ASA GRAY. 767 



opinion in botanical matters lie esteemeil more highly than that of any 

 of his contemporaries. In his second journey, from June, 1S50, to 

 August, 1851, he traveled through France, Germany, and Holland, 

 and spent two months with Bentham at his home in Herefordshire, 

 studying the plants of the Wilkes Expedition, upon which he was then 

 working. The fourth journey, from September, 18G8, to 2^'ovember, 

 18U9, was undertaken at a time when he was much overworked, and 

 he spent the winter in Egypt, that country being almost the only spot 

 where there was nothing to tempt him to botanize, besides visiting 

 Italy, France, Germany, and England. The event of the journey of 

 September, 1880, to November, 1881, was a trip to Spain, a country 

 where he obtained much relief from Botany. 



His last journey, on which he started in 1887, was a triumphant 

 fiirewell, in which were heaped upon him honors bestowed on few 

 naturalists. He visited friends in France, Austria, and Germany ; 

 stopped at Geneva to see Ue Candolle, his life-long friend, older by 

 four years than himself, and sorrowfully bade him what both must have 

 felt to be a last farewell; then hurried back from the continent to 

 receive the doctor's degree from the three great British Universities, 

 and to attend the meeting of the British Association at Manchester. 

 Here he saw many old friends, and met for the first time three of Ger- 

 many's most distinguished botanists — Cohn, Priugsheim, and the 

 lamented De Bary, whose untimely death was to come but a few days 

 before his own. At Manchester he was brought into contact with a 

 large number of young botanists, who were charmed with his genial 

 manner, and astonished at his well preserved vigor of body, as well as 

 mind. He returned to America in October, apparently in perfect 

 health, and resumed active labor on the "Flora;" but while busied 

 with the preparation of the Vitacew for that work, he was suddenly 

 stricken with paralysis, on the morning of November 28, and lingeretl 

 in a partially conscious condition until the evening of January 30, 

 when he passed calmly away. 



By the death of Asa Gray this academy has lost a member whose 

 activity and zeal were unceasing, and whose brilliant talents as a scien- 

 tific writer, not surpassed by those of any of the illustrious names on 

 our roll, added much to the reputation of the society at home and abroad. 

 Elected a corresponding member in 1841, he became an active member 

 in 1812, on his settlement in Cambridge, and served as corresponding 

 secretary from 1844 to ISoO, and again from 1852 to 1803, and as presi- 

 dent from 1863 to 1873. During this long membership of more than 

 forty years his attendance was always exemplary. The storms of 

 winter and the inclemencies of spring, which kept younger men at 

 home, did not prevent his coming from the remote Botanic Garden 

 regularly to attend the meetings. Although an honorary member of 

 most of the learned societies of this country, and of many of the most 

 prominent societies of Europe, including the Royal Society of Loiulon, 



