^x. 53.] TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 519 



herbarium and other botanical collections, which in 

 my house (besides that, there is not room for them) 

 are too liable to destruction from fire. I had offered 

 them, with my botanical library, to our university, if 

 they would build in the Botanic Garden a fireproof 

 building to hold them, and raise a small fund for 

 their support. Kecently and quite unexpectedly, a 

 banker in Boston, almost unknown to me personally, 

 has offered in any case to construct the building, and 

 a few friends are taking steps, with good prospects, to 

 raise by gifts a fund of $10,000 for the support of the 

 establishment. When done, I shall feel that my col- 

 lections, which are most important for North Ameri- 

 can botany, are secure for the use of future botanists. 

 ^To secure this I gladly divest myself of the ownership 

 (of collections which have absorbed most of my small 

 spare means for the last thirty years, and which are 

 valued at $20,000 or more. . . . 



In the council of our American Academy (of which 

 since May last I have been president) we have nom- 

 inated Dean Milman to the foreign honorary mem- 

 bership vacated by the death of Whately, and Max 

 Miiller to that vacated by Grimm. The election has 

 not yet taken place. 



Mrs. Gray, with kind regards, joins me in best 

 wishes for the new year to you and yours. 



Very sincerely yours, ASA GRAY. 



TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 



CAMBRIDGE, December 22, 1863. 



MY DEAR DE CANDOLLE, I thank you cordially 

 for your letter of the 13th November, and for the 

 copy of Thury's interesting and curious paper. This 

 I had not seen, neither Pictet's notice. I find it very 



