William Turner Thiselton-Dyer

“ Hooker imbibed from his father a passion for botanical research, and from his youth was inspired with a keen desire to indulge it by foreign travel. This was first gratified when Sir James Clark Ross [q. v.] , a friend of his father, offered to take him, if he qualified in time, nominally as assistant surgeon, but actually as naturalist, on his own ship, the Erebus, on the Antarctic expedition. Thus Hooker, like Darwin and Huxley, 'began his scientific career on board one of Her Majesty's ships.' The filiation of Hooker's life-work to that of Darwin had an accidental origin. ”

“ Hooker was the first to whom the theory was confided, and he read at the same time the first sketch of the 'Origin' (printed in 1909 by Mr. Francis Darwin) . The confidence proved afterwards of no small importance. During the next fourteen years in which Darwin was occupied in elaborating his theory, he was almost in continuous correspondence with Hooker with regard to its details. 'The intimacy,' which began in 1843, 'ripened [on Hooker's side] into feelings as near to those of reverence for [Darwin's] life, work and character as is reasonable and proper' (L. L. ii. 20) . ”

“ But both Darwin and Hooker were always in agreement that species for purposes of classification must be accepted as facts, whatever view be taken as to their origin. Huxley, however, thought Hooker in the following year 'capable de tout in the way of advocating evolution' (L. L. ii. 196) .
In 1858 an event happened which Darwin's friends had long anticipated. On 15 June Darwin received from Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, who was then in the Celebes Islands, an essay which substantially embodied his own theory. The position became tragic, for on 29 June Darwin was prostrate with illness ”

“ The scientific world saw clearly that the underlying question was the degradation of Kew to a mere pleasure garden. The differences were not settled without debates in both houses of parliament. Public opinion declared itself on Hooker's side. Gladstone transferred Ayrton in August 1873 to another office, and the electorate dismissed him in 1874 from political life.
In 1873 the Royal Society elected Hooker president, with Huxley as joint secretary. Hooker's policy was to bring the society more into touch with the social life of the community. ”

“ It is written in Latin; it aims at establishing a standard of uniformity in classification; it is based throughout on first-hand study of material; and it is a mine of information for the study of distribution. ”

“ The Royal Society has little endowment, and the fees 'occasionally prevented men of great merit from having their names brought forward as candidates.' To allow of their reduction Hooker almost single-handed raised amongst his personal friends a sum of 10,000l. ”

“ In 1855 he published 'Illustrations of Sikkim-Himalayan Plants,' including Hodgsonia, the gigantic cucurbit dedicated to his friend Hodgson.
In 1855 Hooker was appointed assistant director at Kew, and with Thomson published his first volume of a 'Flora Indica,' which, planned on too large a scale, did not proceed further. It was prefaced by an introductory essay on the geographical relations of the flora which has never been superseded. The authors regard species as 'definite creations' (p. 20) . ”

“ In 1874 Hooker presided over the department of zoology and botany of the British Association at Belfast. He chose as the subject of his address 'The carnivorous habits of some of our brother organisms — plants.' In such cases he showed that vegetable protoplasm is capable of availing itself of food such as that by which the protoplasm of animals is nourished. In 1877, at the close of the session of the Royal Society, Hooker obtained an extended leave of absence to accept an invitation from Dr. ”