124 BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



Amherst, and joined the sophomore class, graduating in 1834 

 with the highest honors. Shortly afterward he entered the Theo 

 logical Seminary at And over, but in 1836 he left his studies of 

 divinity to join Professor Hitchcock in prosecuting the geological 

 survey of the State of New York. This work being terminated 

 by the illness of Professor Hitchcock he returned to Amherst and 

 busied himself, for several years, partly as a tutor at Amherst and 

 partly by delivering lectures on geology at various educational 

 institutions. In September, 1838, he became professor of chem 

 istry and natural history at Middlebury College, Vermont, and 

 the following February married Mary, daughter of the Rev. 

 Sylvester Holmes, of New Bedford, Mass. 



In 1845 he became State Geologist of Vermont, and continued 

 the operations incident to that office for three years. Under his 

 unremitting labors as a popular teacher in the college and his 

 geological work in the field his naturally delicate constitution 

 suffered, and he was obliged to seek a less rigorous climate. He 

 visited the island of Jamaica in the winter of 1843-4, an< ^ ' m r ^47 

 resigned his professorship at Middlebury to accept that of zoology 

 and astronomy at Amherst. In the winter of 1848-49 he again 

 visited Jamaica, and in November, 1850, he went to Panama, re 

 turning by way of Jamaica the following spring. Anxious to 

 pursue further his investigations on the mollusk-fauna of the West 

 Indian islands, Prof. Adams left for St. Thomas by way of Ber 

 muda in December, 1852, arriving on the 2yth, but in his weak 

 condition became a victim of the pernicious malaria of that island, 

 and, though tended with solicitude by his St. Thomas friends, died 

 the iSth of January, 1853. A tablet was placed over his grave 

 by the residents of St. Thomas as a memorial of their esteem and 

 admiration for his character. The Professor's widow, four sons, 

 and a daughter survived him. 



Prof. Adams was of middle height, slender and delicate in ap 

 pearance, with fine expressive eyes and a winning countenance. 



