George Bentham , B.R.S . xxiii 
finished. It was commenced in 1861, and was concluded 
in 1870; it comprises about 7,000 species. He was aided 
in it by valuable notes and preliminary studies supplied by 
Baron Mueller, but every description, generic and specific, 
was strictly his own. As has been well said, ‘ it is a work 
which would alone found a reputation.’ 
But Bentham’s magnum opus is unquestionably the ‘ Genera 
Plantarum 1 ,’ issued under the joint authorship of himself 
and the contributor of this memoir to the Annals ; but which, 
whether for the overwhelming share of the work which 
Bentham undertook, or for the aid he gave his partner in 
certain Orders elaborated by the latter, may justly be regarded 
as on the whole the product of one botanist. In the planning 
and execution of the work only two points were contested 
between us, whether his or my name should take precedence 
on the title-page, and whether in the headings of the pages 
the author’s name should be given with that of the Order 
described. On the first point my opinion prevailed, his on 
the second. 
The only other separate work published by Bentham during 
this period was an Illustrated Handbook of the British Flora, 
for the use of beginners and amateurs, including a series 
of wood-engravings, with dissections, by W. H. Fitch, F.L.S. 
The first edition of the Handbook appeared in 1858, and has 
been succeeded by five others. This work, on its appearance, 
was criticized on the false assumption that its author had 
no knowledge of plants in the field, supported by the fact 
that he took a much wider view of the variations under 
which species present themselves in nature, than do authors 
who have that knowledge. It was unknown to, or forgotten by, 
1 Genera Plantarum ad Exemplaria, imprimis in Herbariis Kewensibus servata, 
definita, auctoribus G. Bentham et J. D. Hooker, 1862-1883. The last article 
which Bentham wrote was a communication to the Linnean Society (Proc. xx, 
1883, p. 304): On the joint and separate work of the authors of Bentham and 
Hooker’s ‘ Genera Plantarum ’ ; where a full account is given of the part each author 
took. It may be mentioned that with the view of reducing the price of the work' 
to the public as far as possible, the expense of production was defrayed by the 
authors, Mr. Bentham guaranteeing that his fellow author should not lose. 
