NATURE 
97 
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1870 
THE NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS 
E have been favoured with a copy of a memorial, 
drawn upas long ago as 1858, by some of the most 
distinguished geologists and botanists in England, on the 
subject of the organisation of the British Museum Na- 
tural History Collections, the removal of which was then 
thought to be imminent. As our readers are aware, no 
steps towards this removal have yet been taken, but as the 
subject has been brought again before Parliament, it would 
be well that so carefully considered a document as this 
appears to be should be weighed in reference to any con- 
templated change in the governance and disposition of 
our national Natural History Collections. 
It is further most desirable that gentlemen interested 
in this subject should communicate their views upon the 
proposals embodied in this memorial to the public, and 
such will be thankfully received by the Editor of NATURE. 
Of the nine memorialists, four are zoologists, all happily 
alive. Of the five botanists, on the other hand, Mr. 
Bentham alone survives ; it is especially desirable that the 
opinions of botanists on so important a question should be 
heard. 
Copy of a Memorial addressed to the Right Honourable 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 
S1tR,—The necessity of the removal of the Natural 
History departments from the British Museum having 
been recently brought prominently before the public, and 
it being understood that the question of their reorganisa- 
tion in another locality is under consideration, the under- 
signed zoologists and botanists, professionally or otherwise 
engaged in the pursuit of natural science, feel it their duty 
to lay before Her Majesty’s Government the views they 
entertain as to the arrangements by which national collec- 
tions in Natural History can be best adapted to the two- 
fold object of the advancement of science, and its general 
diffusion among the public,—to show how far the Scien- 
tific Museums of the metropolis and its vicinity, in their 
present condition, answer these purposes, and to suggest 
such modifications or additional arrangements as appear 
requisite to render them more thoroughly efficient. 
The Scientific Collections or Museums, whether Zoolo- 
gical or Botanical, required for the objects above stated, 
may be arranged under the following heads :— 
1, A general and comprehensive Typical or Popular 
Museum, in which all prominent forms or types of Animals 
and Plants, recent or fossil, should be so displayed as to 
give the public an idea of the vast extent and variety of 
natural objects, to diffuse a general knowledge of the 
results obtained by science in their investigation and clas- 
sification, and to serve as a general introduction to the 
student of Natural History. 
2. A complete Scientific Museum, in which collections 
of all obtainable Animals and Plants and their parts, 
whether recent or fossil, and of a sufficient number of 
specimens, should be disposed conveniently for study ; 
and to which should be exclusively attached an appro- 
priate Zzérary, or collection of books and illustrations 
relating to science, wholly independent of any general 
library. 
3. A comprehensive Economic Museum, in which Eco- 
nomic Products, whether Zoological or Botanical, with 
Illustrations of the processes by which they are obtained 
and applied to use, should be so disposed as best to assist 
the progress of Commerce and the Arts. 
4. Collections of Living Animals and Plants, or Zoolo- 
gical and Botanical Gardens, 
VOL, II. 
The Typical or Popular Museum, for the daily use of 
the general public, which might be advantageously 
annexed to the Scientific Museum, would require a large 
building, m a light, airy, and accessible situation. The 
collections should be displayed in spacious galleries, in 
glass cases, so closed as to protect them from the dirt and 
dust raised by the thousands who would visit them ; and 
sufficient room should be allowed within the cases to 
admit of affixing to the specimens, without confusion, 
their names, and such illustrations as are necessary to 
render them intelligible and instructive to the student and 
the general public. 
The Economic Museums and living Collections in 
Botany might be quite independent of the Zoological 
ones. 
The Scientific Museum, in Zoology as in Botany, is the 
most important of all. It is indispensable for the study 
of natural science, although not suited for public exhi- 
bition. Without it the naturalist cannot even name or 
arrange the materials for the Typical, Economic or Living 
Collections, so as to convey any useful information to the 
public. The specimens, though in need of the same con- 
ditions of light, airiness, &c., as, and far more numerous 
than, those exposed in the Typical or Popular Museum, 
would occupy less space; and they would require a 
different arrangement, in order that the specimens might, 
without injury, be frequently taken from their receptacles 
for examination, This Scientific Museum, moreover, 
would be useless unless an appropriate library were 
included in the same building. 
The union of the Zoological and Botanical Society 
Museums in one locality is of noimportance.- The juxta- 
position of each with its corresponding Living Collection 
is desirable, but not necessary ; although, in the case of 
Botany, an extensive Herbarium and Library are indis- 
pensable appendages to the Garden and Economic 
Museum. 
The existing Natural History Collections accessible to 
men of science and to the public, in or near the metropolis, 
are the following :— 
In Botany.—The Kew Herbarium, as a scientific col- 
lection, is the finest in the world, and its importance is 
universally acknowledged by botanists. It has an ex- 
cellent scientific library attached to it; it is admirably 
situated ; and being in proximity with, and under the im- 
mediate control of the head of, the botanic garden, it 
supersedes the necessity of a separate herbarium for the 
use of that garden and museum. But a great part of it is 
not the property of the State; there is no building per- 
manently appropriated for its accommodation, and it 
does not include any collection of fossil plants. 
The Botanical Collection of the British Museum, con- 
sisting chiefly of the Banksian Herbarium, is important, 
but very imperfect. It is badly situated, on account of 
the dust and dirt of Great Russell Street ; and the want 
of space in the existing buildings of the British Museum 
would prevent its extension, even were there an adequate 
advantage in maintaining, at the cost of the State, two 
Herbaria or Scientific Botanic Museums so near together 
as those of London and Kew. The British Museum also 
contains a valuable collection of fossil plants, but not 
more readily available for science than its zoological col- 
lections. 
There exists no typical or popular Botanical Museum 
for public inspection. 
The efficiency of the Botanical Gardens and Museum 
of Economic Botany at Kew, as now organised, and the 
consequent advantages to science and the public, are too 
generally recognised to need any comment on the part of 
your memorialists. 
In Zoology.—The British Museum contains a magnifi- 
cent collection of recent and fossil animals, the property 
of the State, and intended both for public exhibition and 
for scientific use. But there is no room for its proper dis- 
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