He gave us his " Curves and Functions " in the form of lectures ; and some- 

 times, even while stating his propositions, he would be seized with some 

 mathematical inspiration, would forget pupils, notes, every thing, and would 

 rapidly clash off equation after equation, following them out with smaller and 

 smaller chalk-marks into the remote corners of the blackboard, forsaking his 

 delightful task only when there was literally no more space to be covered, 

 and coming back with a sigh to his actual students. There was a great fasci- 

 nation about these interruptions: we were present, as it seemed, at mathe- 

 matics in the making ; it was like peeping into a necromancer's ceil, and 

 seeing him at work ; or as if our teacher were one of the old Arabian 

 algebraists recalled to life. The less we knew of what was" going on, the 

 more attractive was the enthusiasm of the man ; and his fine face and impress- 

 ive presence added to the charm. 



The real fame of Professor Peirce will of course rest on those great 

 mathematical discoveries and suggestions, which, in the opinion of those best 

 qualified to judge, will gradually exert a marked influence on the science of 

 the future. As to this it would be presumption in me to express an opinion ; 

 but, having had the good fortune to be included under very favorable circum- 

 stances among his pupils, I can testify most cordially as to the strong influ- 

 ence he exerted on at least one of that number. T. W. H. 



FROM THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE FOR 

 NOVEMBER. 



PROFESSOR BENJAMIN PEIRCE, LL.D., F.R.S., Perkins professor of 

 astronomy and mathematics at Harvard University, died at his home in 

 Cambridge, Oct. 6, in the seventy-second year of his age, and the fiftieth of 

 his connection with the University. His father and mother were both dis- 

 tinguished for their acuteness of mind ; and his instructor, Nathaniel Bow- 

 ditch, predicted that the boy Peirce would be one of the first mathematicians 

 of his day, a prediction fully realized. In 1831, two years after graduation 

 at Harvard College, he was appointed mathematical tutor, in 1833 professor, 

 and in 1842 he was appointed to the chair he filled and honored until his 

 death. He found it consistent with his devotion to science to do much work 

 in connection with other institutions than Harvard during his professorship. 



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