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JDH refers to an enclosure for Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [enclosure not present]. Writes that he is 'enchanted' with William Henry Hudson's book: THE NATURALIST IN LA PLATA. JDH comments on his work on Indian plants [probably for the FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA], particularly new species of Bromus amongst [John Firminger] Duthie's plants, he wonders if they will retain their distinct character when grown 'under drill' rather than in natural surrounding. If nothing else JDH's work will produce useful sketches for the RBG Kew herbarium.

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JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer regarding the delineation of the genera Callitris, Widdringtonia alias Pachylepis & Tetraclinis. He regards them as three distinct genera especially on reflection that they are from distinct geographic areas: Australia, South Africa & north Africa respectively. In a post script JDH adds that his work on grasses, including Indian species, is complicated by [Otto] Stapf's work on African grasses & will require JDH to make alterations as he goes.

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JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer regarding some photographs of Wedgwood & Tassie medallions depicting Sir Joseph Banks & his wife [Dorothea]. Discusses the fee he should be paid by the Ceylon [Sri Lanka] government for completing the flora [A HAND-BOOK TO THE FLORA OF CEYLON]. JDH is enjoying working on the plants in detail. He intends to use [Charles Baron] Clarke's work as reference for Cyperaceae though he will also need to refer to specimens. JDH criticises [Henry] Trimen's work [on the Ceylon handbook], particularly for referring the generic description of genus Caprifoliaceae to the ordinal for Viburnum. JDH mentions that when he was in India he was offered the Directorship of the [Peradeniya] botanic garden, Ceylon, after [George] Gardner died. JDH suggests that Thiselton-Dyer apply to the Board for administrative help during the absence of the Assistant Director [Daniel] Morris. JDH is sending Morris his recollection of the St Michaels from his Glasgow years as Morris is interested in oranges.

JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD], sending his reassurances regarding an operation WTTD's mother is having. JDH recalls, in general terms, his difficulties with printers & publishers mentioning both Soper, & Reeve. JDH does not have any of the Tibetan instruments WTTD wants. The only artefact he has from his travels is a brass pipe which he smoked during his imprisonment. JDH asks if WTTD wants him to return an [inscribed slab'. JDH mentions that the British Museum want to buy a portrait of Robert Brown from JDH, but it will first be offered for sale to RBG Kew & the Royal Society.

JDH offers his assistance to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer in the matter of the RBG Kew library catalogue. [Sir John?] Evans has approached JDH about a scheme for transferring RBG Kew's Cryptogamic collection to the British Museum [of Natural History]. JDH would not discuss the matter with Evans but informs WTTD of his strong objection to breaking up the RBG Kew herbarium collection built up by JDH & his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker. He suspects Evans wanted to relocate the Musci & algae in particular. JDH describes the herbarium in total as representing the 'Botany of the Century' & says to divide it would be 'emasculation'. Particularly considering WJH's early career as a cryptogamist & JDH's own publications & collections from Antarctica.

JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer that he has sent a copy of the York lectures to RBG Kew librarian [William Botting] Hemsley. JDH is unhappy with the colouring of the plates in the Oct 1896 number of [CURTIS'S BOTANICAL] MAGAZINE & has written to the publisher Lovell Reeve. JDH has not received payment [from Reeve?] for the species descriptions he has written [for CURTIS'S] since July 1895 & fears the publication will not last much longer. JDH has also been kept waiting for sheets of his FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA.

JDH writes that he is enclosing Bambuseae yarn for Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [enclosure not present]. Mentions a wild type of Primula sinensis, he thinks it may be difficult to get this species name upheld as [João de] Loureiro formerly named a species 'sinensis'. JDH complains about the quality of [George] Lawson's work for the FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA, he particularly mentions his descriptions of Leea & Vitis. JDH remarks that Lawson's work agrees with [Henry] Trimen's regarding Ceylon [Sri Lanka] species but this does not carry much weight with JDH. Also JDH's Orchideae for the flora need revising as their have been so many additions from [George] King & [Henry Nicholas] Ridley. JDH is writing to ask King what it would cost to send copies of all the later CAlcuatta Botanic Gardens orchids to RBG Kew & to suggest King publish them in a volume of the ANNALS [OF BOTANY].

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JDH says that he will investigate the Cypripedia when he is next at Kew. He reports that the Indian Orchideae [in FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA?] need thorough revision. He says that he had not heard of the discovery of Antherozoids in Cycas or Salisburia. Declares that [Sir Robert Falcon] Scott's research interests him. Mentions that he does not credit [Thomas] Hanbury's right to the title of Marquis any more than [Ferdinand von] Mueller's to a Baronial title. JDH is currently re-reading Boswell's Johnson: A SONG OF DEGREES, also mentions a book on Japan by an American author that he says has given him a clearer idea of ancestor worship & the oriental mind-set. Professor Morris of Melbourne wrote to compliment JDH on the publication of Joseph Banks' journal. JDH says that he looked for Myersii in Part 1 of the Kew arboretum until [George] Nicholson advised that it was in the Temperate House, however it should be hardy in the Bamboo Garden. JDH is glad that the Temperate House is to be completed, it will be a credit to Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD]. Hopes that WTTD got sufficient help during his recent illness and wonders if he would be able to travel to the Canary Islands or Madeira.

