Journal of Travel and Natural History 345 



cessfully cultivated in India originate with him, but with Dr Royle. 

 The latter advocated their introduction in 1839. The first official 

 proposal was made in a despatch from the Governor-General, 

 dated the 27th March 1852, or a month after Dr Falconer's paper 

 was read in Calcutta. It was referred to Dr Royle, who recom- 

 mended that the attempt should be made by the government. 

 This resulted in the Foreign Office being requested to obtain seeds 

 and plants through the Consuls in South America in October 1852. 

 In obedience to his instructions, Mr Cope, the Consul-General at 

 Quito, sent a box of seeds and plants from Cuenca and Loxa to 

 England, all of which died. Dr Royle was not disheartened by 

 this failure. In 1853 he drew up a second report, and in 1856 he 

 made a final attempt to induce the East India Company to obtain 

 plants and seeds from South America. In 1859 Mr Markham 

 was appointed by the Government to proceed to South America, 

 and under his untiring zeal the cinchona plants were selected and 

 transported to India in Wardian cases, and finally naturalized in 

 their new home on the slopes of the Himmalayahs.* 



Dr Royle died without seeing his efforts, which extended over 

 more than fifteen years, crowned with complete success. The 

 idea originated with him, and by his perseverance assumed a 

 practical form, and would have been carried out under his auspices 

 had he been alive. The only merit that can, therefore, with any 

 fairness be ascribed to Dr Falconer is, that he read a paper on the 

 subject in India, which, most probably, was brought before the 

 notice of the Governor-General. To ascribe to the latter a greater 

 share in the naturalization of so important a tree in Northern 

 India is to detract from the merit of Dr Royle, whose energy laid 

 the foundation of the present successful cultivation in the Indian 

 Empire of several of the more valuable articles of commerce. 



In this outline of Dr Falconer's labour in two very distinct 

 branches of investigation, we cannot fail to notice the width and 

 versatility of his mind, which, in some respects, resembled that of 

 the great author of Kosmos. In the power of grappling with the 

 problems offered by the then very obscure fossils of India he has 

 not yet been surpassed. In the share that he took in developing 

 the vegetable resources of the Indian Empire he has earned a place 

 by the side of Dr Wallich and Dr Royle among our national 

 benefactors. 



• Markham, op. cit. 



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