i lel OE ER a LS al Al a a NE ad Poe Se 
. EM ace stk oe pa a, 
192 The Philippine Journal of Science 1914 
College, Cambridge. From the time of his graduation from 
Dalhousie University to the time he entered Cambridge Univer- 
sity he was a teacher, first in the academy at Kentville, Nova 
Scotia, and afterwards in Pictou Academy in his native town. On 
his return from England in 1899, he again took up his profession 
as a teacher in Pictou Academy, where he remained until 1903. 
In this year, he went to New York and entered Columbia Univer- 
sity as a postgraduate student in botany, at the same time holding 
a position as laboratory assistant at the New York Botanical 
Garden. He received the degree of doctor of philosophy in botany 
from Columbia University in 1906, and was immediately ap- 
pointed assistant curator of the herbarium at the New York 
Botanical Garden. His productive work as a botanist commenced 
with this year. 
Among his duties at the New York Botanical Garden was the 
arrangement and determination of the large and valuable collec- 
tions made by Mr. R. S. Williams in various parts of the Philip- 
pines during the years 1903 to 1905, which led to his developing 
great interest in Philippine botanical problems and eventually 
to his accepting the position of economic botanist in the Bureau 
of Science, in March, 1908. For more than three years he was 
busily engaged on various problems presented by the Philippine 
flora as a mere glance at the appended bibliography will show. 
In August, 1911, he resigned from the Philippine service and 
returned to New York, again accepting an appointment at the 
New York Botanical Garden. Our correspondence continued, 
however, as he retained an intense interest in everything per- 
taining to the Philippine flora, and this led to his accepting 
reappointment in the Philippine service. He returned to Manila — 
for his second tour of duty in December, 1912. 
Several times during his period of Philippine service we dis- 
cussed the desirability of a thorough botanical exploration of 
the region to the south of the Philippines, especially on account 
of the rather striking floristic relationships between the Philip- 
pines and Celebes. At various times the subject of Amboina 
was also brought up as we had occasion to interpret Philip- 
pine species by reference to the work of Rumphius, and any bot- 
anist who has had much experience in interpreting species by 
Rumphius’ figures alone will fully appreciate the difficulties 
involved. 
During his absence in the United States the idea of a botanical 
exploration of Amboina had been taking form, and in a letter 
addressed to Doctor Robinson in Singapore we asked him 
seriously to consider undertaking the project. In April, 1913, 
