368 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



In the following year he was asked to assist in the class 

 of practical botany, and to undertake some work in the 

 University Herbarium. In 1880 he graduated Bachelor of 

 Science, and was ap[)ointed Private Assistant to the late 

 Professor Dickson, successor to Professor Balfour in the 

 chair of botany. This position he retained till 1888, when 

 he was appointed Principal Assistant by the University 

 Senate. 



In 1881 he was chosen Lecturer on Botany in the 

 Royal Veterinary College, and was elected by the committee 

 of St. George's College tutor to its recently established 

 Correspondence Botany Classes. Here he was the first to 

 introduce the system of transmitting numerous specimens 

 at regular intervals for examination and description. This 

 plan was continued by him for seven years, and has since 

 been largely adopted by similar institutions. 



In 1883 he graduated Doctor of Science, when he pre- 

 sented a thesis on " The Structure, Division, and History of 

 Vegetable and Animal Cells." Shortly afterwards he was 

 made Superintendent of the large herbarium of the Uni- 

 versity, located in the herbarium building at the Royal 

 Botanic Garden. This post he held till 1888, when he 

 resigned to aid in the development of the laboratory and 

 museum departments. 



In 1885 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 

 of Edinburgh, and to its " Transactions " he contributed 

 papers on botanical subjects. In the same year he accepted 

 the post of Acting Secretary of the Botanical Society, and 

 for six years thereafter he edited the Society's yearly 

 " Transactions." 



In 1887 the Committee of the Association for the Uni- 



1 



