304 PITTONIA. 
gentleman in 1802, and later, resided on Magazine Street 
(now Pearl Street), New York, and owned a country-seat 
called Daisy Hill, the location of which was about where 
84th Street and 8th and 9th Avenues now are in the city 
above named; that he was a tall man, quite spare, of sallow 
complexion, in manner somewhat dignified and stern, inso- 
much that he, as a child stood somewhat in awe of him. He 
is said to have borne a striking resemblance to Hassler, 
founder of the U. S. Coast Survey. 
'The father of Dr. Torrey at one time lived in a house rented 
from Mr. Le Conte, and the juvenile John Torrey, accompany- 
ing the father on an occasional business errand to the Le Conte 
residence was more attracted by the two sons of the family, 
Messrs. Lewis’ and John, who, although young men, perhaps 
seventeen and nineteen years of age, were already enthusi- 
astie botanists, and well trained in the Latin and French 
languages. 
Asa Gray, in his Biographical Notice of Dr. Torrey, accorded 
to Amos Eaton, an early teacher of botany and the compiler 
of the then popular Eaton's Manual, the praise of having 
instrueted young Torrey in the rudiments of botany, making 
no mention of Le Conte; and yet, I had it from Dr. Torrey's 
own lips that his earliest interest in botanical and other 
natural history subjects was enkindled by association with 
the Le Conte youths, who were his seniors by about twelve 
and fourteen years; that long after this, when Torrey had 
become a Professor and had the young Asa Gray for his pupil 
and herbarium assistant, Major Le Conte, as a master of 
North American botany and most cordial friend, was still his 
own prineipal adviser and helper in difficult and doubtful 
matters appertaining to the science; and, that often Ang 
1 The future Dr. Torrey of botanical renown must have been at that 
time a child of five or six years.—E. L. G 
2 Lewis Le Conte was the father of the widely known and affection- 
ately regarded Professors John and Joseph Le Conte of the University 
of California.—. L. a. 
