THE GAZETTEEE SKETCH 889 



Much correspondence also passed between him and Gamble , 

 especially in regard to the Peninsular and Forest botany. 



All through November he describes himself as being ' still 

 in the agonies of the little job for the Indian Gazetteer.' 

 It was absolutely necessary to begin by tabulating from the 

 Flora of British India, seven volumes of small print, as well 

 as from later works, the species of all the provinces under which 

 he purposed to discuss the Indian Flora, before he could get 

 a clear comprehension of any, or compare one with another. 



In one case at least, when consulting a recent list showing 

 the distribution of the ten chief Natural Orders in India, he 

 suspected it to be founded on his own Flora, and therefore 

 could teach him nothing. 



But nature resisted the concise and clear definitions de- 

 manded by such a survey. It was easy to recognise (October 25, 

 1901) the three subordinate geographic floras of the W. 

 Peninsula, viz. Malabar, Coromandel and the central table- 

 lands, ' India vera,' but ' I do not see how to draw their, geo- 

 graphic limits with any approach to accuracy.' 



Again he rinds himself in danger of not observing due 

 proportion in treating provinces of which he knows much or 

 little. There is need for great reductions. Endless questions 

 arise that must be smothered on birth. (January 8, 1902.) 



So too the maps and forestry data with which Gamble 

 supplied him were most valuable ; but again he found himself 

 exceeding all bounds in introducing these data. 



When one considers that the smallest weed like Siylidium 

 has as much right to recognition in a phytogeographic 

 point of view as a tall Dipterocarp, the question of balance 

 of weeds against trees becomes delicate. (Jan. 17, 1902.) 



Subsequent work in the same field he welcomed with but 

 one regret, 



I wish [he writes to Mr. W. A. Talbot * in 1906, when 



1 William Alexander Talbot, late India Forest Department, joined the 

 service in 1870, became Assistant Conservator 1876, and Conservator 1901, 

 retiring in 1906. Elected F.L.S. 1884. He published a Systematic List of 

 the Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Climbers of the Bombay Presidency, 1894, second 

 edition 1902 ; and the Forest Flora of the Bombay Presidency and Bind, 1909. 



