MEMORIAL OF CHARLES A. DAVIS 17 



hi^ observation^ as letters to Bryant Walker on the fresh-water shells 

 show: 



"Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 3, 1905. 

 "After the first big falls in the Menominee [River], those from which I sent 

 the specimens to you, the Unionidse were less numerous in species and indi- 

 viduals, all the larger ones seeming to stop below the falls. This I think will 

 be shown by the material which I have for you. The land shells I did not 

 have favorable opportunity to look for, and moreover fire has run over so 

 much of the country that I expect many species are scarce or exterminated 

 altogether. I was interested to find Patula alternata a common species on and 

 among the talus slabs on several outcrops which I visited. Among the things 

 which I thought were of special interest were two fairly good specimens of a 

 big thick-shelled Unio which I found on the beach of the sandy and pebbly 

 shore of Lake Superior between White Fish Point and Grand Marais — a long 

 distance from the mouth of any stream. 



"Yours very truly, Ghas. A. Davis." 



In presentmg ^^A list of shells from the east coast of Florida," in the 

 Nautilus, Bryant Walker writes : 



"The late Dr. Charles A. Davis, the well known peat expert of the United 

 States Bureau of Mines, in addition to his special acquirements in geology and 

 botany, was a good all-round zoologist, and had a lively and unaffected interest 

 in the work that any of his friends might be carrying on in that department. 

 It was his kindly habit in his travels about the country to preserve any speci- 

 mens that he came across that seemed to him likely to be of interest to any 

 of his zoological friends. It will be remembered that the conchologists owe 

 to him the rediscovery of the long lost PlanorMs multivolvis Case (Nautilus, 

 volume xxi, page 61), and also the little Lymnwa davisi Walker (Nautilus, 

 volume xxii, page 17), which bears his name." 



In the spring of 1911 Doctor Davis' professional duties took him to 

 Florida, and while there he collected quite a number of samples of "drift," 

 which in due time came into ni}^ possession. 



His interest in ecologic botany is brought out in his correspondence 

 with C. K. Dodge, taken from two letters — one from the beginning, the 

 other showing his interest even when death was near. Mr. Dodge writes 

 from Port Huron, Michigan, under date of January 16, 1917, and quotes 

 the following sentences indicating Professor Davis' ways of working : 



"What you do, do in a systematic way." 



"Keep specimens and take notes. Let us know what you are doing. Give 

 us also the benefit of your work." 



"We know after all very little about the wild plants of Michigan. Do your 

 work in a systematic way. We want to know what we have." 



"Beginning at the south line of the State, follow up carefully the divide 

 between the two big lakes to Mackinac City. You will have plenty to do as 

 long as you live." 



