OBITUARY. 



SIR JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER, O.M., F.R.S. 



11817-1911. > 



Through the lamented death of Sir Joseph Hooker, the greatest of 

 British botanists, the New Zealand Institute has lost not only the 

 most illustrious and revered of its honorary members, but one whose 

 hand has laid an impress on New Zealand science never to be effaced. 



Hooker's connection with New Zealand botany commenced so long 

 ago as the early summer of 1840, when, as naturalist to the famous 

 Antarctic Expedition under Sir James Ross, he explored botanically 

 the Auckland and Campbell Islands. How thoroughly this work was 

 conducted is evidenced bj r the fact that, notwithstanding subsequent 

 visits of several experienced botanists and one well-equipped scientific 

 expedition, only twenty-five additions, many of which are doubtless 

 extremely local, have been made to Hooker's original list of 124 

 species of vascular plants. As for the lower cryptogams (277 species), 

 they remain virtually as they were. Three months (August-November) 

 of the succeeding year were spent by Hooker at the Bay of Islands, 

 where he made a collection of about three hundred species, and gained 

 at the same time a first-hand acquaintance with a portion of the New 

 Zealand flora proper. Perhaps even more important was his meeting 

 Colenso, who, through contact with the brilliant young botanist, was 

 stirred up to that life-long enthusiastic devotion to science which yielded 

 such valuable results. 



Immediately on the return of the Ross Expedition Hooker commenced 

 the study of his collections, and, notwithstanding their magnitude, 

 the first volume of the magnificent " Flora Antarctica," devoted to 

 the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, appeared in 1844, and marked 

 the commencement of a new epoch in New Zealand botany. 



The years 1853 to 1855 saw the publication of the " Flora Novae- 

 Zelandiae," a quarto work in two volumes similar to the " Flora 

 Antarctica," consisting of 729 pages and 130 coloured plates. In this 

 and the last-mentioned work the species are not merely described, but 

 their affinities and geographical distribution most thoroughly considered. 

 Further, the essay on the New Zealand flora which formed an intro- 

 duction to the " Flora Novae-Zelandiae " is a phytogeographic classic 

 of the highest excellence. Written presumably to educate the colonial 

 collector and to stimulate botanical research in the new colony, it 

 deals in a most searching manner with the origin and affinities of 

 the flora, and as a contribution to philosophical plant-geography has 

 never been excelled in its admirable marshalling of the facts, clear- 

 ness of style, moderation of tone, and carefully balanced conclusions. 

 Another portion of the essay, treating of the limits of species, their 

 dispersion and variation, is full of matter interesting even yet to a 

 present-day student of evolution. 



