William Oakes, the American Botanist. 277 



portion of his time while in college, were given to those studies which 

 were to form the favourite occupation of his life. After his graduation, 

 ho spent two years at Cambridge as a law-student. The next year 

 he studied in the office of the late Hon. L. Saltonstall, at Salem. On 

 the completion of his professional studies, in January 1824, he re- 

 moved to Ipswich (where he resided until his decease), and com- 

 menced the practice of law. This, however, he entirely abandoned 

 in the course of two or three years, and devoted himself, with cha- 

 racteristic ardour, to the more congenial pursuit of Natural History 

 in all its branches, and especially of botany, which was from the first 

 his favourite department, and in which he was already a distinguished 

 proficient. 



Mr Oakes, although interested in every department of the science, 

 early restricted himself to New England as the particular field of his 

 labours, and seldom, if ever, herborised beyond its limits. There is 

 scarcely a New England plant that he has not collected with his own 

 hands, and prepared an abundance of surpassingly excellent speci- 

 mens, and also subjected to a critical examination in a fresh state, 

 the results of which were carefully recorded for future use. As early 

 as the year 1830, he had already explored the alpine region of the 

 White Mountains of New Hampshire, in conjunction with his friend 

 Dr Pickering ; and had projected a Flora of New England, to be ar- 

 ranged according to the natural system, with a Linnsean artificial 

 key to the genera. The appearance of Dr Beck's Botany of the 

 Northern States in 1833, upon a similar plan, caused him to aban- 

 don his own undertaking for a time ; but he afterwards resumed the 

 scheme with increased ardour, and upon a more elaborate scale. All 

 his explorations, and his special undertaking converged upon this, as 

 the principal work of his life. Towards this he had unweariedly 

 amassed an immense store of materials, and if his premature death 

 has left them in a state which shews little progress made towards 

 their final elaboration, this is to be attributed not to any lack of industry 

 or perseverance, but to a too fastidious taste, and an over-anxious 

 desire not merely to satisfy the ever- increasing demands of the science, 

 but to realize his own high standard of perfection. Indeed, such 

 were the characteristics of his high mind in this respect, that he was 

 never satisfied with any thing done as well as it reasonably could be 

 at the time ; and, in consequence, every piece of work that he 

 undeitook grew rapidly under his hands, until it became well nigh 

 impracticable. This infirmity, if such it may be deemed, is one which 

 every naturalist, who feels bound to do justice to his themes, can 

 sympathize. It is but too well illustrated in Mr Oakes' case, by the 

 particular undertaking which occupied his latest years, and from the 

 midst of which he was suddenly removed. In the autumn of 1842, 

 he was solicited to prepare a brief sketch of the botany of the White 

 Mountains, with a catalogue of their alpine plants, to be appended . 

 to the final report of the Geological Survey of the State of New 



VOL. XLVI. NO. XCII. — APRIL 1849. T 



