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ET, 21.] EARLY UNDERTAKINGS. 31 
“J wish we could find a place for my friend Gray 
in the college... . He has no superior in botany, 
considering eg age, and any subject that he takes 
up he handles in a masterly manner. . . . He is an 
uncommonly fine fellow, and will make a great noise 
in the scientific world one of these days. It is good 
policy for the college to secure the services and affec- 
tions of young men of talent, and let them grow up 
with the institution. . . . He would do great credit 
to the college ; and he will be continually publish- 
ing. He has just prepared for publication in the 
Annals of the Lyceum two capital botanical papers. 
... Gray has a capital herbarium and collection 
of minerals. He understands most of the branches 
of natural history well, and in botany he has few 
superiors.” 
His friend, Mr. John H. Redfield,! recalling him in 
those early days, writes: — 
“He had worked with Dr. Torrey in his herbarium 
in 1834 and in 1835, and in 1834 read his first paper 
before the Lyceum, a monograph of the North Amer- 
ican Rhyncosporz, which is still the best help we 
have for the study of that genus. His bachelor 
quarters were in the upper story of the building, and 
there he diligently employed the hours not ieunled 
with other duties in studies and dissections, the re- 
sults of which appeared in several elaborate contribu- 
tions to the Annals. Dr. Gray’s residence in the 
building and his position as librarian brought him 
into frequent and pleasant intercourse with the mem- 
bers of the Lyceum, and in this way began my own 
acquaintance with him. The interest which he always 
1 John H. Redfield; curator of the herbarium of the botanical de- 
partment of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science 
