1914] Weatherby,— Old-time Connecticut Botanists,— I 83 
previous to its discovery on Nantucket in September, 1907, where it 
was probably introduced (Bull. Torr. Club 35: 195, 1908). Subse- 
quently it was reported as having been found in Southboro, in August, 
1909 (Arthur J. Eames in Rnopona 12: 205, 1910). 
It cannot be said positively that this grass was not adventive on 
Marthas Vineyard, but there was nothing in the manner of its occur- 
rence there to suggest that it was not of the indigenous flora. 
New York Criry. 
OLD-TIME CONNECTICUT BOTANISTS AND THEIR 
HERBARIA,— I. 
C. A. WEATHERBY. 
JOHN Prerce Brace.— To claim Mr. Brace as a botanist is, perhaps, 
to make an unjustifiable raid on the other fields in which he was, 
more notably, active. Teacher, editor, author, amateur in most of the 
natural sciences and well-versed in “such out-of-the-way subjects of 
investigation” as “heraldry, astrology, the decyphering of cyphers 
and composing of music," his botanical interests formed but one facet, 
and that a small one, of a many-sided mind. Nevertheless he did 
publish the earliest local flora of any part of Connecticut; all his life 
he carefully kept an herbarium and for most of his life continued to add 
to it; and, according to the writer of his obituary, “.... flowers were 
his pleasure almost in his dying moments and the last names he forgot 
were the botanical.” In so far he must be classified as a botanist. 
John Pierce Brace was born in Litchfield, Feb. 10, 1793, a descend- 
ant of Stephen Brace who settled in Hartford in 1660. His aunts, the 
Misses Pierce, proprietors of the Litchfield Female Academy, super- 
intended his education and sent him to Williams College, where he 
graduated in 1812. Thereafter he lived for some twenty years at 
Litchfield, most of the time, apparently, as teacher at the Academy, a 
school famous in its day and one which attracted pupils from far and 
near, though its “ plant" consisted of a single small building containing 
one plainly furnished class-room. In 1816, he was one of seven young 
men who clubbed together to purchase the memorable stove, the heat 
