06 THE NAUTILUS. 



Continental Congress, died at his home, " Rye," at Rye, Westchester 

 County, N. Y., on Sunday, being in the eighty-fourth year of his age. 

 The immediate cause of his death was senile gangrene. Mr. Jay 

 was graduated from Columbia College in 1827, and afterward took 

 his diploma as M. D. Upon his marriage with Laura Prime, a 

 daughter of Nathaniel Prime, a well-known banker, he left the 

 practice of medicine and for a short time was engaged in the bank- 

 ing business, but in 1843 retired from both business and professional 

 pursuits, to live at the country seat at Rye, on Long Island Sound, 

 left to him by his Aether's will. This beautiful residence gave liim 

 full occupation, as it embraced upward of 400 acres of land. 



Dr. Jay was well known in the scientific world as a specialist in 

 Conchology, and his collection of shells was for many years the most 

 noted in the United States. It \vas purchased several years ago by 

 Miss Catharine Wolfe, and presented by her to the American 

 Museum of Natural History. 



Dr. Jay was for many years a trustee of Columbia College, was 

 one of the early presidents of the old New York Club, and W'as one 

 of the founders of the New York Yacht Club. He was a Republican 

 in politics, and one of the early members of the Union League Club 

 of this city. An Episcopalian, he was a moderate Churchman, 

 strict in his own religious observances, but not in the least intolerant 

 as to the views of others. 



Dr. Jay was also actively interested in the Lyceum of Natural 

 History (now tbe New York Academy of Sciences) and was its 

 Treasurer from 1832 to 1843. At this time he w^as a man of twenty- 

 five or thirty, of light complexion, open and pleasing countenance, 

 and somewhat nervous temperament. During his more vigorous 

 years Dr. Jay was much interested in aquatic sports and w'as the 

 owner of a famous yacht called " Coquille." The valuable addition 

 to the treasures of the Natural History Museum purchased by Miss 

 Wolfe is now known as the Jay Collection. The shells gathered 

 during the expedition to Japan under command of Commodore 

 Matthew C. Perry were submitted to Dr. Jay and he wrote the 

 article on them that appeared in the Government Reports. Dr. Jay 

 was the author of " Catalogue of Recent Shells," which was published 

 here in 1835 ; " Descriptions of New and Rare Shells," and of later 

 editions of his Catalogue, in which he enumerated about 11,000 well- 

 marked varieties and about 7,000 well-established species. 



