32 EARLY UNDERTAKINGS. [1835, 



manifested in making easy the openings to the paths 

 of knowledge for the younger men impressed me 

 greatly. In describing his manner I should use 

 neither the terms ' imperious ' or ' impetuous,' but 

 enthusiastic eagerness would better express its char- 

 acteristic. He had even then something of that hesi- 

 tancy of speech which he sometimes manifested in 

 later years, a hesitancy which seemed to arise from 

 thoughts which crowded faster than words could be 

 found for them, and I associate his manner of speak- 

 ing then with a slight swing of the head from side to 

 side, which my recollections of his later manner do not 

 recall. In person he was unusually attractive, his 

 face, bright, animated and expressive, lit up by eyes 

 beaming with intellect and kindness." 



Dr. Gray began in 1834 his contributions to the 

 " American Journal of Science." His first paper, 

 printed in May, was " A Sketch of the Mineralogy 

 of a Portion of Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties, 

 N. Y., by J. B. Crawe of Watertown, and A. Gray of 

 Utica, N. Y.," 1 and from that time until his death he 

 was a constant contributor of original articles, reviews, 

 and notices of all botanists whose deaths occurred 

 within his knowledge, leaving an unfinished necrology 

 on his desk. 



In 1835 his first text-book was written, " Elements 

 of Botany," and he returned to the same title for his 

 last text-book in 1887. He spent a summer at his 

 Sauquoit home at work upon it ; and he once gave a 

 lively account of the warm and noisy discussions 

 which he held with his friend John Carey over style 

 and expressions when he was reading the proofs in 

 his boarding-house in New York, to the great interest 



1 American Jour. Sci., xxv. 346-350. 



