92 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



He devoted much time to the problems of plant- distribution, 

 and became a. constant correspondent of Charles Darwin, whose 

 philoso])hical views on evolution early won his regard. ' How 

 Plants Behave,' 1875, vvas written under the influence of Darwin's 

 ' Fertilization of Orchids.' (liray's wide knowledge of plants 

 made him extremely useful to Dai-win in his preparation of the 

 ' Origiji of Species ' and later works ; and he was aware of Darwin's 

 views before their promulgation before this Society in July 1858. 

 (xray republislied his scattered writings oil these to])ics in 1876, 

 entitled ' Darwiniana.' 



Asa Gray visited Europe six times ; in 1881 he spent nearly a 

 twelvemonth in the Old World, and his last visit during the 

 autumn of 1887 was induced by his always feeling exhilarated by 

 that trip. During the redecoration of our apartments he was just 

 able to move amongst the scaffolding to consult the Linnean 

 herbarium, an occupation he had never neglected during his visits 

 to our shores. His repeated visits had made his honoured face 

 more familiar to us than that of any other of our Foreign Members, 

 and it is hard to realize that we shall look no more upon his 

 happy and serene countenance. Happily we have an excellent 

 portrait, taken during the Manchester Meeting of the British 

 Association in last year, the last ever taken of him. 



In October last he returned to America, when a paralytic 

 stroke on 27th November last put a stop to his labours. He 

 lingered until 30th January of this year, without regaining the 

 power of sjjeech, and then quietly passed away. 



Asa Gray was mai-ried in 1848 ; his widow survives him. 



Many of the foregoing details have been taken from the obit- 

 uary notices written by Profs. Sargent and Dana. 



Sir William Verxon Guise, Bart., born in 1816, succeeded 

 to tlie baronetcy in 1865, and became a prominent figure at many 

 of the West of England scientific and archaeological meetings. 

 He was, during 28 years. President of the Cotteswold Natura- 

 lists' Field Club, taking an active interest in natural history, 

 especially ornithology, geology, and autiquariauism. He died at 

 his scat, Elmore Court, near Gloucester, 24 Septmember, 1887. 



He was a Fellow of the Geological Society as well as of our 

 own, to whicli he was elected 20 .lanuary, 1857. 



Sm Julius von Haast was a native of Bonn, where he was 

 born May 1, 1821, his father being a well-to-do merchant. He 

 derivid his earlj^ education in the grammar schools of Bonn 

 and Cologne, returning to the University of his native place for 

 later studies. After this he lived some years in France, and 

 also visited Eussia, Austria, and Italy. He came to London on 

 the invitation of a firm of shipowners, who wished to ascertain 

 the fitness of New Zealand as a field for German emigration, and 

 on the longest day of the antarctic summer, Dec. 21, 1858, he 



