SECOND FLOOR. 
59 
Jacquin, Masson, Sowerby, Fitch, Sclileiden, W. G. Smith, and Drawings of 
especially Francis and Ferdinand Baner. Manuscriplis. 
The department possesses also many valuable manuscripts, 
snch as those of Eobert Brown, Solander, Kuiz and Pavon, 
Konig, Salisbury, and Miers, referring to plants now in the 
Herbarium on which these botanists have worked. 
The arrangement of the collections in the public gallery is Public Gallery, 
now in progress, but is not sufficiently advanced to permit the 
preparation of a guide to the cases. A general account of the 
plan being followed in this arrangement, and of the principal 
specimens, is all that can now be attempted. 
The natural system of classification, according to which the System of 
plants in the Herbarium are arranged, is followed in the exhibi- ^^^^s^^^^tio^' 
tion cases in the public gallery. A half case next to the door 
on the left side is devoted to a series of original drawings and 
specimens exhibiting the principal fungal parasites of cultivated 
plants. The series of specimens begins in the next case with 
the Natural Order Ranunmlaccm, and the principal Orders are 
represented in this and the following cases by dried specimens of 
the plants themselves, coloured drawings, fruits, and prepared 
sections of the woods. Diagrams are employed to indicate 
the characters on which the grouping is based. The use of 
the same colour for the homologous structures throughout the 
diagrams readily conveys to the eye the points of agreement 
or difference on which the classification rests. The f^eolooical 
history of each Natural Order is indicated on a table of the 
earth's strata ; and its present distribution on the surface of the 
earth is given on a small map of the world. Descriptive labels 
give particular information respecting each specimen. 
Dicotyledonous plants occupy three cases on the left side of 
the gallery, and are followed by the Monocotyledonous Orders, 
which fill the last case on the same side, the two half cases at 
the end of the gallery, and the first case returning towards the 
door. The Gymnosperms are placed in the next case. Then 
follow the Cryptogams, a case being devoted to the higher 
vascular Orders, and another to the lower division of cellular 
plants. The series closes with an interesting collection of 
models of the larger British Fungi prepared by Sowerl)y 
when he was engaged on his work on this group of plants, 