JDH informs Sir William Thiselton-Dyer of his thoughts on what he believes would be a spurious division of Cypripedia based on the character of coriaceous leaves in some Indian Cypripedia as opposed to membranous leaved species. This is a difficult distinction to make, & further if it was applied as a generic characteristic more widely, many other genera of Orchideae would be split. JDH points out that that a distinction could be made between the evergreen varieties within oaks & beeches but this has never been properly adopted. JDH wonders whether the name [for the Indian Cypripedia?] had even ben published when he was working on orchids; between 1882 & 1886. JDH is keen to know more about the antherozoids in Cycas & Thuja. References to various publications have been added to the end of the letter in a hand not that of JDH but appearing contemporary to the letter: PAPHIOPEDILUM by [Ernst Hugo Heinrich] Pfitzer, MORPHOLOGISCHE STUDIEN UBER DIE ORCHIDEENBLUTE, and BOTANISCHE JAHRBUCHER FUR SYSTEMATIK, PFLANZENGESCHICHTE UND PLANZENGEOGRAPHIE XIX.

JDH writes that he is enclosing a letter from George King [not present] for Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] to read. He thanks WTTD for a copy of his portrait taken by Elliot & Fry, & advises that a three quarters pose would have been more flattering than full face. JDH is working on the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE, getting ahead in hope of being employed on the HANDBOOK TO THE FLORA OF CEYLON [Sri Lanka] continuing the work of George Henry Kendrick Thwaites & Henry Trimen. JDH's 'unlucky [Joseph] Banks Journal' is not selling well, though it has had a good reception & done something to raise Bank's reputation in posterity. Sir Samuel Saul has sent JDH a printed list of Joseph Banks' correspondence purchased from Lord Brabourne, also a volume of records of New South Wales from 1783-1789 [HISTORY OF NEW SOUTH WALES FROM THE RECORDS by G.B. Barton] including information on Bank's efforts for the colonising of Australia. JDH also wants a copy of a memoir of Joseph Banks by George Sutter & will ask Jackson if they have it at the British Museum. JDH offers WTTD a portrait of Ferdinand von Mueller, taken for the AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY, for the RBG Kew museum. JDH thinks there should be a printed catalogue of the botanists' portraits at Kew as it must be the only such collection in the world. JDH is sending Harriet Thiselton-Dyer a copy of his Royal Society notice of Brian Houghton Hodgson, a copy will also go to the library.

JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer that having consulted Mr Rising of Yarmouth & Mr F. Symonds of Hereford he will add William 'Willy' Henslow Hooker & Charles 'Charlie' Paget Hooker as trustees [of his will?]. JDH has visited Captain Oliver at Findon [Manor] & seen his collection of sketches made in Japan, China, The Cape, Mauritius, Bourbon, St Helena etc, as well as his library, which is rich in books on Madagascar & the Mascarenes [Mauritius, Rodrigues, . JDH mentions the premature death of Bent, whose Mashonaland book [THE RUINED CITIES OF MASHONALAND] JDH recently bought. JDH visited Arundall [Arundel] castle, he decries the amount of money the Duke spends on expanding it further, noting the recent addition of a chapel despite the existence of a parish church & magnificent chapel in the village.

Letter in which JDH expresses his feelings at having received an elevation of his knighthood from Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India to Knight Grand Commander of that order, based on his completion of THE FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA. JDH is pleased that many other scientific men were also on the honours list, particularly Richard Strachey who was exploring the Himalayas at the same time as JDH 50 years previously. JDH thanks William Turner Thiselton-Dyer for sharing the thoughts of Sir Stewart Bailey, who was on the honours council that awarded JDH's promotion, he himself has written to thank Lord George Hamilton, his only acquaintance on the council. JDH is disappointed that Thiselton-Dyer has not been knighted this time but is confident he will be so in JDH's lifetime. JDH mentions that he has spent a wonderful day at Windsor, Eton & Slough & will tell Thiselton-Dyer about it when they attend a Naval Review.

JDH gives Sir Wiliam Turner Thiselton-Dyer his opinion on Otto Stapf's glossary or 'Clavis' for an unspecified publication, likely a Colonial flora. He specifically mentions: that beginning with Andropogoneae is not the sequence followed by nearly all other Colonial Floras apart from [August] Grisebach's, & the number of tribes Stapf has assigned to South Africa & India, as well as the placement of Zoysieae & Oryzeae out of Paniceae. JDH does however agree with some of Stapf's new tribes. He comments on some features that would make it difficult for Stapf to rearrange the Clavis more on the lines of the FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA. He criticises the complexity of some of the descriptions of the characters of orders & advises that the Clavis should be clear & simple for convenient use by colonists. JDH is going to Manchester.

No summary available.