GLEASON: CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CLUB TO TAXONOMY 43 



ton. Rusby made three later trips to South America and never lost his interest 

 in its flora. Neither did Britton, although he delegated most of the work to 

 others, returning to it personally only in his later years and especially after 

 his retirement in 1929. 



These studies of the flora of South America grew and spread to other 

 American institutions and are primarily responsible for all our present interest 

 in South American botany. The important taxonomic work of Johnston and 

 Smith of the Arnold Arboretum, Moldenke of the New York Botanical 

 Garden, Killip of the National Herbarium, Pennell of the Philadelphia Acad- 

 emy of Sciences, Standley of the Field Museum and several others, have all 

 evolved directly or indirectly from the initial work of Rusby. 



Rusby 's career as a taxonomist was peculiar. I fail to find that he ever 

 contributed to the general theory of classification, that he ever wrote a tax- 

 onomic monograph, that he was ever a leader in taxonomic thought. But 

 Rusby was a two-fisted fighter, absolutely fearless of consequences to himself, 

 who fought adulterated food and impure drugs with the same intrepidity that 

 he faced the Amazonian jungles, who never admitted defeat and who seldom 

 was defeated. And here again I fail to find that he ever fought for a question- 

 able cause or for his own personal advantage. Instead he was a champion of 

 the right, as he understood it, and, his understanding was correct. 



Rusby was among the earliest to agitate for a botanical garden in the City 

 of New York and one of the leaders in the struggle for the necessary manda- 

 tory legislation at Albany. Later the directorship of the newly chartered garden 

 was in controversy and it was Rusby more than any other one person who 

 fought and worked to prevent the office from being merely another political 

 plum and to effect the appointment of N. L. Britton. 



It has been my desire to express here my admiration and respect for one 

 of our former members, but my words are too feeble for my thoughts. Henry 

 Hurd Rusby has gone from among us, but the results of his influence, his 

 energy, and his courage continue and widen from year to year. 



Finally and in summary : The Torrey Botanical Club has not merely served 

 as a publishing agency, but it has also produced men, and these men, by their 

 additions to knowledge, by their provision of opportunity, by their influence 

 on modern thought, have been the chief contribution of the Club toward the 

 advancement of taxonomy. Let us hope that the Club will be equall}' useful 

 during the next seventy-five years. 



The New York Botanical Garden 

 New York, New York 



