358 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



Dr. Torrey leaves three daughters, a son, who has been 

 appointed United States assayer in his father's place, and a 

 grandson. 



This sketch of Dr. Torrey's public life and works, which it 

 is our main duty to exhibit, would fall short of its object if it 

 did not convey, however briefly and incidentally, some just 

 idea of what manner of man he was. That he was earnest, 

 indefatigable, and able, it is needless to say. His gifts as a 

 teacher were largely proved and are widely known through a 

 long generation of pupils. As an investigator he was charac- 

 terized by a scrupulous accuracy, a remarkable fertility of 

 mind, especially as shown in devising ways and means of 

 research, and perhaps by some excess of caution. 



Other biographers will doubtless dwell upon the more per- 

 sonal aspects and characteristics of our distinguished and 

 lamented associate. To them, indeed, may fittingly be left 

 the full delineation and illustration of the traits of a singu- 

 larly transparent, genial, delicate, and conscientious, unselfish 

 character, which beautified and fructified a most industrious 

 and useful life, and won the affection of all who knew him. 

 For one thing, they cannot fail to notice his thorough love 

 of truth for its own sake, and his entire confidence that the 

 legitimate results of scientific inquiry would never be in- 

 imical to the Christian religion, which he held with an un- 

 troubled faith, and illustrated, most naturally and unpretend- 

 ingly, in all his life and conversation. In this, as well as in 

 the simplicity of his character, he much resembled Faraday. 



Dr. Torrey was an honorary or corresponding member of a 

 goodly number of the scientific societies of Europe, and was 

 naturally connected with all prominent institutions of the 

 kind in this country. He was chosen into the American 

 Academy in the year 1841. He was one of the corporate 

 members of the National Academy at Washington. He pre- 

 sided in his turn over the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science ; and he was twice, for considera- 

 ble periods, president of the New York Lyceum of Natural 

 History, which was in those days one of the foremost of our 

 scientific societies. It has been said of him that the sole 



