240 Linnean Society. [May 24, 



first public proofs that he gave of his abilities are contained in a mi- 

 croscopic delineation of the structure of the wood and an analysis of the 

 flower of Phytocrene gigantea, in the third volume of Dr. Wallich's 

 * Plantse Asiaticse Rariores' ; and in a note on the development and 

 structure of Targionia hypophylla, appended to M, de Mirbel's Disser- 

 tation on Marchantia polymorpha, both published in 1832. So highly 

 were his talents as an observer appreciated at this early period, that 

 Dr, Wallich speaks of him as one " whose extraordinary talents and 

 knowledge as a botanist entitle him to the respect of all lovers of the 

 science ;" and M. de Mirbel characterizes him as " jeune Anglois, tres 

 instruit, tres zele et fort bon observateur." 



His note on Targionia is dated Paris, April 2nd, 1832, and in the 

 month of May of the same year, having finished his studies at the 

 London University with great distinction, he sailed from England for 

 India, which was destined to be tlie scene of his future labours. He 

 arrived at Madras on the 24th of September, and immediately re- 

 ceived his appointment as Assistant-Surgeon in the service of the 

 East India Company. 



His first appointment in India was to the coast of Tenasserim ; but 

 in the year 1835 he was attached to the Bengal Presidency, and was 

 selected to form one of a deputation, consisting of Dr. Wallich and 

 himself as botanists, and Mr. MacClelland as geologist, to visit and 

 inspect the Tea-forests (as they were called) of Assam, and to make 

 researches in the natural history of that almost unexplored district. 



This mission was for Mr. Griffith the commencement of a series of 

 journeys in pursuit of botanical knowledge, embracing nearly the 

 whole extent of the East India Company's extra-peninsular posses- 

 sions, and adding large collections in every branch of natural history, 

 but especially botany, to those which, under the auspices of the In- 

 dian Government, had previously been formed. He next, under the 

 directions of Capt. Jenkins, the Commissioner, pushed his investiga- 

 tions to the utmost eastern limit of the Company's territory, tra- 

 versing the hitherto unexplored tracts in the neighbourhood of the 

 Mishmee Mountains which lie between Suddiya and Ava. Of the 

 splendid collection of insects formed during this part of his tour, some 

 account has been given by Mr. Hope in the Transactions of the En- 

 tomological Society and in the eighteenth volume of our own Trans- 

 actions. 



His collection of plants was also largely increased on this remark- 

 able journey, which was followed by a still more perilous expedition, 

 commenced in February of the following year, from Assam through 

 the Burmese dominions to Ava, and down the Irawaddi to Rangoon, 



