Proceedings. . 95 



The elder of the two, whom to know was to love — for 

 he was as celebrated for his goodness as for his science — was 

 a man who worked in quite different fields from de Bary. 

 Though he was, confessedly, head and shoulders above the 

 rest of American botanists, Botany could not claim Dr. Asa 

 Gray as exclusively her own. Darwin appreciated his many- 

 sidedness by writing of him and to him, " You are a hybrid, a 

 complex cross of lawyer, poet, naturalist, and theologian." 

 Born at Paris, Massachusetts, i8th November, 18 10, he died 

 at Cambridge, U.S., 30th January, i S8S. The unique position 

 which he held amongst American botanists largely con- 

 trolled the direction of his work, for the wide extent of 

 new territory constantly being explored on his native 

 continent brought with it the duty of describing multitudes 

 of new forms and species. Hence, it is in descriptive and 

 geographical rather than in physiological botany that the 

 monument of Gray's genius and labours will ultimately 

 rest. But the personality of the man was greater than 

 his work, and will never be forgotten by his contemporaries. 

 A namesake of the speaker's, writing from Providence, and 

 testifying from personal knowledge, says : " His presence 

 among men was a benediction. In the summer classes, 

 when the good Doctor entered the laboratory, he seemed 

 to bring with him the blessed light of heaven. The room 

 grew suddenly darker as he withdrew. All desired to see 

 him. Strangers would wait in the garden to catch a 

 glimpse of the venerable head at his favourite working 

 window." A most grateful tribute of appreciative respect 

 was paid to the ' old man eloquent ' on the occasion of his 

 75 th birthday, by the presentation of an elegant silver vase 

 and salver, upon which were embossed the plants that are 

 associated with his name. Notwithstanding his weight of 

 years, Dr. Asa Gray was ever young in spirit, and he was as 

 approachable to the little child as to the most diffident of 

 his university pupils, as well as helpful and genial to all 



