200 BOTANICAL NEWS. 
impediment came to his speechj "which necessitated his leaving school, and 
abstaining for a time from study. Shortly after thig, the store-rooms of the 
Kitchen Garden department at Kew were transferred to the Eotanic Garden, 
and it was suggested that they might be converted into a seed room and 
museum. As a beginning, and for amusement, Mr. Alexander Smith conveyed 
specimens of cones, fruit, capsules, -woodsj etc., which his father had from time 
to time collected, to this building, placing them on some of the fruit-shelves. 
Sir William Hooker also sent all he had at Ids house, and this was the begin- 
ning of the Kew Museum. In 1847 the centre room of the old building was 
fitted up. By this time specimens were becoming numerous, and Mr. Alex- 
ander Smith continued to arrange them. In June, 1847, he became a paid 
servant at the rate of a few shillings a week, and his salary was successively 
raised until, in 1856, it reached £104 per year, and he was appointed Curator, 
By this time the whole of the old museum began to be overcrowded with 
specimens, and the building of a new museum (No. 2) became the more neces- 
sary by the increase of the collection resulting from the Paris Exhibition, 
Mr. Alexander Smith having accompanied Sir William Hooker to Paris, to 
assist him in making selections and purchases. In the spring of 1857, Mr. 
Alexander Smith began to arrange the new museum, which was opened in the 
middle of May. It occupied his time the whole of that summer to merely 
roughly put the new and also the old museum in order, new specimens con- 
stantly arriving. In September of that year he was unfortunately caught in a 
heavy thunder-storm, in going from his father's house to the new museum, 
which led to a sudden inflammatory attack on the lungs, necessitated a cessation 
of his duties for several months, and compelled him to spend the winter at 
Hastings. He returned in good health, and resumed his duties on the 1st of 
May, 1858. In July following he caught a cold, wliich brought on a relapse 
of his complaint and led to a medical certificate being required, which was to 
the eflPect that no hopes could be entertained of his recovery. Tliis was con- 
firmed by an eminent physician, who gave his opinion that he could not live 
three weeks. Before the expiration of that time he received an official letter 
from the Secretary of the Board of Works, dated July 29th, 1858, informing him 
*' that in his present state of health he was physically incompetent to continue 
in the discharge of his duties as Curator of themiisenm," At that time he was 
fast recovering, but this letter gave him a great shock, which for the rest of his 
life preyed on his mind, and made him low-spirited and dull. In due time he 
becanae convalescent, and occupied his time greatly in writing, following his 
favourite pursuit of commercial and economic botany, often spending two or 
three days a week at the reading room of the British Museimi, During the 
years of his retirement several attempts were made to obtain scientific situations 
for him, but all failed, until in May, 1864, he was appointed Curator of the 
Herbarium at Kew, vacant by the retiz'ement of Mr. Black, an office which he 
continued to fill to the time of his death. His quiet retiring disposition, 
obliging manners, and amiabihty, endeared him to a large circle of friends, and 
many an eye was moistened when his body was laid in the quiet little church- 
yard at Kew, where, amongst yew-trees and ivy, he sleeps his last sleep. 
