JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] that [John Firminger] Duthie has sent JDH a collection of Kumaon Impatiens, including new species. JDH thanks WTTD for sending him the answer to the Committee on Kew and the British Museum [of Natural History]. JDH plans to have lunch with [Dietrich] Brandis. JDH offers to give the [RBG Kew] the microscope used by [John Stevens] Henslow. Praises the paper [Albert] Gunther has written on the [William John] Swainson letters & expresses intention to do something similar himself for [George] Bentham's correspondence.
Transcript
*1
Dec[embe]r 30 1900
THE CAMP,
SUNNINGDALE.
My dear Dyer *2
This is indeed good news. I see from the Report of Council R[oyal] S[ociety] that it was a close shave. Duthie *3 has sent me a superb collection of Kumaon Impatiens'[sic] -- with perianth segments dried separately & flowers in spirits, including some n[ew] sp[ecies]! The collection was made by one of his assistants -- sent purposely.
Thanks for sending me the answer to Committee on Kew & Brit[ish] Muse[eum].
We have promised to lunch with Brandis *4 the next time we go up.
Would the Museum care to have
*1
Dec[embe]r 30 1900
THE CAMP,
SUNNINGDALE.
My dear Dyer *2
This is indeed good news. I see from the Report of Council R[oyal] S[ociety] that it was a close shave. Duthie *3 has sent me a superb collection of Kumaon Impatiens'[sic] -- with perianth segments dried separately & flowers in spirits, including some n[ew] sp[ecies]! The collection was made by one of his assistants -- sent purposely.
Thanks for sending me the answer to Committee on Kew & Brit[ish] Muse[eum].
We have promised to lunch with Brandis *4 the next time we go up.
Would the Museum care to have
the microscope that Henslow *5 used, if so I will give it.
What a good paper Gunther *6 has made on the Swainson letters*6a -- I must do something with Bentham's *7 correspondence.
Ever affect[ionatel]y y[ou]r[s] | Jos D Hooker [signature]
1. The letter is date stamped Royal Gardens Kew 3-.Dec.00. Text in the hand not that of the original author reads "Ans[were]d 3.12.[19]00". Presumably added by the recipient of the letter, William Turner Thiselton-Dyer.
2. Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843--1928). British botanist and third Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1885--1905). He succeeded Joseph Hooker in the role after serving as his Assistant Director for ten years. He previously held professorships at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland and the Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
3. John Firminger Duthie (1845--1922). Botanist and explorer.
4. Sir Dietrich Brandis (1824--1907). Forester and botanist.
5. John Stevens Henslow (1796--1861). Botanist and Church of England clergyman. His eldest daughter Frances was Joseph Dalton Hooker's first wife.
6. Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Gunther (1830--1914). Zoologist particularly noted for reptile taxonomy. President of the Linnean Society 1896--1900.
6a. William John Swainson (1789--1855). English naturalist and artist. Collected in Brazil 1806--1818. First illustrator and naturalist to use lithography for his book Zoological Illustrations (1820--1823). Emigrated to New Zealand in 1841. Became involved in forestry investigations in Australia. The Linnean Society purchased Swainson's correspondence in 1900 and it was catalogued by the President of the Society; Albert Gunther, as described in his Presidential Address published in Proceedings of the Linnean Society 1899-1900.
7. George Bentham (1800--1884). British botanist who donated his herbarium of more than 100,000 specimens to the herbarium of the Royal botanic Gardens, Kew. He spent 27 years with Joseph Hooker in research and examination of specimens for the work Genera Plantarum, an influential work on plant taxonomy which is the foundation of many modern systems of classification.
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