46 Rhodora [Mancn. 
Miss Day's largest bibliographical work, a task which extended 
through twenty years, was the “Card Index of New Genera, Species 
and Varieties of American Plants." This publication had been 
planned and carried through the first twenty issues (including about 
28,000 cards) by Miss Clark at Washington between 1894 and 1903, 
at first by herself but later with Miss Day's collaboration. In 1903 
it was formally turned over by Miss Clark with its good will to the 
Gray Herbarium. 
To grasp the magnitude of this task it is necessary to understand 
that it involved the indexing page by page of more than 130 scientific 
serials through many years, as well as very numerous monographs, 
published in all parts of the world and in many languages, for American 
plants are often given their first scientific description or are still more 
frequently renamed quite incidentally and inconspicuously in works 
relating primarily to the flora of some remote portion of the Old 
World. Indeed, until recently, the major part of the botanical litera- 
ture relating to South America was published from European estab- 
lishments. The Index was brought out in quarterly issues ranging 
from 1000 to 2500 cards each. About eighteen of the duplicate sets 
were sold to the leading botanical establishments throughout the 
country and in Europe. In the verification and proof-reading Miss 
Day had the effective aid of Miss Edith M. Vincent, the assistant 
librarian, but by far the greater part of the actual indexing was done 
by herself. When she relinquished her task last November the 
Index contained nearly 170,000 cards, each carrying its bibliographical 
reference or its message regarding synonymy, each bearing data sought 
out and recorded individually. It should be borne in mind that this 
great work was merely incidental in Miss Day's routine, a species of 
knitting work, carried on in the intervals between many other duties. 
Fortunately she had the gratification of seeing the Card Index be- 
come increasingly useful and to know that it was finally regarded as 
a well nigh indispensable feature in the equipment of any establish- 
ment seriously engaged on American botanical classification. 
During much of her life in Cambridge Miss Day was fortunate 
in having the companionship of a sister, Miss Helen E. Day, and 
the two kept house together. Miss Helen Day acquired a wider social 
acquaintance than Miss Mary and became much valued for her help- 
ful services in various charitable and philanthropic enterprises. The 
two sisters traveled in Europe in the summer of 1907 and their journey 
