STEPHEN THAYER OLNEY. 367 



pageant of empty carriages of state, but the highest and best in the 

 land felt a personal bereavement. A patriotic and devoted servant of 

 the government was dead ; a bright light in science had gone out ; a 

 noble man, born to attract and to sway, in wbom science was illumi- 

 nated by faith, and faith was enlightened by science, lived on earth no 

 longer except by his example ; a long life, crowded with beneficent ser- 

 vices to truth and to man, was closed. Not less affecting were the 

 memorial exercises of January 16, 1879, in the hall of the House of 

 Representatives, before the assembled wisdom and grandeur of the 

 nation. Science may be proud of this spontaneous tribute to her 

 favored child, if she only remembers that it is character which makes 

 intellect a blessing and not a scourge to mankind, and awakens genuine 

 sympathy and admiration. Mr. Henry was not the favorite and orna- 

 ment of a court, but the peer of the greatest and wisest in a free 

 republic. The monument of Humboldt was not thought to be worthy 

 of a place in sight of the King's palace in Berlin. That was a spot 

 consecrated to princes of the blood and military heroes. Will any 

 American think that any ground in this country is too sacred to con- 

 tain a monument to Henry ? 



STEPHEN THAYER OLNEY. 



Stephen Thayer Olney died at Providence, his native city, on 

 the 27th of July, 1878, at the age of sixty-six, thus reducing to a small 

 number the list of Associate Fellows in the botanical section. Colonel 

 Olney was for most of his life actively engaged in business, for several 

 years at Augusta, Georgia, and afterward in Providence. But he 

 early became fond of Botany, published a Catalogue of Rhode Island 

 Plants in the year 1844, and two critical papers on the Botany of 

 the State a few years later. These appeared in the Proceedings of the 

 Providence Franklin Society, over which institution he presided for 

 many years, taking a leading part in the development of its scientific 

 interests. He was a keen observer, made interesting contributions to 

 his favorite science through his correspondence with the principal bot- 

 anists of his day engaged in publication, formed a large and valuable 

 herbarium and a choice botanical library, and, selecting for special in- 

 vestigation the very large and difficult genus Car ex, he had become the 

 leading critical authority in this department. He had planned an 

 extensive work in illustration of this genus, had begun the distribution 

 of accurately-named specimens and the preparation of costly figures, 

 and had entered upon the characterization of new species, in the Pro- 



