10 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



tion in the two leadin<i^ European botanical periodicals, the 

 " London Journal of Botany" and '' Schleidens Zeitschrift fiir wis- 

 senschaftliche Botanik," and an animated correspondence with 

 the most prominent of European and American botanists likewise 

 ensued. It was published in 1842 in the "American Journal of 

 Science," and this introduced his name to botanists all over the 

 country, and also to those who, residino- in sparsely settled parts, 

 were pleased to spend their leisure hours in the collection of plants, 

 but who from lack of books of reference could not classify their 

 collections. They, after this, forwarded specimens to him, and, 

 after successful classification, he would publish the list in the 

 names of the young botanists. Thus he rewarded with an intro- 

 duction to the world of science, among others, C. A. Geyer, Dr. 

 F. G. Lindtheimer of Texas, and August Fendler. The latter, as 

 an industrious and conscientious pupil, did especial honor to his 

 preceptor, and became distinguished as a botanist. 



Being in possession of good and reliable instruments, he inau- 

 gurated as early as 1835 a system of meteorological observations, 

 which he continued scrupulously three times daily during nearly 

 fifty years ; and such was his zeal that, even a short time before 

 his death, he himself swept the snow from the walk leading to his 

 instruments, and even during his last days refused assistance in 

 making his obseivations. His journal has been kept so thoroughly 

 and faithfully that it has become the only reliable source of infor- 

 mation on the climatology of the Valley of the Mississippi, and 

 his tables prepared from these observations are now authentic 

 records. The officers of the Smithsonian Institution had early 

 recognized his great value, and always recommended him 

 to the scientists attached to Government exploring expeditions, 

 who generally completed their outfits in St. Louis. His instru- 

 ments, always carefully and faultlessly kept, gave an opportu- 

 nity to the officers of an expedition to closely compare and 

 regulate their own for good service on the plains and the dis- 



