174 Britron: TimotTrHy FIELD ALLEN 
Torrey in 1873, Dr. Thurber succeeded to the Presidency of the 
Club, and Dr. Allen was elected Vice-President, an office which 
he held continuously from that time until his death. 
During the early years of the Torrey Club, Dr. Allen was 
a diligent observer and collector of the plants growing in the 
vicinity of the city, and was actively interested in the field excur- 
sions, which were early established and have been continued con- 
secutively ever since. Many of his specimens are preserved in the 
present local herbarium of the Club, which now forms the nucleus 
of the local herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. He 
also collected extensively in the vicinity of Litchfield, Conn., 
which has been his summer home for many years. In June, 1870, 
he explored Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and Georgia, 
He became interested in the study of Algae during his association 
with Professor D, C. Eaton in New York, and soon specialized on 
the family Characeae. As early as 1871 he records that he had 
been interested in this group for some years, and his botanical 
studies of these plants continued until his health failed in 1901. 
His printed contributions to the knowledge of the Characeae are 
numerous, and are cited in the appended bibliography: he corre- 
sponded and exchanged specimens with students of these plants 
all over the world, paid the expenses of collectors in North 
America, South America and Japan, and purchased a great many 
specimens and a practically complete collection of the literature of 
Characeae, thus forming one of the most extensive accumulations 
of information relative to these plants which has ever been brought 
together. He presented all this material to the New York Botan- 
ical Garden in Igo1, 
Personally, Dr. Allen was a charming associate, generous to a 
fault, and beloved by all who knew him. His hospitality was 
delightful ; those who participated in the Club’s field excursion 
to Litchfield in May, 1900, will recall their experience as his 
guests with deep pleasure. His loss is keenly felt, both as a 
friend and as a scientific worker; there is now no one in America 
prepared to continue his studies, but we may hope that some 
botanist may soon be attracted to the fascinating group of plants 
to which he gave such close attention for many years. 
Dr. Allen is commemorated by the grass Danthonia Allent 
