SKETCH OF WILLIAM STARLING SULLIVANT. 695 



somely, and say that Mitten is instructed to prepare a set of mosses 

 for him. A noble fellow is Sullivant, and deserves all you say of 

 him and his works. The more you get to know of him the better 

 you will like him." And when, in 1877, he gave to Mr. Burgess, 

 since famous as a designer of yachts, a note of introduction to 

 Charles Darwin, Gray wrote : " He has just married the daughter 

 of my dear old friend the late Mr. Sullivant, who did for mus- 

 cology in this country more than one man is likely ever to do 

 again." 



Prof. Gray said of him in the memoir already quoted, and 

 which has supplied the facts for a large part of this article : " In 

 personal appearance and carriage, no less than in all the traits of 

 an unselfish and well-balanced character, Mr. Sullivant was a fine 

 specimen of a man. He had excellent business talents, and was 

 an exemplary citizen ; he had a refined and sure taste, and was an 

 accomplished draughtsman. But after having illustrated his 

 earlier productions with his own pencil, he found that valuable 

 time was to be gained by employing a trained artist. He discov- 

 ered in Mr. A. Schrader a hopeful draughtsman, and he educated 

 him to the work, with what excellent results the plates of the 

 Icones and of his other works abundantly show. As an investi- 

 gator he worked deliberately, slowly indeed and not continuously, 

 but perseveringly. Having chosen his particular department, he 

 gave himself undeviatingly to its advancement. His works have 

 laid such a broad and complete foundation for the study of bry- 

 ology in this country, and are of such recognized importance 

 everywhere, that they must always be of classical authority ; in 

 fact, they are likely to remain for a long time unrivaled. Wher- 

 ever mosses are studied his name will be honorably remembered ; 

 in this country it should long be remembered with peculiar grati- 

 tude." 



The following extract from a letter written immediately after 

 Sullivant's death to Mr. Joseph Sullivant by Leo Lesquereux will 

 be interesting : 



" In everything, as well you know, W. S. S. was most accu- 

 rate. He was superficial in nothing. He worked his mosses 

 slowly, coming again and again to a doubtful species, comparing 

 authorities, repeating the most difficult anatomical preparations, 

 till fully satisfied that his conclusions were warranted as far as 

 botanical science could warrant them. The numerous spesies to 

 which he has given his authority have therefore been admitted 

 and recognized by the most eminent botanists of our time 

 Schimper, Miiller, Lindberg, etc. More than ten years ago a very 

 honorable account of his works as a bryologist was published in 

 the Botanische Zeitung of Leipsic, which, for botany, is the high- 

 est European authority. 



