In Memoriam — Thomas W. Spurlock. 3 



this region. ) He led the way to a small grove of noble beeches, and on a 

 little mound made by the roots of a prostrated tree, lay the remains 

 of a few plants, the fronds broken and crumpled. Tenderly, as if 

 caressing a child, the old man smoothed out the leaves and mourned 

 over the injured plant, sighing at the thought that it might not revive 

 again. 



In the latter part of August. 1883, he* found a few plants of Cassia 

 occidentaUs, on the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad below Millcreek 

 Tt is an extra limital species, and had never been observed here 

 before. Our old friend's interest was excited. He took botanists to 

 see the plants and visited the spot regularly once a week, until on 

 October 18th he brought a well flowered specimen carefully wrapped 

 in wet cloths, and with a smiling face and twinkling eye, gave it to 

 the writer, with the injunction to press it carefully for an herbarium 

 specimen. He now watched for the seeding, and one day came to say 

 that the section men had almost destroyed his flowers, but that he 

 had saved one broken specimen. This he planted in a pot, bandaged the 

 broken stem carefully, and faithfully watched it till the seed matured. 

 These he saved, and with a generosity so characteristic of him, he 

 brought the two legumes to us and asked us to open one, give him two 

 or three seeds, and keep and plant the remaining ones. 



Mr. Spurlock left no herbarium and no notes of his observations, 

 but he did leave to those who knew him the fragrant recollection of a 

 pure, simple love of nature, which in a less modest or more aggressive 

 man would have blossomed forth in work of permanent value. Local 

 botany owes much to him, and his loss will long be felt by those who 

 knew his kindly ways. He found many plants which are named in 

 the Cincinnati Flora of Mr. Jos. F. James, and discovered not a few 

 which, from their retiring habits, had been thought extinct in the 

 vicinity. 



He was also a collector of fossils, and many of the collections of the 

 city have been enriched by his " finds. " He added to the pleasure of 

 finding that of giving. The rare trilobite Proteus spurlocki was found 

 by him and presented to Mr. C. B. Dyer, and the beautiful p^lyzoan, 

 Ptilodictya shaferi was first found and given by Mr. Spurlock to the 

 gentleman whose name is honored in connection with it. 



Mr. Spurlock was a very modest and retiring man, quiet in manner 

 and pleasant in conversation when he could be drawn out. He was 

 entirely self educated, had been a great reader, and had a fund of gen- 

 eral knowledge which was surprising in a man of his opportunities. 



