Burgess : Work of Torrey Botanical Club 557 



Another feature of the botanical work accomplished through 

 the Torrey Club has been that of monographs on special genera ; 

 among which that of Lcchea early attracted the attention of Mr. 

 W. H. Leggett, who published his first appeal for material in De- 

 cember, 1 87 1, and who was still accumulating great masses of it 

 *n 1876, when it was my own privilege to see him and look over 

 the specimens piled upon his library table, and receive from him 

 my first introduction to the Torrey Club. Mr. Leggett's partial 

 publication on Lechca was later taken up and revised as is well 

 known, by Dr. Britton. 



Another of the earliest members to begin monographic work 

 was C. F. Austin, who began publishing " New Hepaticae " in the 

 Bulletin in 1872, but had already been collecting for many years. 



The previous year Dr. T. F. Allen had first published in the 

 Bulletin a call for material on Characeae, March, 1871, and his 

 thirty years' devotion to that order is, as all know, unabated and his 

 primacy undisputed. 



Monographic work has since continued to be a leading feature 

 of the activities of the club. It was Dr. Torrey's practice to sug- 

 gest such work to different members from time to time. It was at 

 Dr. Torrey's suggestion that the studies on Characeae and Lechca 

 were undertaken by Dr. Allen and Mr. Leggett ; and many simi- 

 lar studies have since been taken up at the suggestion of Dr. Brit- 

 ton. I can but allude in a word to the monographic work since 

 done by Dr. Britton on the Cyperaceae, etc., by Mrs. Britton and 

 Dr. Grout on the Musci, by Dr. M. A. Howe on the Hepaticae, by 

 Miss Anna M. Vail on Asclepiads, by Mr. E. P. Bicknell on Sisy- 

 rincJiinm, Scrophularia, Agrimonia, etc., by Drs. Rydberg on Pot en- 

 till a, Small on Oxalis, etc., and Burgess on Aster. 



Last but perhaps greatest of all the agencies in the work of 

 the Club have been its regular publications, its Memoirs now in 

 their tenth volume, commencing 1889, mostly by workers still 

 active in the Club; and its monthly Bulletin, once the only 

 botanical journal of our country, begun as a four-page sheet in 

 January, 1870, now reaching about 60 pages monthly ; then priced 

 at one dollar a year, and now only at two ; long under the editor- 

 ship of W. H. Leggett, later of W. R. Gerard, afterward of Dr. 

 and Mrs. Britton, and now of Dr. Underwood and reaching out in 

 its influence far over the United States and Kurope. 



