CHAPTER VIII. 



FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. 



1880-1888. 



DR. GRAY sailed for Europe with Mrs. Gray early 

 in September, 1880. He went especially to study 

 herbaria for his new volume of the " Synoptical 

 Flora," and saw almost every collection of importance, 

 giving especial attention to the subject of asters. 

 The autumn was spent in western France and Spain, 

 and in Madrid he looked over the herbarium there. 

 He declared nobody had ever had so many asters pass 

 through his hands as he had had ! 



The winter was spent in hard work in the Kew 

 herbarium. He enjoyed heartily in spring a journey 

 through Italy with his friends Sir Joseph and Lady 

 Hooker, returning to Kew to spend the summer, at 

 work in the herbarium, and he sailed again for home 

 in October, 1881, landing early in November. 



TO JOHN H. REDFIELD. 



HOTEL CONTINENTAL, PARIS, October 3, 1880. 



MY DEAR KEDFIELD, - - Many thanks for letter of 

 17th September, which reached me at Kew, where we 

 passed a busy and happy fortnight with the Hookers, 

 and did some botanical work. We left Friday morn- 

 ing, reached Paris pleasantly that evening, where we 

 make only two days more stay at present, but leave 



