SUMMARY OK J'REVIOUS ENQUIKIEK. 



123 



luent the views they entertain as to the arrangements 

 bj" which national L-ollections in natural liistorj^ can be 

 best adapted to the twofold object of the advancement 

 of science, and its general ditfusion among the public 

 — to show how far the scientiiic museums of the metro- 

 polis and its vicinity, in their present condition, 

 answer these purposes and to suggest such modifica- 

 tions or additional arrangements as aj)pear 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 dis- 

 played 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 classification, 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 library, or collection of books and illustrations 

 relating to science, wholly independent of any general 

 library. 



3. A comprehensive Economic Museum, in wdiich 

 economic 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. 



The Typical and Poipular Museum, for the daily use 

 of the general public, which might be advantageously 

 annexed to the Scientific Museum, w^ould require a 

 large building, in a light, airy, and accessible situa- 

 tion. 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 

 speciments, without confusion, their names, and such 

 illustrations as are necessary to render them intelligi- 

 ble and instructive to the student and the general 

 public. 



The Economic Museums and Living Collections in 

 botany might be qtiite 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 

 exhibition. Without it, the naturalist cannot even 

 name or arrange the materials for the typical, econo- 

 mic, or living collections, so as to convey any useful 

 information to the public. The specimens, though in 

 need of the same conditions of light, airiness, etc., as, 

 and far more numerous than, those exposed in the 

 Typical or Popular Museum, would occupy less space ; 

 and they would require a different arangement, in 

 order that the specimens might, without injury, be 

 frequently taken from their receptacles for examina- 

 tion. This Scientific Miiseum, moreover, would be 

 useless unless an appropriate library were included 

 in the same building. 



The union of the Zoological and Botanical Scientific 

 Museums in one locality is of no importance. The 

 juxtaposition of each with its corresponding Living 

 Collection is desirable, but not necessar}- — although, in 

 the case of botany, an extensive herbarium and library 

 are indispensable appendages to the Garden and Econo- 

 mic Museum. 



The existing natural history collections accessible to 

 men of science and to the public, in or near the metro- 

 polis, 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 

 excellent scientific library attached to it ; it is admir- 

 ably situated ; and being in proximity with, and under 

 the immediate control of the head of the Botanic 

 Garden, it supersedes the necessity of a separate her- 

 barium 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 jjermanently appro^jriated for its ac- 

 commodation, and it does not include any collection of 

 fossil j^lants. 



The botanical collection of the British Museum, con- 

 sisting chiefly of the Banksian Herbarium, is impor- 

 tant, 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 tliere an adequate advantage in mainitaining, at 

 the cost 'Of the State, two herbtwia or sorembific bwtanic 

 luuseuims so ne^ar together as t^liose 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 collections. 



There exists no Typical or Popular 'Botanical 

 Museum for public inspection. 



The efficiency of the Botanical Gardens and Museum 

 of Economic jiotany 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 measuj'es which your memorialists would respect- 

 fully urge upon the consideration of Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment, with a view tO' rendering the collections really avail- 

 able for the purposes for which they ai-e intended, are the 

 following : — 



* * * 



Your memorialists recommend that the whole of the 

 Kew Herbarium become the property of, and be main- 

 tained by, the State, as is now the case with a portion of 

 it : that the Banksian Herbarium and the fossil plants be 

 transferred from it to the British Museum ; and that a 

 permanent building be provided for the accommodation 

 at Kew of the scientific museum of botany so formed. 



The consolidation of the herbaria of Kew with those of 

 the British Museum would accord the means of including 

 in the Botanical Scientific Museum a geographical botanical 

 collection for the illustration of the colonial vegetation of 

 tlie British Empire, which, considering the extreme im- 

 po'-ribance of vegetable products to the commerce o^f thiis 

 country, your memorialisits are cnnvinced would be felt 

 to be a great advantage. 



"?'our memoriahsbs recommend, further, that in place 

 of the Banksian Herbarium and other miscellaneous 

 botanical collections now in the British Museum and closed 

 to the public, a Typical or Popular Museum of Botany be 

 formed in the same buildmg as that proposed for the 

 Typical or Popular Museum of Zoology, and, like it, be 

 open daily to the pubhc. 



Such a collection would require no great space ; it would 

 be inexpensive, besides being in the highest degree in- 

 structive ; and, like the Typical or Popular Zoological 

 Collection, it would be of the greatest value to the public, 

 and to the teachers and students of the metropolitan 

 Colleges. 



That the Botanical Scientific Museum and its Library, 

 the Museum of Economic Botany, and the Botanic Garden 

 remain, as at present, under one head, directly respon- 

 sible to one of Her Majesty's Ministers. 



The undersigned memorialists, consisting wholly of 

 zoologists and botanists, have offered no suggestions re- 

 specting the very valuable mineralwgical eollecbion in the 

 British Museum, although aware that, in case it should 

 be resolved that the natural history collections generally 

 should be removed to another locality, the disposal of the 

 minerals also will probably come under consideration. 



18 November 1858. 



Thomas Huxley, F.E.S., Professor of Natural History, 

 Government School of Mines, .Jermyn-street. 



George Bentham, V.P.L.S. 



W. H. Harvey, M.D., P.R.S., and Z.S., etc., Professor 

 of Botany, University of Dublin. 



Arthur Henfrey, F.RS., L.S., etc.. Professor of Botany, 

 King's College, London. 



.1. S. Henslow, F.L.S. and G.S., etc., Professor of 

 Botany in the University of Cambridge. 



John Lindley, F.R.S., and L. S., Professor of Botany in 

 University College, London. 



George Busk, F.-R.S. and Z.S., Professor of Cpmparativo 

 Anatomy and Physiology to the Royal College of 

 Surgeons of England. 



