A
CENTURY OF INDIAN ORCHIDS,
SELECTED FKOJI THE
DRAWINGS OF PLANTS IN THE HERBARIUM OF THE ROYAL BOTAIsIC
GARDEN, CALCUTTA,
W I T H DESCRIPTIOi iS. &c.
J . D. HOOKEli, M.D., It.lf., F.B.S., K.C.S.I., C.B., &c., Jtc.
THE cliawiiigs here reproduced in litliograpliy consist oi a small selection from the
magnificent series of Indian plant-portrails by native artists, that have been accumnlating
in the Calcatla Botanic Garden for nearly a century. The collodion was commenced
by Dr. Roxburgh, then Superintoudent of the garden, before the end o£ the last century,
and has been steadily added to by his successors, Drs. Wallich, Falconer, Thomson, Anderson,
Olai-ke and King down to the present day, when it numbers from six to seven
thousand drawings. 0£ these the most important botanically and most instructive
scientifically are those of the orchids, of which there are about one thousand.
It was not until I had almost completed the descriptions of the Indian orchids for
the " Flora of British India " that I ventured to ask Dr. King whether permission could
be obtained from the Bengal Government for the transmission and temporary deposit
in the Royal Gardens, Kew, of the drawings of this Order, so as to enable me to make
such use of them as was still possible for my Flora. My request met with a prompt
and generous acquiescence fi-om Dr. King, who lost no time in obtaining the requisite
permission and in forwarding the drawings to Kcw.
As stated in the remarks preliminary to the " Supplement to the Orchideaj" contained
in vol. V, p. 176 of my Flora, the inspection of these drawings, together with the study
of a multitude of specimens received through Dr. King from the Caleutta Herbarium,
some on loan and some as gifts to Kew, necessitated a revision of the oharaclers of the
greater proportion of tho species already described (often from very imperfect materials),
and consequently entailed many emendations in the latter, together with the addition of
not a few new s
ANN. lioY. BOT. GAUD. CAI.C., Vot. V.