Vol. 3 No. 12 



TORREYA 



Oecember, 1903 

 CORNELIUS VAN BRUNT 



By N. L. Britton 

 (With Portrait) 



The death of Mr. Van Brunt, which took place at his residence 

 in New York City after a painful illness of over two months, on 

 October 1, 1903, has lost to the club one of its oldest members, 

 and one whose contributions to botanical science were of a unique 

 character. He was born in New York City on October 5, 1827, 

 and was thus just about seventy-six years old. He was a direct 

 descendant of Cornelius Rutgers Van Brunt, a Hollander, who 

 settled on Long Island in 1653. 



Mr. Van Brunt's boyhood was spent at Fishkill, New York, 

 where he attended the village school, and he was prepared for 

 admission to Union College, but this plan wa§ changed and he 

 was apprenticed to the Matteawan Machine Works. In 1853 he 

 was interested in the organization of the Fishkill Landing Ma- 

 chine Works, with which he was connected until 1869, at which 

 time he retired ; resided until 1876 in Poughkeepsie, and devoted 

 himself to studies of natural history, to which he had always 

 been strongly attracted. During this time he was president of 

 the Poughkeepsie Academy of Science, to the work of which 

 he made many scientific contributions, as well as to the Vassar 

 Brothers Institute, carrying on also studies in mechanics and 

 electricity. He made a trip to Florida about this time, and col- 

 lected birds which were presented to Vassar College. 



He entered business again in 1876, and continued in it until 

 about 1893. Microscopical investigations were in these years 



[Vol. 3, No. II, of ToRREYA, comprising pages 161-176, was issued November 

 19, 1903] 



177 



