SECOND REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS.

27

kingdom. Its tendency, in increasing the collection, has also been in the direc-tion of manufacturing industry, for, in the words of the Director, “ it is intendedto contain all (save some of the most trifling and familiar) vegetable products,whether in the state of raw material, or as prepared by the art and ingenuity ofman; all kinds of useful and ornamental woods, dye-stuffs, drugs, gums, resins,medicines, fibres, &c., &c.; whatever, in short, is serviceable in the arts, manufac-tures, medicine, or domestic economy.” The last report of Sir W. Hooker,accompanying the estimates for the year 1852-53, shows the increasing importanceof this institution, for he says—

“ The Museum of Yegetahle Products has increased beyond all expectation, andat a most trifling cost to the country ; for the advantages it affords in the way ofinformation and instruction are now so obvious, that many contributors whodesire to make known various vegetable products and preparations, have sentspecimens to this museum, and donations have accumulated, we may say daily,for the last six months. All the available space in the building is now devotedto the museum, and fitted up with glass cases, which are rapidly filling. Formany valuable contributions we are indebted to the Great Exhibition . Theyconsist of vegetable products, raw and in various stages of manipulation, andmanufactures of vegetable substances from all parts of the world. The exhibitorshave manifested great interest in the museum, and have generously aided itscollections. The Secretary of State for the Colonies has also placed at ourdisposal many vegetable products from the distant possessions of the Crown. Ihave likewise, with the sanction of the Chief Commissioner of Works, purchasedan interesting collection (correctly named) of all the woods of Tuscany from theTuscan Commissioners ; this country yields much of the valuable timber for ournavy. Messrs. Peter Lawson and Sons, of Edinburgh , have presented to themuseum their collection of Scottish agricultural, horticultural, and arboriculturalproducts. This forms in itself an important addition to our stores. The namesof contributors stand attached to their respective donations, which need only beinspected to attest the worth and extent of the gifts, and the liberality of thegivers. And when the guide-book to the museum is printed, which has beennecessarily delayed in consequence of the great recent additions, a yet widerpublicity will follow. Such contributions, together with the collections receivedduring this year from Dr. Hooker’s Travels in Eastern India and the Himalaya ,will more than fill the present structure.”

Dr. Hooker has received a temporary appointment from Government, for thepurpose of arranging the specimens alluded to in the above extract, and as themuseum will be overcrowded, it will be necessary to find much increased accom-modation.

(c) The Animal Kingdom.

This branch is less perfectly represented, for the purposes of instruction, thaneither the Mineral or Yegetahle Kingdom. It is true that the Zoological Societyin their gardens represent it efficiently aS far as regards living animals, but theproducts so much used in manufactures have not yet found adequate representa-

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AnimalKingdom