126 



Appexdix 1 : 



l^fessoi- the botany would be greater than the good ; the circum- 

 «. OWEN, stances in regard to that department have since changed, 

 I860. '"^nd -ivith them my opinion ; so also with regard to mine- 

 ralogy • circumstances have so altered in reference to the 

 capability of receiving such collections in any national 

 establishment out of' the British Museum, that I am 

 most decidedly of opinion now, that the mineralogy could 

 not be better situated than where it is. 



576. The circumstances in regard to the collection of 

 botany were the development of Kew Gardens, and the 

 .sdbsequent development of a Museum of Botany in 

 juxtaposition with those gardens, neither of which existed 

 at the time when I gave my evidence. The question as 

 to the mineralogy related to the rapid filling up of the 

 Muvseum in Jermyn Street; in 1847 there had been a 

 suggestion that the mineral collection might have been 

 transferred to the Museum of Practical Geology in 

 Jermyn Street. 



* * * 



579. Tlie increasing number of botanists, and of per- 

 sons_ interestetl in botany, visiting Kew, particularly 

 visiting the Museum and herbarium, and acquiring in- 

 struction from them, led me to see that the transference 

 of the comparatively small collection of botany in the 

 British Museum might have been made there." 



580. He thought that it might be with advantage 

 transferred to Kew. 



581. As to whether the mineralogy might be trans- 

 feiTed with advantage, if a suitaible ulace could be 

 found for it. '• I do not think so now ; I think it would 

 detract from the character of a great national collec- 

 tion of natural history to be wanting in that great class 

 of natural objects. I think they should all go together, 

 or stay together." 



Mr. N'eva Story Maskelyne stated in replv to the 

 Mr.N. qi^estion: — 



Storey- 954. Have you any reason to think that such an estab- 

 Maskely.ne lishnient as that at Kew, under the care of Sir William 

 Hooker, has in itself been very advantageous to botanical 

 science? — "In the highest degree; Kew, both in re- 

 spect to its methods of administration, and in respect to 

 the results achieved, I look upon as being a complete 

 success. If it was possible to have Kew round the 

 British Museum, and the British Museum not to lose 

 its locality as to London, in its being nearly the centre 

 of gravity of the populat:!on of Londom, I tliink bO'lh 

 would rise, and each would become greater.' 



955. The gardens at Kew, notwithstanding that th«y 

 are a considerable distance from London, been an object 

 of great interest and great convenience to the public ; 

 '■ to the public who can go in carriages, and even to the 

 labouring public, who can go on great holidays. I look 

 upon Kew, however, not only as a place of scientific re- 

 sort, but also as a place to which it is a great recreation 

 to go to enjoy gardens of that kind in the open air, sur- 

 rounded by everything that is beautiful, the various forms 

 of the vegetable world flourishing around you in the 

 highest perfection ; that alone is a vast attraction, r,nd is 

 not to be put on the same footing with a collection of 

 dried plants, or a collection of minerals, or a collection of 

 antiquities such as are found in the Museum." 



957. Speaking of those who can only give a portion of 

 their time to scientific study, he instanced a man of busi- 

 ness." whose heart is in his work, and his work is in the 

 middle of London, to go to Kew is only a walk for him in 

 the evening, or in the afternoon, or on a holiday ; but it 

 does not lie in his daily path ; he cannot turn in for half 

 an hour or an hour as he does continually now at the 

 British Museum, and the number of such persons who 

 come into that Museum is enormous." 



ENQUIRY OF 1868-1869. 



The following papers refer to an investigation set on 

 foot in consequence of a memorandum sent by the Secre- 

 tary of Her Majesty's Office of Works to the British 

 Museum, but as there is no record of its having been 

 officially received on behalf of the Trustees, and from its 

 notice by the Superintendent of Natural History, Sir 

 Richard Owen, it is probable that the matter was dealt 

 with by him from first to last. (See below, page 152). 

 These documents have not previously been printed. 



I. 



MEMOEANTJtTM from the Secretary of H.M. Office of 

 ■Works, No. 18919/68. 



