SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
I l8 
Brown made over these collections to the nation within a short 
time after acquiring possession of them ; in fact, his appointment as 
first keeper of the Botanical Department of the British Museum dates 
from 1827. In an inquiry into the British Museum in 1835, Brown 
stated that he was an under-librarian of the Museum, and designated 
Keeper of the Banksian Botanical Collections. 
From the following passage it is evident that Brow)i had an herbarium 
which he considered to be his private property, in addition to what 
is and was known as the Banksian Herbarium. 
At the death of Robert Brown in 1858, his herbarium came into the possession 
of Jolin Joseph Bennett, then Keeper of the Department of Botany. It mainly 
consisted of the very valuable and interesting collection made by him in his 
capacity as naturalist during the voyage of H.M.S. “ Investigator,”* commanded 
by Captain Flinders, on the coast of Xew Holland and Van Diemen’s Land in 
1802-5, and included nearly 3,000 species, among them being the types of Broum’s 
•' Prodromus Florae Xovae Hollandiae.” The herbarium during Bennett’s lifetime 
was kept at the iluseum, and was accessible to botanists; it was largely employed 
by Bentham in the prejjaration of his " Flor i Australiensis.” On Bennett’s death, 
in 187(3, the Museum became possessed of a complete and v’ery fine series of the 
Australian plants, with all Brow-n’s notes, and of the remainder of his herbarium, 
which contained Australian plants from Baxter, Sturt, Mitchell, and Labillarditre, 
Brown’s own collections in Timor and at the Cape, and various specimens from 
other collectors, including types of species described by Brown. t 
Brown published no bulky works, but if they lacked size and number 
they were of the highest quality. Of the erudition of Brown, of his 
genius for gross and minute morphological work and interpretation 
of the results from the point of view of classihcation, there can be no 
difference of opinion. There is the finish of a master about his work — 
his descriptions are models of discrimination, condensation, and com- 
prehensiveness, while his names are models of nomenclature. 
His contemporaries held him in the greatest respect, and frequent 
compliments show the depth of their admiration. 
There is an enumeration of Brown’s works in Pritzel’s ‘‘ Thesaurus,” 
p. 35. In the preface (by J. J. Bennett) to the second volume of Brown’s 
(’ollected Works (Ray Society) there are corrections of Pritzel, and 
also information in regard to the assistance Brown gave to the authors 
of certain well-known works. 
Daydon Jackson points out that the following work — (Ker, J. B.) 
“ On three species of the N. 0. Orchidere,” Lond., 1817, 4°, is, in Pritzel, 
Thes. Ed. i, erroneously ascribed to Brown. 
The second 2 )ortionof the Second Editionof Aiton’s “Hortus Kewensis” 
owes much of its botanical value to Brown. 
• This is contrary to modern, or at all events to Australian, ideas. It has been already shown 
that Brown was paid by the .Admiralty while on his Australian expeditions; while the Admiralty 
also paid him tor nearly hve years to prepare the botanical results of the expedition, which were 
published in the “ Prodromus ” in 1810. The specimens were surely public property, and Mr. 
Beniutt ri 'hlly made arranpements for l andinp them hack lo ihe nation. 
J. Britten, in Jnuninl of UnUinu, xlii., ji. 1.4. 
