STUDENT DAYS 55 



instead of Mergulus alle which was its proper 

 name at that time. I knew Dr. Wyman as a 

 comparative anatomist, but he was never asso- 

 ciated in my mind as a systematic naturaHst, and 

 I did not know that he had a great knowledge of 

 birds, but, without referring to a book, and by 

 merely glancing at the birds, he said at once, 

 "You have made a little error; the genus of these 

 birds is Mergulus not MergusT This may seem 

 a trifling incident, but I tell it because it strongly 

 impressed me at the time, and is only one of many 

 varied recollections that have given me a growing 

 respect as the years go by, for the great attain- 

 ments, the singleness of purpose, the patience, and 

 withal the greatness, of Dr. Jeffries Wyman. I 

 think perhaps no man in Cambridge, save Mr. 

 Allen, did more to aid me on the road I have 

 travelled. 



Of course Dr. Asa Gray, with whom I did 

 some botanical study, has always been a great 

 inspiration to all his students, — but primarily my 

 interest did not lie so much in the direction of 

 botany, and for this reason my work in that field 

 was limited, to be regretted later. 



The committee who conducted my oral exami- 

 nation for graduation at Cambridge, which was the 

 concluding function after my thesis and written 

 examination had been scrutinized, was composed 

 of Professor Asa Grey, Dr. Jeffries Wyman, and 



