402 GEORGE VASEY. 



tion of the prairie lands and drainage of the numerous and extensive 

 marshes. During his residence in Illinois, Dr. Vasey was influential 

 in encouraging scientific observation, and in organizing the Illinois 

 Natural History Society, of which he was made first President. He 

 certainly did as much as any one to make Illinois botauically one of 

 the best known States of the Union. 



In 1868, partly from scientific interests, partly for financial reasons, 

 he accepted the position of Botanist upon Major Powell's Colorado 

 Expedition. Soon after his return to Illinois he was made Curator 

 of the Natural History Museum of the State Normal University. 

 April 1, 1872, he was appointed Chief Botanist of the Department of 

 Agriculture, and Curator of the National Herbarium under the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. At that time the national botanical collections 

 consisted largely of copious but little organized material, which had 

 been brought in by numerous ofiicial surveys and exploring expedi- 

 tions. This material was of the highest value, containing hundreds 

 of types ; but the immense labor of sorting and identifying it can only 

 be appreciated by those who have had practical experience in herba- 

 rium work. The present rich and well organized government her- 

 baria form accordingly the best memorial of Dr. Vasey's untiring 

 efforts and wise administration. Not only has he greatly developed 

 these collections and the libraries connected with them, but by secur- 

 ing an able corps of assistants has much increased the importance and 

 value of the regular botanical publications of the government. A 

 complete list of his own numerous and useful contributions to Ameri- 

 can Botany has recently been published,* so that only their general 

 character need here be indicated. His earlier writings were mostly 

 short articles upon various botanical subjects published in the " Amer- 

 ican EntomoloirJst and Botanist," of which he was at one time asso- 

 ciate editor. With his appointment in the Department of Agriculture 

 his facilities for research were much increased, and his publications 

 became more copious and important. Owing to the high agricultural 

 importance of the Grasses, he concentrated his attention more and 

 more upon this group of plants, studying not only their obscure sys- 

 tematic relations, but their economic qualities as well. Most important 

 among his papers upon this Order are his bulletin upon the Agricul- 

 tural Grasses of the United States, published in 1884, and his Illustra- 

 tions of North American Grasses, a part of which was still in press 

 at the time of his death. 



* Botanical Gazette, XVIII. 176. 



