150 SIR WILLIAM HOOKER 



his guidance, a probable cause of that paralysis of laboratory 

 investigation which ruled in Britain till the early seventies ? 

 British botany was at that time almost purely descriptive. The 

 revival came within 10 years of the death of Sir William, and it 

 is well to remember that the immediate stimulus to that revival 

 was given by a botanist, who became later the Director of Kew, 

 and was allied by marriage with Sir William Hooker himself. 

 I mean, Sir William Thiselton-Dyer. The stimulus had its 

 result in the active development of anatomical and physiological 

 study of plants, as we see it in this country to-day. For a 

 time the swing of the pendulum in this direction was too 

 extreme and exclusive. I remember very well an occasion 

 when Sir Joseph Hooker said to me, " You young men do 

 not know your plants." And it was true, though it may be 

 added that few indeed, at any time, knew them in the full 

 Hookerian sense. A saner position is gradually being attained. 

 But even now the systematic study of Angiosperms receives far 

 too little attention among us, and is an almost open field for the 

 young investigator. 



I would conclude with one word of advice, which naturally 

 springs from contemplation of a life-work such as Sir William 

 Hooker's. We sometimes see wide-reaching phyletic conclusions 

 advanced by writers who we know have not specific knowledge 

 of the groups in question. Let us learn from Sir William the 

 importance of specific knowledge. It is only on such a founda- 

 tion that sound phyletic argument can proceed. Let us always 

 remember that it is better to carry out sound work on species, as 

 he did, without theorising on their phyletic relations, than to 

 promulgate phyletic theories without a sufficient specific know- 

 ledge of the families themselves. The former will probably be 

 lasting work, the latter runs every chance of early refutation. 

 Under the most favourable circumstances analytical work is as 

 a rule more durable than synthetic. Sir William Hooker's con- 

 tributions fall chiefly under the former head, and will be found 

 to have a corresponding element of durability. 



