LETTEES TO MR. DUTHIE 281 



Plantarum, particularly, as has been already noted, of the Indian 

 Orchids from 1890 to 1894. When sending two such descrip- 

 tions to Professor Oliver, he writes (September 22, 1886) : 



I must really get some more Indian things for the Icones. 

 There are plenty, and having to describe them at any rate, 

 it would be easier for me to contribute to that work than 

 for any one. But I, like you, seem to hate anything that 

 drags me out of the track ot methodical work. 



Some further illustrations of his labours on the Fl. B. 1. 

 may be drawn from the correspondence with Mr. Duthie, 1 

 the Director of the Saharunpur Botanic Garden. This corres- 

 pondence is typical of his interest in more than the im- 

 mediate needs of his own task ; his desire of putting others 

 in the best way of serving Botany as a whole and building 

 up their own reputation. Indeed, when in 1875 Duthie was 

 designated for Saharunpur, Hooker invited him to steep himself 

 in Indian Botany at Kew. There were moreover many Indian 

 Natural Orders which needed to be monographed : all the Kew 

 material should be available if he undertook the work. 



Thus (September 9, 1890) : 



It is good news that you are going to collect in the 

 Central Provinces. I do not expect much novelty, but a 

 considerable accession to dim knowledge of the Geographical 

 distribution of Indian plants. You will find some Himal. 

 species that you could not expect in that region, and probably 

 some novelties consisting of plants of the Eastern Ghats, 

 a country not explored since Roxburgh explored the Circars. 



What we want now is rather observation than specimens, 

 especially of the smaller flowered plants, and above all of 

 Orchideae. 2 



1 John Firminger Duthie, botanist, B.A. and F.L.S., Director of the Botani- 

 cal Department of N. W. India and Assistant for India at Kew in 1903. He sent 

 collections of upwards of 1200 dried plants to Kew from Kashmir in 1893, be- 

 sides 200 grasses in 1896. He published a List of N. W. Indian Plants in 1881, 

 and has written a great many papers on grasses and on other botanical subjects. 



3 He insists again and again on this point, notably with regard to the Grasses 

 and the ' unmanageable ' groups of Festuca ; of which Mr. Duthie had sent him 

 a rich collection. ' Indeed what we want now from India is not more collec- 

 tions, but critical observations on the spot, with illustrative specimens.' (Feb. 

 16, 1896.) 



