ASA GRAY. 1C3 



In 1835, Dr. Gray obtained, through Torrey's influence, the post 

 of curator and librarian of the Lyceum of New York, and at once 

 set to work upon the " task of preparing an original work, expressly 

 adapted to the use of the student of North American Botany," 

 under the title, ' Elements of Botany'; this was published at New 

 lork in 1836. It is interesting to note that his first and last work 

 bear the same title, although the 1887 volume (noticed at p. 92 of 

 this Journal) is rather intended to supply the place of his 'Lessons 

 in Botany.' In the same year Gray began his communications to 

 the ■ American Journal of Science and Arts/ of which he became 

 an assistant editor in 1853, and an associate editor in 1871; his 

 valuable 'Bibliographical Notes' were a feature of the periodical. 



It was originally arranged that Gray should have occupied the 

 position of botanist to the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, but owing 

 to delays and uncertainties he resigned the appointment, and 

 devoted himself to working with Torrey at the ■ Flora of North 

 America,' the first part of which appeared in 1838. In the 

 summer of this year he was appointed to the botanical chair 

 (which, however, he never filled) in the newly-founded University 

 of Michigan, " a position," says Prof. Sargent,* " he accepted 

 ouly upon condition of being allowed to pass a year in Europe for 

 the purpose of consulting there the herbaria which contained the 

 old collections of American plants,— types upon which the early 

 species had been founded,- — and which his work upon the Flora 

 inade it necessary to critically examine. He left New York in 

 November, 1838, and returned the following November. The year 

 for him was one of great scientific activity and interest. No 

 American botanist had ever been so cordially received by his asso- 

 ciates in the Old World." 



The summary given by Prof. Sargent of Gray's first European 

 visit is so interestjng, that we reproduce it in full : — 



" In Glasgow he made the acquaintance of William Jackson 

 Hooker, the founder of the greatest of all herbaria, the author of 

 many important works upon botany, and then about to publish bis 

 'Flora Boreali-Americana,' in which were described the plants of 

 British North America, a work just then of special interest to the 

 young American, because it first systematically displayed the dis- 

 coveries of David Douglas, of Drummond, Richardson, and other 

 English travellers in North America. At Glasgow, too, was laid 

 the foundation for his lifelong friendship with the younger Hooker, 

 tben a medical student seven years his junior, but destined to 

 become the explorer of New Zealand and Antarctic floras, the 

 intrepid Himalaya traveller, the associate of George Bentham in 

 &e authorship of the 'Genera Plantarum,' a president of the 

 JJoyal Society, and, like his father, the director of the B jFfti 

 Gardens at Kew. At Edinburgh he saw Greville, the famous 

 ^.Vptogamist ; while in London, Francis Boott, an American long 

 resident in England, the author of the classical history ol the 



* In a pamphlet reprint I from the ' Son ' of Jannai fcd I 96, to which 

 w e arc indebted for much of the aboye information. 



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