JEFFRIES WYMAN. 1 



When we think of the associate and friend whose death 

 this Society now deplores, and remember how modest and re- 

 tiring he was, how averse to laudation and reticent of words, 

 we feel it becoming to speak of him now that he is gone, 

 with much of the reserve which would be imposed upon us if 

 he were living. Yet his own perfect truthfulness and nice 

 sense of justice, and the benefit to be derived from the con- 

 templation of such a character by way of example, may be 

 our warrant for reasonable freedom in the expression of our 

 judgments and our sentiments, taking care to avoid all ex- 

 aggeration. 



Appropriate and sincere eulogies and expressions of loss, 

 both official and personal, have, however, already been pro- 

 nounced or published ; and among them one from the gov- 

 ernors of that institution to which, together with our own 

 Society, most of Professor Wyman's official life and services 

 were devoted, — which appears to me to delineate in the few- 

 est words the truest outlines of his character. In it the Pres- 

 ident and Fellows of Harvard University " recall with affec- 

 tionate respect and admiration the sagacity, patience, and 

 rectitude which characterized all his scientific work, his clear- 

 ness, accuracy, and conciseness as a writer and teacher, and 

 the industry and zeal with which he labored upon the two ad- 

 mirable collections which remain as monuments of his rare 

 knowledge, method, and skill. They commend to the young 

 men of the University this signal example of a character 

 modest, tranquil, dignified, and independent, and of a life 

 simple, contented, and honored." 



What more can be or need be said ? It is left for me, in 



1 An address delivered at a memorial meeting of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History, October 7, 1874. 



