420 HOOKER'S POSITION AS BOTANIST 



of their interest. Eight years previously, it is true (in 1833), 

 Robert Brown had described and figured the nucleus of the 

 cell, and had approached even the focal point of its interest, 

 viz. its relation to reproduction. But the demonstration of 

 the cytoplasm in which it is embedded was yet to come. In 

 fact, the knowledge of structure omitted as yet any details 

 of that body which we now hold to be the ' physical basis of 

 life.' 



The period immediately succeeding 1841 was, however, 

 a time pregnant with new developments. The study of 

 protoplasm soon engaged the attention of Von Mohl. Apical 

 growth was investigated by Naegeli and Leitgeb. The dis- 

 covery of the sexuality of ferns, and the completion of their 

 life-story by Bischoff, Naegeli, and Suminski, led up to 

 the great morphological generalisation of Hofmeister. Thus 

 Morphology in its modern development was initiated. On 

 the other hand, Lyell's ' Principles of Geology ' had appeared, 

 and obtained wide acceptance. Darwin himself was freshly 

 back from the voyage of the Beagle, while Sir Joseph Hooker 

 was at that very time away with Ross on his Antarctic Voyage, 

 and shortly afterwards started on his Journey to the Himalaya. 

 These three great figures — the forerunner of Evolution, the 

 author of the ' Origin of Species,' and Darwin's first adherent 

 among biologists — were thus in their various ways working 

 towards that generalisation which was so soon to revolutionise 

 the science of which Kew was becoming the official centre. 

 Well may we then regard this date as a nodal point in the 

 History of Botany not only in this country, but also in the 

 world at large. 



It was into such an atmosphere of development and change 

 that Sir Joseph Hooker entered on his return from the Hima- 

 layan Journey in 1851. His first care was to work out his 

 results systematically. Two volumes of the ' Antarctic Flora ' 

 were already out, and the ' Flora of British India ' soon took 

 form. These works show how fully he was imbued with 

 the old systematic methods : how he advanced, improved, 

 and extended them, and was in his time their chief exponent. 

 Not only did he add greatly to the genera and species recorded, 



