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CHARLES CHRISTOPHER PARRY. 



Dr. Parry died at his home in Davenport, Iowa, on the morn- 

 ing of February 20th, after an illness of several weeks, pneumonia 

 succeeding a violent attack of the influenza. Another of Amer- 



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ica's famous botanists is gone from us, one whose services in the 

 elucidation of the flora of our country have been equalled by 

 but few, and whose knowledge of the plants of the western part 

 of the continent was probably exceeded by none. 



A brief account of his life and labors is here given, with the 

 certainty that they will be more fully and suitably recognized in 



another place. 



Dr. Parry was born at Admington, Worcestershire, England, 

 August 28th, 1823. He came to the United States in 1832, and 

 spent the next years of his life with his father's family, on a farm 

 in Washinirton Countv, New York. He was gfraduated from 



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Union College, and subsequently received the degree of Doctor 

 of Medicine. In 1846 the family moved to Davenport, Iowa, 

 where he practiced his profession for several years. But he early 

 developed a great fondness and aptitude for botany, and this 

 soon became almost his sole occupation. • 



His earhest work in that science was done, indeed, about 

 1842, while in northeastern New York, and in 1847 a great im- 



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petus was given to it by his making the acquaintance of Dr. 

 Torrey, and the formation of a friendship which was unbroken 

 during his lifetime. The study of the Davenport flora occupied 

 Dr. Parry's attention for several years. In 1848 he served on 

 Dr. David Dale Owens' Geological Survey of the northwest, and 



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Boundary Survey. In i86i he made an extensive collecting 



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most interesting plants of that region; this exploration was con- 



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tinned in 1862 in company with Messrs. Hall and Harbour, and 

 again in 1864. In 1 867 he accompanied the Pacific Railroad 

 Survey of the 35th Parallel. From 1869 to 1871 he was botanist 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, and stationed 



Washing 



Rocky M 



W. A. J. 



tain region. In 1873 he was attached to Captain 



Wyoming Expedition. The seasons of 1874 and 1875 were 



