A. Gray — Botanical Necrology of 1885. 19 



pleasant, and on his part a sprightly correspondence it has been ; 

 and most ardent and successful were his efforts in the develop- 

 ment of the Society of Natural Sciences over which he pre- 

 sided, and especially of its herbarium which he founded. In the 

 spring of 1864 he wrote : " To-morrow I believe I shall be able 

 to mail you my Preliminary List of the Plants of Buffalo. 

 And I demand that, immediately upon its reception, you write 

 me, saying ' pretty well for you.' I do feel gratified that I have 

 at last made the mitiest mite of a contribution to science. I 

 know how extremely minute it is. I would not be so exact- 

 ing but for the fact that my letter-book is just full, and I want 

 to commence a new one with a letter from you, I mean with a 

 note from you : a letter is too ambitious." 



As this modest Preliminary List exemplifies the beginning, 

 so the full and critically prepared Gatalogue of the Native and 

 Naturalized Plants of the City of Buffalo and its Yicinity (pp. 

 215), published in 1882-3, marks the conclusion and shows the 

 fruits of Judge Clinton's work upon the flora of the district 

 around Buffalo. This Catalogue was, indeed, prepared and 

 published by his near friend and associate, Mr. Day, with a 

 thoroughness and judgment which have been much com- 

 mended. But the collection and elaboration of the, materials, 

 the critical determination of the species, and the preparation of 

 the " Clinton Herbarium," as it is now appropriately called, were 

 essentially his own work in the horce sudsecivce of a busy pro- 

 fessional life. If during middle life, and while making his 

 way in his chosen vocation he abandoned his early scientific 

 avocation, he took it up again when he had achieved a position 

 which allowed some well-earned leisure, and he pursued it with 

 an added zeal and energy and acumen, which should give his 

 name a place among the botanical worthies, — to be remembered 

 after those who knew and appreciated and loved him have 

 passed away. A little Scirpus specifically bears his name, 

 but I never see the modest liliaceous plant of our northern 

 woods, called Clintonia in honor of the father, without associ- 

 ating it with the son. 



Judge Clinton's contributions to the literature of the legal 

 profession consisted mainly of his Digest of the Decisions of 

 the Law and Equity Courts of the State of New York, in three 

 stout volumes. But he was a not unfrequent and a fascinating 

 writer in the newspapers of the city, an occasional lecturer 

 upon historical as well as scientific topics, and an organ- 

 izer or promoter of every good civic work. He was a per- 

 son of marked and distinct individuality. It has been said of 

 him that " he was not like anybody else, did not look like any- 

 body else, and did not talk like anybody else." But his ways 

 <ind his conversation were peculiarly winning and delightful. 



