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ACQUISITION OF BOOKS
65

produce of the colony. Australia has not passed any law of the kind, so the few books that appear in the colony have, as a rule, to be purchased by the Museum as soon as their existence is known.

The literature of the Crown Colonies has during the last few years been collected and sent to the Museum, in accordance with a series of ordinances. The total output is extremely small, there being some colonies each year that seem to publish nothing whatever. From Cyprus two copies are received, one of which is sent on to the Bodleian. The learned frequenters of that library are said to be quite unable to translate the corrupt Greek in which these publications are written. The subjoined table will show how the legislation in the Colonies on this subject has progressed : —

Colony Date of Act or Ordinance
providing for Despatch
of New Publications
to London.
Ceylon 1885
Straits Settlements 1886
Cyprus 1887
Jamaica "
Newfoundland "
Sierra Leone "
Cape Colony 1888
Hong-Kong "
Malta "
River Gambia "
Trinidad "
Mauritius 1893
Canada 1895
Perak "
Natal 1896