1895.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 295 



controversy incline by some pleasant remark to allow the verdict to 

 go against himself. In this connection he was fond of repeating an 

 anecdote. A Scotchman returning to his native village inquired of the 

 sexton the state of affairs. The sexton sadly reported the decadence 

 of religion. In his opinion the only adherents of the true faith were 

 himself and the dominie, and sometimes he had "doots" about the 

 minister himself. He would suggest that perhaps he might be as 

 critical of the views of his friends as Sandy was. Loving appropri- 

 ate stories to illustrate his points, he enjoyed them when used by 

 others. He often quoted from Dr. Gray, who, like himself, was 

 overflowing with good nature. Mr. Redfield had asked him to let 

 him have some duplicates if there were any. It happened that 

 there was but a single set, and no duplicates. Dr. Gray's pleasant 

 response was: " As the boy said when the other hoped for a bite of 

 the apple, and modestly asked for the core, ' Billy, there ain't goin' 

 to be no core in this apple." Such humorous stories usually came 

 in when it was evident further discussion was hopeless of results. 



There were, however, a few topics on which his exceptional good 

 nature would admit of no compromise, even in the way of a plea- 

 sant remark of no great consequence either way. One of these 

 was the well-meaning effort of some botanists to strictly enforce 

 the rule of priority in botanical nomenclature. To him, Conser- 

 vator of a great herbarium, the effort admitted of no joke. The 

 older names to replace those long adopted were so numerous, that 

 the revolution meant to him the comparative uselessness of his 

 life-long work. There must be new numbers, new lists, new names 

 on the sheets, new alphabetical indexes. He could not begin that 

 great work of change at his time of life, nor could he see anyone 

 in prospect who would. He vigorously contended that there must 

 be something wrong in an effort that would render such life-work 

 as his comparatively useless. Commendations for the stand he 

 had taken in this matter were among the greatest pleasures of his 

 latter days. 



Since his active connection with the Academy, he seems not 

 to have taken many long botanical excursions. One, however, 

 the pleasure of which he loved to recall, was made in the summer 

 of 1876, in company with Mr. W. M. Canby, Dr. Asa Gray, Dr. 

 Eugelmann and Prof. C. S. Sargent, through the mountains of 

 North Carolina, the result of which considerably enriched the 