Memorandum respecting the botanical collections of the 

 British Museum and Royal Gardens, Kew. 



The British Museum collections differ from those at 



Kew m contaming various herbaria of historical interest, 

 as Cook's, Bankss, etc., and a fine collection of fossil 

 plants and microscopical objects. 



As a general herbarium the British Museum is far in- 

 ferior to that of Kew in extent, arrangement, and nomen- 

 clature ; in wanting the plants of the Government ex- 

 peditions of late years, and in having no efficient library 

 attached to it. 



In the opinion of Dr. Hooker it would not be for the 

 interests of science to send all the British Museum collec- 

 tions to Kew, nor that two great independent herbaria, 

 such as Kew and the British Museum, should be kept up 

 on their present footing. 



Dr. Hooker states that besides the obvious necessity of 

 there being a perfect and complete herbarium attached 

 to the Royal Gardens, the advantages of Kew as a site 

 for the principal national herbarium are now universally 

 recognised, whence it follows that part of tlie Museum 

 collections should be transferred to Kew. 



It is his opinion that the fossil plants, in which geolo- 

 gists are even more concerned than botanists, should re- 

 main m London, and be there accompanied by a herba- 

 rium and library of reference for the use of botanists and 

 geologists, amateurs and othei^, resident in London or 

 passing through it, who may want information which it 

 would not be worth their while going to Kew to procure. 



Such a herbarium for reference would be an inexpensive 

 one. The British Museum herbarium, minus the speci- 

 mens required for Kew, would supply a good one, and 

 have space for future increase. 



The authorities at Kew should be responsible for sup- 

 plying this herbarium from time to time with such addi- 

 tional specimens as may be required, authentically 

 named, in which they would be aided by the Museum 

 authorities. 



The technical operations of mounting specimens, etc., 

 would be best performed at Kew, and the cost would be 



insignificant. 



The Hbrary of reference might be supplied from the 

 Banksian Library of the British Museum, supplemented 

 by a small annual grant such as Kew has (£145 for 

 books and binding). 



By such an arrangement a large saving might be efi'ected 

 on the joint expenses of the two existing botanical estab- 

 lishments, and a good inexpensive herbarium and library 

 be provided for the use of Londoners, and especially geo- 

 logists and amateurs. 



The extra work which such an arrangement would en- 

 tail at Kew would be chiefly in the first arrangement of 

 the accumulated tmarranged collections of the British 

 Museum, which are said to be vast, and this had best be 

 accomplished by temporary assistants. It would be more 

 rapidly and efi"ectually done at Kew than at the British 

 Museum. This accomplished, no permanent increase of 

 the staff at the Kew herbarium need necessarily follow, 

 though there should be an increase of salary to the her- 

 barium officer charged with the additional responsibilities. 

 (Signed) Geoege RrssELL. 



Office of Works, etc., Dec. Slst, 1868. 



n. 



Rejoinder to the foregoing from the Keeper of Botany, 

 British Museum. 



Papeh sent in January 15th, 1869. 



Notes on Mr. Russell's " Memoranda respecting the 

 botanical collections of the British Museum and 

 Royal Gai'dens, Kew.'' 



1. The important differences between the two collec- 

 tions are fairly stated. 



2. I do not admit that the herbarium of the British 

 Museum is so " far inferior in extent, arrangement, and 

 nomenclature " as is here assumed. It is true that we 

 have not in the Museum the plants of several Govern- 

 ment expeditions of late years, as these have been sent 

 to and retained at Kew. Our departmental library of 

 reference is a good one, and we have the great library of 

 the Museum always at hand, which gives much more 

 efficient aid than that of Kew, or any other special 

 library, could possibly give. 



3. I quite agree in opinion with Dr. Hooker that it 

 would not be for the interests of science to send al] the 

 British Museum botanical collection to Kew ; and I do 

 not think, for reasons to be hereinafter given, some of 

 which seem to be recognised by Dr. Hooker himself, 

 that it would be expedient to send any of them there. 



