60 PROCEEDIMGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888, 



botany. True there had been good workers in this department^ 

 and the labors of Bartram and Marshall, of Walter and Michaux, 

 of Muhlenberg and Elliott, of Schweiuitz, Pursh, Nuttall and others^ 

 have always been highly esteemed. ^lany foreign botanists, from 

 the time of Linnreus onward, had described American species. The 

 labors of tliese had laid a foundation for Xorth American botany. 

 But many of the descrij^tions were in diverse and scattered pu1)lica- 

 tions and were often incomplete or faulty. The synonymy had become 

 much confused. Vast regions now well known, Avere then terroe 

 incognitie. Even the flora of so near a district as the pine lands 

 of New Jersey was almost unknoAvn. 



Xothing daunted, the young botanist, encouraged by the late Dr. 

 Beck of Albany and yet more by his life-long friend and associate 

 Dr. Torrey, gave up the practice of medicine and devoted his whole 

 time to his tavorite science. So far as I know he was the first 

 American to fully do this. Almost at once the eflect of his careful 

 and excellent labor began to appear and much preliminary work 

 was soon done. Dr. Torrey had seen the manifest need of a new and 

 better "Flora of Noi-th America." Here was one wdio could not 

 only assist him but take the main burden of the work ; and soon the 

 now classic "Torrey and Gray's Flora" began to appear. Any one 

 familiar with this work must have noticed hoAV rapidly the descrip- 

 tions improved as the work went on, and what a vast amount of new 

 material the collections of Js'uttall, Fremont, James and other explor- 

 ers of our western Territories brought into it. While the species 

 were thus well studied and the new ones admirably described, the 

 fullest and most generous credit was always given to the discoveries 

 and labors of others. But collections of the plants of the great 

 western regions, from public and private sources, began to come, in 

 most embarrassing richness. It became evident that the further 

 publishing of the "Flora" must be delayed until the floral wealth of 

 the great interior could be better known. It was also necessary that 

 the synonymy of the earlier described species should be settled. Bo, 

 for a brief period, Dr. Gray studied these in European herbaria and 

 gardens. Twice afterward he made similar studies with most im- 

 portant results. Soon after his return from his first visit abroad, 

 came the call to Cambridge and his settlement at the Botanic 

 Garden there. From this time onward he stood in the very front 

 rank as a botanist. His energy and industry were unceasing, and 

 Jiis work, by no means confined to systematic botany or to the plants 



