70 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888. 



the Italian herbaria and then settled down at Kew for hard work, 

 receiving plants for comparison from many of the German and other 

 continental herbaria. Some time was, however, given to the visiting 

 of old friends. 



The last visit to Europe was made in April, 1887, returning in 

 October of same year. A little work was done at Kew, and the 

 Lamarck Herbarium at the Jardin des Plantes was carefully ex- 

 amined. Otherwise the time was devoted to pleasant travel and old 

 friends. Returning in October, he had planned among other work 

 the writing of his Recollections of European Botanists. 



Dr. Gray was known both in England and on the continent not 

 alone as a botanist, but as one of the ablest exponents of evolution. 

 In the early times after the publication of the " Origin of Species " 

 he was its most out-spoken defender in America. His articles at 

 this time were often copied by the English journals. He did not 

 accept the theory in its entirety. Many letters of Darwin's attest 

 how fully the latter relied on his judgment and support — Darwin 

 .says in one of his letters to Dr. Gray " you never touch the subject 

 without making it clearer," " I look at it as even more extraordinary 

 that you never say a word or use an epithet which does not fully ex- 

 press my meaning," "others who perfectly understand my book, yet 

 sometimes use expressions to which I demur." And again in the 

 same letter he writes " I hope and almost believe that the time will 

 come when you will go further, in believing a much larger amount of 

 modification of species, than you did at first or do noAV." 



When the history of the development theory is written no small 

 part will be given to him whom we commemorate. 



More than one continental botanist has had reason to venerate 

 our teacher and leader in botany fully as much as Mr. Darwin. 

 His criticism and kindly advice was freely given when asked and 

 often proved invaluable. 



Prof Thomas Meehan remarked that he desired to dwell some- 

 what more fully upon a trait of Dr. Gray's character which the 

 previous speakers had touched only incidentally. The whole world of 

 science owed a debt to Dr. Gray for his botanical labors ; but he was 

 not sure but the greater debt was due to his un])ublished work, namely 

 his kind helpfulness to other workers. Many had been made scientific 

 students, many had even become eminent in usefulness, solely by 

 the early encouragement received from Dr. Gray. If he might be- 



