130 



workers in bryology and practically our only close student of 

 the Hepaticae. Unfortunately, his botanical zeal caused his 

 family to be deprived of many of the important possessions of 

 this life. 



Mr. M. Ruger, who died in 1879 ^^ the untimely age of 44, 

 was m many respect's a memorable character. His physical con- 

 stitution was so weak that he could never attend school, nor en- 

 gage in any vocation, yet he succeeded in acquiring a very liberal 

 education, and in pursuing the avocation of botany until he came 

 to be known as the Club's "walking encyclopedia." His knowl- 

 edge of the local flora was remarkably full and remarkably ac- 

 curate, and before he died this knowledge was extended over a 

 large part of the country. Not only did his observations enrich 

 the proceedings of the Club and the pages of the Bulletin, but 

 his collections did much to build up the Club's herbarium. His 

 work was notable for extending into such fields as that of my- 

 cology, then almost unworked, and for many years all questions 

 arising in the Club relating to fungi were habitually referred to 

 him. He was stricken down while botanizing and died two days 

 later. 



Professor Joseph Schrenck was a school principal in Hoboken, 

 who applied his scholarly tastes and abilities to the study of 

 botany in ways then little known among us, and he labored dil- 

 igently and with great patience to lead others in the same direc- 

 ion. He obtained a professorship to do evening work in the 

 College of Pharmacy. This work, along strictly technical alines, 

 led him to a deeper study of plants, both anatomical and physio- 

 logical, by the use of the microscope and chemical reagents, than 

 that which then prevailed here. From this experience he was 

 soon led to deplore the superficiality of current work, and he 

 stirteJ private classes among the Club's members for interesting 

 them in methods which he saw must soon become dominant. 

 Although general tendencies were not thus changed, many per- 

 sons were interested, and some of our best workers of the present 

 day acquired their first training in this direction from these 

 humble efforts of Professor Schrenck. 



During the same time another worker. Professor E. H. Dav, 



