666 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 



wise as to win, along with national applause, the gratitude of the 

 scientific world." Nor is more than a passing allusion due to a 

 bitter controversy in 1872, Hooker's unsought share in which the 

 world of science made its own. Those whose curiosity extends to 

 the unedifying may find the details in a parliamentary paper; it is 

 sufficient to remark that in the following session the Royal Society 

 chose Hooker to preside over their councils. 



We have yet to allude to what was the heaviest and the most pro- 

 longed task of Hooker's life, the publication of the Flora of British 

 India. During his collaboration with Thomson, prior to 1855, in 

 the elaboration of the results of their Indian journeys, the two friends 

 had been able to render available for scientific study the botanical 

 treasures preserved in the East India House. The heavy but essen- 

 tial task'of distributing these involved as a corollary the preparation 

 and issue of a catalogue of the specimens dealt with. This catalogue 

 Hooker was able to publish in 1865. A similar necessity subse- 

 quently arose hi connection with the Peninsular Indian herbarium 

 brought together by the late Dr. Wight. This subsidiary distribu- 

 tion was completed and the requisite ancillary catalogue was pre- 

 pared by 1870. The task of preparing for British India a flora on the 

 lines of those written at Kew on behalf of the various colonies could 

 at last be undertaken. This task was at once begun; the opening 

 part of the initial volume appeared in 1872, and the volume was com- 

 pleted hi 1S75. It was followed by the second volume, finished in 

 1879, by the third, finished in 1882, and by the fourth, the concluding 

 part of which was issued, just as Hooker retired, in 1885. 



Nearly half of the gigantic task had still to be accomplished, so 

 that in Hooker's case retirement, if it brought relief from adminis- 

 trative cares, did not bring leisure. The heavy labor was faced with- 

 out flinching; the progress of the work remained unchecked. The 

 fifth volume, containing four parts, was completed hi 1890; the sixth, 

 also a volume of four parts, in 1894; the seventh and concluding vol- 

 ume appeared in 1897. 



In the meantime, however, Hooker undertook a new and onerous 

 task. Shortly before his death the late Mr. Darwin informed Hooker 

 of his intention to devote a considerable sum to be expended in pro- 

 viding some work of utility to biological science, and to arrange* that 

 its completion be assured should this not be accomplished during his 

 lifetime. The difficulties which he had experienced in his own studies 

 led Darwin to suggest that this work might take the form of an index 

 to the names, authorities, and countries of all flowering plants. At 

 Darwin's request, the direction and supervision of the work was under- 

 taken by Hooker; the actual preparation was entrusted to Mr. B. D. 

 Jackson. The result is the Index Kewensis, of which the publica- 

 tion alone occupied the period from 1892 to 1895. During the 



