71 
work in connection with the formation of a first-rate herbarium 
collection, and his experience as a forest officer, led him to realise 
how frequently competent field workers, whose results in obtaining 
material for the study of herbaceous plants or shrubs leave nothing 
to be desired, are deterred by what are no doubt serious difficulties 
from supplying specimens adequately illustrating arboreous types, 
and yet how extremely important from the industrial standpoint 
full and accurate accounts of the constituents of the Indian forests 
are. By precept and example he strove to remedy this well-known 
defect, and the accuracy and completeness of these monographs 
testify to the success which he was able to achieve. 
Simultaneously with the preparation of these monographs, King 
undertook a floristic study of the vegetation e Malay 
Peninsula, the results of which were published in contributions to 
the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, meant to serve as 
materials for a flora of the Peninsula, but prepared so carefully 
that they serve as satisfactory substitutes for a final work. 
In 1891 when the botanical officers in the different provinces of 
India were associated in one department, King was appointed the 
first Director of the Botanical Survey of India, and in 1895 he 
was permitted to resign the botanical chair in the Medical College 
. of Bengal in order that he might have more time to devote to his 
work in connection with the Indian flora. 
Of the Malayan materials the first ten parts, amounting to about 
1,200 octavo pages, and bringing the task to the middle of the 
Calyciflorae were issued before King retired from the service of the 
Indian Gover t, after thirty-three years’ service, in 1898. After 
his retirement he was compelled, under medical advice, to spend the 
winter months at San Remo, but his summers were devoted to work 
at Kew on the continuation of the Malayan Flora. His health 
was, however, never satisfactory after his return to Europe, and he 
realised that he might not be able to finish the task he had 
allotted himself. By an arrangement with his friend Mr. H. N. 
Ridley, F.R.S., Director of the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, that 
botanist undertook the elaboration of the Monocotyledons of the 
Malayan Peninsula, while King continued to work out the remaining 
Dicotyledons, and after the publication of the thirteenth part, which 
concludes the Calyciflorae, in 1902, he was was joined by Mr. J. 8. 
Gamble, C.1.E., F.R.S., in the elaboration of the Corollitlorae. For 
other three years King took his share in the joint work ; since then, 
partial loss of eyesight and steadily increasing infirmity having led 
to the enforced abandonment of active participation by King in the 
work he had so much at heart, the task has been undertaken by 
Mr, Gamble alone, and the appearance of the twenty-first part, 
which concludes the Corolliflorae, has coincided almost to a day 
with King’s lamented death. A list of King’s contributions to 
botanical literature will appear in an early number of the Kew 
Bulletin. ee : 
ing’s services to the Indian Empire were not limited to his 
purely ofticial duties. He was during the greater part of his . ; 
in Bengal one of the most active and trusted of the Fellows of t 2 
University of Calcutta, and he served for a term on the syndicate of 
that institution. He was an original member of the Committee o: a ‘ 
