1886.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 279 



until tlie death of Adams three years later. This association 

 tended greatly to quicken and strengthen his already marked 

 scientific interest. He then accepted the superintendency of a 

 mine in New Granada, and after residing there two years, came 

 to this city, and made it his permanent abode. 



Soon after coming to New York and entering into business, he 

 was introduced, in 1852, into tlie Lyceum of Natural History. In 

 such kindred spirits and co-laborers as our members Redfield and 

 Wheatley, Mr. Bland soon found the same sympathy and stimu- 

 lus as he had previously enjoyed with Adams. Here began his 

 career of study and publication, in connection with this Society, 

 which continued for over thirty years. No less than seventy-two 

 papers, many of them extensive articles, have come from his 

 busy pen. In later years, he became engaged with Mr. "W. G. 

 Binney, Jr., in the preparation of their great joint work on 

 "The Terrestrial Molluscs of North America." 



With a broad general interest in science, Mr. Bhmd possessed 

 great familiarity in his own especial branches, conchology and 

 geology, particularly the land-shells of America and the West 

 India Islands, and the geology of the latter region. In these 

 departments, there is probably no one living in this country who 

 can rank as his superior or even his equal, perhaps not even in 

 the world. 



Of Mr. Bland's personal qualities, I can say but little here. 

 Those who knew him need not to be reminded of his cordiality, 

 his suavity, his kindliness, or his upright life and character. It 

 would seem as though these qualities, that gave such a charm to 

 his social intercourse, must have been long recognized as 

 an ancestral trait; for Mr. Bland once showed me the old family 

 bearings, with the motto (Prov. xv. 1) '^Eesponsio blanda iram 

 avertit." 



It is a very touching memory to me, that after several unsuc- 

 cessful attempts to see him, in the last months of his physical 

 and mental decline, I was able to meet him for a short time on 

 the 20th of August last. Though his memory was impaired, 

 and his frame decrepit, his mind was clear, and his smile of 

 kindly welcome peculiarly attractive and cordial. After a brief 

 interview of pleasure mingled with sadness, we parted with much 



