58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888. 



the whole world of science, have sustained. A life extending to nearly 

 four score years has been wholly devoted to scientific investigation, 

 mainly in his chosen department of Botany, in which his labors and 

 philosophic insight have been attended with results that do honor 

 to him and to his country. In entering upon the study of the flora 

 of his native land, he early realized the imperfect character of its 

 existine: literature and turned his attention to the examination of 

 the original types of various authors as found in the herbaria of 

 North America and Europe. His ultimate object seems to have 

 been the production of a complete flora of North America, which, 

 though he lived to see far advanced, he was not permitted to 

 entirely finish. 



In the course of his studies his far reaching mind found deep in- 

 terest in the difficult questions pertaining to the geographical dis- 

 tribution of plants, and he was led to the discovery of the remarkable 

 analogies between the flora of the Eastern United States and that of 

 Eastern Asia. His reasoning upon this and kindred subjects pre- 

 pared his mind to give respectful attention to the deductions made 

 by Darwin, when they were first published, and though never a 

 blind follower, he was one of the earliest scientists of our land to 

 uphold the idea of progressive development, always maintaining its 

 perfect harmony with theistic belief. Thus his labors in the botanical 

 field have been utilized for the entire scientific \vorld. 



His interest in this Academy never abated ; our library bears 

 abundant evidence of his researches; our herbarium has been great- 

 ly enhanced in value by his studies of its types, and by his generous 

 contributions; whilst his kind, genial and attractive presence at 

 many of our meetings has endeared him to us all. — Therefore be it 



Resolved — That this expression of our sorrow be communicated to 

 his immediate family with the assurance of our deep sympathy with 

 them in a loss which is so widely felt. 



Resolved — That this record be entered .in full upon our minutes 

 and published in the Proceedings. 



Mr. Redfield offered at the meeting of the Section, the following 

 preamble and resolutions which were unanimously adopted: — 



When in due course of nature a man eminent in his calling, con- 

 spicuous as a large minded citizen and remarkable for his private 

 virtues is taken from us it is a duty which his colleagues owe, not 

 only to the memory of the departed, but to themselves that they 



