[ xxiv ] 



I regret that I am unable to concur with my colleagues in their 

 recommendation that the herbarium now in the British Museum should be 

 transferred to Kew. 



It seems no doubt at first sight an anomalous arrangement that there 

 should be two national herbaria ; firstly, on account of the expense ; and 

 secondly, because botanists in some cases have to consult two collections 

 instead of one. But the evidence shows that the saving of annual expense 

 through the suggested fusion would be small, and that the initial outlay for 

 building, cabinets, etc., would be heavy. The alleged inconvenience seems 

 to me to be exaggerated, and affects only a few of those engaged in syste- 

 matic botany, who are thus obliged to consult two herbaria instead of one ; 

 while on the other hand to those engaged in other departments of botany,, 

 the existence of the two herbaria is an advantage. 



I deprecate the proposals contained in the majority Report for the 

 following reasons : — 



1. The British Museum is the greatest museum in the world and is 

 justly the pride of the nation. To dismember it, by depriving it of so 

 integral a part as the Botanical Department would be destructive of its 

 unique character as a fully representative museum, and specially of a natiu'al 

 history museum ; would be vehemently opposed by many, if not most, British 

 botanists, and as it seems to me, would be a great injury to science. 



2. To London and country botanists the British Museum is much more 

 accessible than Kew. 



3. The plan proposed would separate the fossil, from the recent, plants. 



4. It would involve the creation of a new Board. 



If on the other hand Kew Gardens and the British Museum were 

 brought into closer relations, as recommended in the Report which I have 

 signed in conjunction with Mr. Seymour, several advantages would result ; 

 for instance, the officers of the Museum would have access to the living 

 plants ; while those of Kew Gardens would have access to the British 

 Museum library and the collection of fossil plants. 



(signed) AVEBURY. 



8, Delahay Street,. S.W. 



11th March, 1901. 



B. Daydon Jackson, 



Secretary. 



