4 



the chemist, the druggist, the dyer, the carpenter and cabinet 

 maker, and artisans of* every description, who might here find 

 the raw material (and, to a certain extent, also the manu- 

 factured or prepared article) employed in their several 

 professions, correctly-named, and accompanied by some account 

 of its origin, history, native couiitry, &,c., either attached to 

 the specimens or recorded in a popular catalogue/ The 

 suggestion was communicated to the heads of the Establish- 

 ment, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Woods and Forests, 

 leave was asked to convert the building (at first in pai-t) into 

 a Museum, and orders were given for one large room to be 

 formed, with a gallery, side-lights and skylight, and fitted up 

 with glazed mural and table cases. The foundation of the 

 Museum consisted of the Director's private collection (pre- 

 sented by himself), some few objects already belonging to the 

 Oarden, chiefly fruits and seeds, and some given by Mr. John 

 Smith, whose son, Mr. Alexander Smith, received the 

 appointment of Curator." '- ' ; • ' :)i 'h, u.' . 



In 1857 Museum No. I., to which the collectiMis Uliist^ting 

 the Dicotyledons and Gymnosperms had been removed, was 

 opened to the public. 



In 1863 Museum No. IIL was opened as a Timber Museum, 

 the basis of the collection being the large series of Colonial 

 timbers obtained from the London International Exhibition of 

 1862. 



In 1881 Museum! 'No. II. Was enlarged by the tedditi<jn of 

 a small west wing, containing two TOimis^ sstif^'^ 'second 

 staircase. '-'^'' ••''" ■^'^' '" 



GUIDE TO MUSEUM No. II. 



0(1) 01 l)9bb- 



The botanicar character b? flie' plants represented by the 

 specimens and products in this Museum are chiefly these : — 

 1st. The embryo plant in the ripe seed, has but one seed leaf, 

 •or cotyledon (hence called Monocotyledons) and the first leaves 

 alternate. 2. The species having woody stems, form isolated 

 bundles of wood, which usually do not increase in thickness 

 year by year ; once fol*med they remain unaltered in diameter, 

 scattered through the p»ith-like substance of the stem. 3. The 

 pftrts <tf the' flowers aire nsttally in threes. 4. The veins of 



