Burgess : Work of Torrey Botanical Club 555 



lowing, and his funeral at the West Presbyterian Church on 42c! 

 street, March 13th, was attended by the members of the Club in a 

 body, each wearing a sprig of "Torreya," among the bearers be- 

 ing Professor Asa Gray, Professor Joseph Henry, and President 

 Barnard of Columbia. 



Professor Torrey was succeeded in charge of the Club by Dr. 

 Geo. Thurber, who remained president seven years. The succeed- 

 ing presidents have been Professor Newberry, ten years, and Judge 

 Addison Brown, also ten years. 



The Recording Secretaries have included F. V. LeRoy, 1870+, 

 Dr. Arthur Hollick, also of Columbia University, 1883- 1888, 

 Miss Maria O. Steele, 1 889+, followed by Dr. H. H. Rushy, of 

 the College of Pharmacy, and by E. S. Burgess, of the Normal 

 College in 1897. 



The membership has greatly increased in recent years. The 

 total number of persons who had been recorded as active members 

 at any time was in 1887, 184. The current active membership 

 January, 1885, was y6, rising next January to 89, in 1887 to 106, 

 in 1888 to 114, in 1896 to 191, in January, 1900, to 237; the 

 total present membership, June, 1900, including corresponding 

 members, being 385. Even the active members are scattered 

 widely — one has just gone to Manila, and one is on the Nile. 



During these 42 years of its history, the Torrey Botanical 

 Club has formed a continuous nucleus for botanical workers and 

 lovers of plants. It has been a constant stimulus to botanical 

 work in the city and neighborhood. At its meetings the attrition 

 of mind on mind has helped to sharpen botanical interest. One 

 of the most important parts of its work has been its maintenance 

 of field excursions on Saturdays throughout the warmer parts of 

 the year, with the successful introduction last year of such excur- 

 sions during the winter for collection and study of algae, bryo- 



phytes, etc. 



In the very earliest days of the Club, as early as 1858, these 

 field excursions, zealously maintained by Messrs. Allen, Bumstead, 

 Eaton, and Leggett, resulted in very thorough exploration of the 



outlying swamps and hills, as well as very many nearer localities 

 now occupied by city streets. Excursions now reach out through 

 Westchester County, through Long Island and Staten Island, over 



