xxvi Obituary Notice of Fellow deceased. 



informal evening receptions were held, and the success of these induced the 

 Council in 1875 to establish the annual Ladies' Soiree. 



In 1874 Hooker suffered a terrible blow in the sudden death of his 

 wife (Henslow's eldest daughter) on November 13, without the smallest 

 warning, and while he was away from home. This prevented him from 

 presiding at the Anniversary Meeting, and what Huxley described as the 

 " acephalous condition " of the Society cast a gloom over the following dinner. 

 Mrs. Hooker was a singularly gifted woman, and what her companionship and 

 help had been to her husband needs but a single illustration. When Darwin 

 in 1854 received the ' Himalayan Journals,' he wrote, " I feel, sure that the 

 time will never come when you and Mrs. Hooker will not be proud to look 

 back at the labour bestowed on these beautiful volumes " (L.L. vol. 1, p. 392). 



Attention had been drawn to the limitation of admission to the Society by 

 one of the Fellows at the Anniversary Meeting in 1874, and Hooker took " the 

 earliest opportunity of submitting it to the deliberations of the Council." No 

 change was made beyond taking away from peers and restricting to Privy 

 Councillors the privilege of being proposed for election without being subject 

 to selection. It was still thought that the association of scientific workers 

 with " men of signal eminence in statesmanship, art, or letters was generally 

 desirable." Hooker, like others, would probably have regretted that the 

 foundation of the British Academy in great measure superseded this. 



In 1876 the Challenger returned from the voyage round the world 

 " originated " by the Eoyal Society and " crowned with complete success." In 

 1872 Hooker had drawn up suggestions for Moseley as to what might 

 profitably be done in plant-collecting in the course of an expedition whose 

 objects were oceanic research. Opportunity was well utilised, but it was 

 thought advisable " to limit the Botanical Beports to a review of Insular 

 floras, which came within the range of the expedition " (' Narrative,' vol. 1, 

 p. 943). This was carried on at Kew with Hooker's advice in the ' Botany,' 

 vol. 1, published in 1885. Hooker was Chairman of the Committee of 

 Publication of the Beports, which sat from 1876 to 1895, and was responsible 

 for the production of 50 illustrated volumes, the work of of 76 authors, at an 

 expenditure defrayed from public funds of some £50,000. The result was 

 probably unique in the history of expeditions. 



In 1878 he laid clown the office of President. He was " influenced by the 

 consideration that, though wholly opposed to the view that the term of the 

 Presidency of the Boyal Society should be either short or definitely limited, 

 this term should not be very long." But his main reason was the pressure 

 of " official duties " and " scientific engagements." In his Anniversary 

 Address, he made an announcement which gave him peculiar pleasure. The 

 fact is singular that the Boyal Society has never possessed more than a 

 slender endowment. The amount of the fees contributed by the Fellows 

 " occasionally prevented men of great merit from having their names brought 

 forward as candidates." It was found that a sum of £10,000 would be 

 " required for effecting any material reduction." This sum Hooker raised 



