160 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



The love of flowers and of gems was a feature of Dr. Leidy's 

 character. His knowledge of them often served to correct errors 

 that had crept into collections as well as to entertain his friends. 

 No one loved social intercourse better than he, and his conver- 

 sation was always instructive and charming. 



He died in his native city on April 30, 1891. 



(From PERSIFOR FRAZER, " Joseph Leidy, M. D., LL. D.," in the American 

 Geologist, January, 1892. See also WILLIAM HUNT, " An Address Upon the 

 Late Joseph Leidy, M. D., LL. D.," Philadelphia, 1892; and " In Memoriam, 

 Dr. Joseph Leidy, Personal History," read before the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, Philadelphia, May 12, 1891; HENRY F. OSBORN, "Joseph Leidy," in 

 Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 7, p. 335.) 



J. PETER LESLEY 

 Born, September 17, 1819; died June I, 1903 



Peter Lesley, the fourth of that name, was born at Phila- 

 delphia on September 17, 1819. The first Peter Lesley was 

 remembered as the " Miller of Fifeshire," and his descendants 

 were of mingled Scotch and German blood and were noted for 

 their practical traits and thorough education. It appears to 

 have been Lesley's father's intention to prepare him for the 

 church, but his health was so precarious while he was in college 

 that an out-of-door life was imperative. Through the inter- 

 position of Professor Bache, he obtained appointment in 1838 as 

 an assistant on the first Geological Survey of Pennsylvania. The 

 personal knowledge of the poor and ignorant German settlers, 

 which he obtained during two seasons spent in the field, turned 

 Lesley's thoughts toward missionary work, and in 1841 he 

 entered the Princeton Theological School. After studying three 

 years and obtaining his license, he determined on a trip to 

 Europe, largely to perfect his knowledge of German. He 

 travelled on foot through England and France and afterwards 

 through Switzerland, where the geological features of the 

 country aroused his strongest interest. He then settled at Halle 

 to study German, and also attended the lectures of Tholuck and 

 other theologians. 



