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[[underlined]] 2 [[/underlined]]

to be depended upon to discriminate between fibres from different but closely related plants, it is obvious that great care must be exercised in collecting and naming specimens.

Probably not more than one-third of the collection received possessed any value to the museum whatever. This has been a disappointment, not only as regards the specimens for exhibition, but particularly because it was hoped that in this collection there might be found a very complete series of botanically [[scribble]] named vegetable textile fibres, to be placed in the study series as types for microscopical examination. I regard such a series as of very great importance. At any time specimens may be sent to the museum for microscopical [[scribble]] examination, and without perfectly authentic specimens in the study series, it will be impossible to do the work. The study series is now large and valuable, but not by any means [[scribble]] so perfect as it should be, and would be if collections could be made in a more scientific manner.

On the 8th instant Dr. E. Palmer came to the museum with his very complete & valuable [[scribble]] notes on Indian Foods, to assist in identifying the specimens in the collection. In this work his assistance has been invaluable, and deserves recognition, given, as it has been I believe, without compensation. Dr. Palmer devoted about ten days to the work, and I have thus been