506 Canadian Record of Science. 
philosophical treatment of the subjects they embrace, or in the 
beauty and clearness of their style. 
A series of critical reviews of important scientific publications, 
and of historical accounts of the lives and labors of botanical 
worthies, may be conveniently grouped in the third division of 
Professor Gray’s writings; while in the fourth fall a number of 
papers which owe their existence to the discussions which followed 
the publication of Mr. Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’—discussions in 
which Professor Gray took, in this country, the foremost position.” 
For the re-publication of the first and second divisions, there is 
no present necessity. The most important of the philosophical 
essays “which grew out of the discussion of the Darwinian theory, 
have already been re-published by their author,” and are, there- 
fore, available. The two volumes now belore us, therefore, embrace 
many of the most important scientific articles, reviews and bio- 
graphical sketches which Dr. Gray wrote during that long period of 
an unusually active and brilliant career, extending from 1834 to 
1887. As many of the valuable papers now left are beyond the 
reach of most botanical students of the present day, it is to be 
hoped means may be provided for their re-publication at a later 
date as a fourth volume of the present series. 
The writings of Dr. Gray possess a peculiar interest, not only 
from the fact that they cover a period of somewhat more than fifty 
years, but because we also have in them a history of botanical 
Science during a period pregnant with the most important develop- 
ments—a period which has given birth to an entirely new school, 
of which Dr. Gray was himself one of the most brilliant leaders. 
As acritic, “ his reviews represented the opinion of a just and 
discriminating mind, thoroughly familiar with all sides of the 
question before it, critical rather than laudatory, loving the truth 
and its investigators, but the truth above everything else. No 
other naturalist of his reputation and attainments ever devoted so 
much time to literary work of this sort, or continued it so uninter- 
ruptedly for so many years; and in our time, the criticism and 
advice of no other botanist has been so eageriy sought or so highly 
valued by his contemporaries.” 
The thanks of botanists everywhere are due Professor Sargent 
for the service he has rendered them and science, in this compila- 
tion. 1eh 
