Celebes; a pair of the laige black and white 
squirrel (Sciurns bicolor), for whom a new ground aviary cage was built a pair of 
wild dogs from Pahang, presented by Mr. CLIFFORD, the male of which unfortunately 
died owing to an injury received when caught; several specimens of the slow Ions ; 
and a kangaroo rat, presented. Two common monkeys were bred m confinement. 
