8 
XVII. EXCHANGE AND ACQUISITION 
51. 7,129 duplicates were distributed to 24 other botanical institutions 
of which the most important were the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; the 
Rijksherbarium, Leiden and the Arnold Arboretum, Cambridge, Massachu¬ 
setts, U.S.A. (See Appendix IV.) 
52. 5,877 duplicates were received in exchange from other institutions. 
These are gratefully acknowledged; principal contributors were the Herbarium 
Bogoriense, Indonesia; the Forest Departments of Sarawak, Brunei, North 
Borneo and the Federation of Malaya; the Rijksherbarium, Leiden and the 
Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. The Brunei specimens contained many 
new records since little collecting has been done in that area. The Bogor 
collection also provided valuable data on geographical distribution in north¬ 
east and south-east Borneo, indicating that many plants hitherto thouaht con¬ 
fined to Sarawak and North Borneo extend to the south. 
XVIII. TAXONOMY 
53. Mr. Sinclair s work on the IMalaysian Myristicaceu? (Nutmeg family) 
has been carried on through the year. The work on the genus Gymnacranthera 
was completed and published. Examination of Knema was begun and a part 
prepared in manuscript. While in Japan (see paragraph 42) on leave, visits 
were made to the herbarium of the Botanical Institute, University of Tokyo; 
the Institute of Forest Botany, Faculty of Agriculture; the National Science 
Museum and the Research Institute for Natural Resources in order to examine 
collections of Myristicacece. Interesting material from New Guinea and the 
Pacific Islands was seen. While in the Philippines a few days were spent in 
the herbarium of the National Museum examining Myristicacece and Annona - 
cece . Similarly two days were occupied at the Forest Research Institute. 
Kepong. Mr. Chew Wee Lek has continued his study of the Moracece (Fia 
family) at Cambridge while working for a higher degree. Dr. Furtado has 
spent much time checking and re-sorting material of Mcesa, Lit sea, Embelia 
Grenacheria, Uncaria and Xanthophyllum. 
54. A great amount of material was received for naming, but with the 
depletion of the botanical staff and the ill-health and eventual death of Haji 
Mohamed Nur bin Mohamed Ghous, Herbarium Assistant, whose amazing 
knowledge of Malayan plants was of unique help in making preliminary deter¬ 
minations, this work has been delayed. The largest collection named during the 
y “ was from the Forest Department of Sarawak and Brunei. This consisted 
of 1,94^ specimens. Almost as large numbers of specimens were named as the 
Department s contribution to the Phyto-Chemical Survey of the Malayan flora. 
55. Mr. Burkill, while on leave in England spent some time in examin¬ 
ing^ collections of Malaysian marine algae at the British Museum, London 
and at the Kew Herbarium and in naming some of the Malayan collections 
of the Singapore Herbarium which were sent to England for this purpose. 
56 Routine work of poisoning, mounting and laying-in of specimens in 
the herbarium and of repairing old and damaged sheets went on normally. 
57. There is an immense amount of work on the regional flora waiting 
to be done. Ample facilities exist for visiting research workers and anv who 
could come would be made most welcome, in particular trained botanists from 
the main research centres of Europe and America on which the knowledge 
of tropical botany still largely rests. If any could work here on an ad hoc 
problem or on general lines the gain would be mutual and to the common 
good. 
