Ixx PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



for scientific pursuits ; such, however, was far from being the case. 

 By keeping up the active habits of his early life, he was enabled 

 to get through a greater amount of scientific work than any other 

 botanist of his own or, perhaps, of any period. He is enumerated 

 by M. Alphonse De CandoUe together with Linnseus and Augustin- 

 Pyramus De Candolle, as one of the three most laborious bota- 

 nists who ever lived ; and of these three, his works appear to have 

 been the most numerous ; in proof of which it may be mentioned 

 that his own and his joint works are included in six or seven folio, 

 four quarto, and eighty-seven octavo volumes, including in the 

 whole not less than 4094 plates ; whilst M. De Candolle estimates 

 that the number of new species described by him equals, if it 

 does not exceed, that of the plants first described by the elder 

 De Candolle — viz. 6350. It should be remarked also that this 

 amazing fecundity was not displayed at the expense of accuracy, 

 few men having so rarely committed a mistake, either in the 

 naming or classification of a new species. Another peculiarity 

 (as it may be termed, in so voluminous a writer and so busy a 

 man) well worthy of record is, the circumstance that Sir W. 

 Hooker, like Linnseus, never left a work unaccomplished ; what- 

 ever he undertook was undertaken with a full conception of its 

 requirements, and as fully carried out. 



His works are for the most part entirely of a descriptive nature, 

 and on the subject of both Cryptogams and Phanerogams, re- 

 garded either as connected with the flora of a country or as in- 

 dividual species. The following list, which I extract from M. A. 

 De Candolle' s memoir, includes those of most consequence : — 



1. Britisli Jungermannise, 1 vol. fol., 88 pL, 1813. ■ 



2. Musci Exotici, 2 vols. 8vo, plates, 1818-20. 



3. Muscologia Britannica, 1 vol. 8vo, 1818. 



4. Plora Scotica, 1 vol. 8vo, 1821. 



5. British Elora, 2 vols. 8vo, 1830-31. 



6. Flora Boreali-Amerieana, 2 vols. 4to, 1833-40. 



7. Icones Pilicum, 2 vols., 1829-31, in conjunction with Dr. 

 Grreville. 



8. G-enera Filicum, 8vo, 1842, with 120 plates. 



9. Species Pilicum, 5 vols. 8vo, 1846-64, with 304 plates. 



10. Exotic Elora, 3 vols., 1823-27, with 232 coloured plates. 



11. Icones Plantarum, 5 vols. 8vo, 1827-54, with about a thou- 

 sand plates, mostly drawn by himself. 



12. Botanical Magazine, edited by him from 1827 to his death, in 

 more than 25 volumes, with 2700 coloured plates and descriptions. 



