1864.] THE LATE PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 463 



the catalogues of the college. He was a pupil of both Dr. Stiles 

 and Dr. Dwight, and the colleague of the latter during eighteen 

 years. With President Day and Professor Kingsley he was 

 associated for half a century or more in the government of the 

 institution. 



In the capacity of a college-officer, he was pre-eminent as a 

 teacher. The professor's chair, in the laboratory or in the lecture- 

 room, was the place above all others in which his enthusiasm, his 

 sympathy with useful aspirations, his varied acquisitions, his 

 acquaintance with the world of nature and of art, and his graceful 

 utterance, exerted their highest and most-enduring influence. 

 The minds which he aroused to the study of nature have become 

 investigators and teachers in every portion of the country ; and all 

 his pupils, whether devoted to science or to letters, will bear testi- 

 mony to the interest which he awakened in these pursuits. They 

 will never forget the admirable tact with which the manipulations 

 of the laboratory were performed, or the brilliant experiments in 

 chemistry which the lecturer seemed to enjoy, as if, like the class, 

 he had never witnessed them before. The course in chemistry, in 

 early years, extended through one hundred and twenty lectures. 

 In later days it was not so long, but was followed by a course in 

 mineralogy and another in geology. Here, too. Professor Silliman 

 had the same magnetic influence on his students, sending them off 

 on long walks about New Haven and at home to search for speci- 

 mens, or to study the phenomena of geology. The third of these 

 annual courses, that on geology, he gave with peculiar zest and 

 eloquence. He delighted to depict the catastrophes of geological 

 history, and to clothe the world with the plants and the animals of 

 former days. 



Professor Silliman was less concerned in the government of the 

 students than some of his associates ; but questions were continu- 

 ally arising in which his counsel was of weight. He was prompt 

 in rebuking every form of youthful delinquency, yet was never 

 harsh nor inconsiderate. No student ever left his presence 

 feeling wronged or indignant. He would much rather sacrifice a 

 rule than injure an offender. If he seemed sometimes to be 

 lenient, it was the leniency of a father, for his mind regarded the 

 improvement of his scholars rather than the enforcement of routine 

 and discipline. His paternal lectures to the Freshman class on 

 morals and manners were admirable in their influence ; and many 

 a graduate of the college will acknowledge that his habits for life 



