THE HERBARIUM AND LIBRARY 109 
But Kew has, besides, an imperial, even cosmopolitan, part to 
play. For many years it has been engaged in what may be termed 
a botanical survey of the British Empire, the object of which is 
to prepare and publish descriptions of all the plants native to the 
Colonies and India. This work, which is steadily progressing towards 
completion, is reviewed in some detail in later pages. It is only 
necessary now to observe that the material in the Kew Herbarium 
is the basis upon which the Colonial floras have all been built. Kew 
has always been in close association with the Colonial and Indian 
possessions of the British Crown, and its collections of dried material 
illustrating their various floras is the richest in existence. The 
Herbarium at Kew, however, exerts an influence even wider than 
the British Empire. The aim that is kept in view is to have preserved 
within its walls a complete and representative set of specimens of 
every plant-species existing on the globe. This aim is not yet, and 
may never be, accomplished ; but the Kew Herbarium has got 
much nearer the goal than any other herbarium in the world 
has done. It has, therefore, become indispensable to the compre- 
hensive study of the plant-life on all large areas, whether British 
or foreign. 
The Herbarium building occupies a position abutting on the 
north-west corner of Kew Green, close to the chief entrance to the 
Gardens. At the end of the eighteenth century it belonged 
to Robert Hunter, who is said to have been a friend 
of the first Aiton. Then, or afterwards, it came to be 
known as “ Hunter House.” It was one of a series of substantial 
private residences which had formerly extended to Brentford Ferry, 
all of which — except Kew Palace — have disappeared. Sir Peter 
Lely lived at Kew, and his house is believed to have been the one 
next to Hunter House. In 1818, at the suggestion of Sir Joseph 
Banks, the Crown purchased Mr. Hunter’s house with a view to 
utilising it for a herbarium and library in connection with the Botanic 
Garden. Banks, however, died in 1820 and the project fell into 
abeyance. From 1830 to 1851 the building was used as a residence 
by the Duchess of Cumberland and her husband, who in 1837 became 
King of Hanover. He died in 1851, and in the following year the 
ground floor was granted to Sir William Hooker for the accommo- 
dation of his herbarium and library. Although private property, 
they were placed at the service of the gardens and of botanists visiting 
Hunter 
House. 
