For 40 years he was the BSBI referee for Allium.[16] While at the Lindley Library, he became a founding member of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History (later, the Society for the History of Natural History) in 1936, was one of its most active publishing members based on his cataloguing work at the library,[12] and published a history of the society for their 50th anniversary in 1986.[8][65] Other societies on which he served include the British Society for the History of Science (vice-president), the British Society for the History of Medicine (Council), the Garden History Society (president 1977–1982)[8][9] and was a corresponding member of the Botanical Society of America.[1]