WILLIAM CARllUTHERS 251 



less patient; but Carrutliers took the view that we were a public 

 institution and that tlie ])ubKc had a riglit to our services. 



Ahnost inunediatelj after his appointment, Carruthers was called 

 upon to appear before a lloyal Commission on Scientific Instruction, 

 whose deliberations, it was thought, might result vmfavourably to the 

 British Museum, and especially to the Department of Botany. At 

 the time of llobert Brown's death, an attempt was made to secure 

 the transfer of the Banksian Herbarium to Kew ; the Commission 

 afforded an op[)ortunity for renewing the attempt, of which Dr. Joseph 

 Hooker, Bentham, and John Ball availed themselves. The evidence 

 tendered by these botanists and that of Carruthers, published in the 

 Beport of the Commission, will afford interesting material for 

 the future historian of Botan}^ in England, who must not overlook the 

 Appendix to the Report, in which Ball's evidence is dissected by 

 Carruthers in merciless style. I entered the Department in Septem- 

 ber, 1871, when the storm was still raging, and, coming as 1 did 

 direct from Kew, had the advantage of hearing both sides of the 

 controversy. The sufficiency of Carruthers's rebuttal of the attack is 

 shown by the fact that the Department remained untouched, nor was 

 a later effort in the same direction more successful. 



At this time the cramped condition of the Natuml History 

 collections, coupled with the need of further space for the development 

 of the other parts of the Museum, had become almost intolerable. 

 The Department of Botany then consisted of what was practicall}' one 

 long gallery divided into two portions : the first, where the assistants 

 worked, contained the arranged portion of the herbarium ; in the 

 second, out of which opened a small public gallery were the attendants — 

 in this the unarranged collections were stored in large cupboards. It 

 also contained the British Herbarium, which Carruthers had separated 

 from the general collection, and certain small special herbaria, sub- 

 sequently incorporated in the General Herbarium ; the Keeper's room 

 adjoined the herbarium and was entered from it. When Murray 

 joined the staff in 1876, it was necessary to erect an iron gallery for 

 the accommodation of the smaller cryptogams of which he was in 

 charge ; but this was only a temporary expedient, for by this time the 

 removal of the Natural History collections to South Kensington had 

 been decided on, and the arrangements for the new herbarium 

 had been planned by Carruthers in conjunction with his friend 

 Richard Owen, then Director of the Museum. Only those who can 

 remember the state of affairs previous to 1880, when the removal 

 took place, can appreciate the difficulties of work under such con- 

 ditions, or the relief afforded by the change from overcrowded, badly 

 -lighted, and unsuitable rooms to the spacious galleries now occupied 

 by the Department, which in their turn are alreadj^ becoming too 

 small for the additions continually made to their contents. 



In connexion with the removal it was necessary to provide a 

 library, not only for general use but for each department ; for these 

 the Government made a liberal allowance : this Carruthers, for his 

 his own department, expended to great advantage, and succeeded in 

 bringing together one of the finest botanical libraries in the world. 

 He also devoted much attention to the arrangement of the public 



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