EDWARD TUCKEEMAN. 



Mountains or the Sierras at the present day. With the exception, 

 perhaps, of Oakes, no botanist has ever explored the mountains 

 with the same zeal and success as Professor Tuckerman, and, as far 

 as lichens are concerned, the collections of Oakes are naturally not 

 to be compared with those of Tuckerman. 



His natural activity and power of work were unfortunately 

 diminished by sickness during the latter part of his life. A num- 

 ber of years before his death he suffered from a sunstroke from 

 which he probably never quite recovered, and this made it difficult 

 for him to work continuously as had been his habit. For the last 

 few years he failed steadily, and, in the autumn of 1885, he went to 

 Virginia in the hope of restoring his health ; but he soon returned 

 to Amherst and continued in comparatively good health, although 

 he was known to be suffering from B right's disease, until a few days 

 before his death, when complications of the disease confined him to 

 his room, and he at last passed calmly away. 



The writings of Professor Tuckerman, apart from his botanical 

 works, relate to historical and theological subjects, and in the pres- 

 ent connection do not call for an extended notice. He privately 

 published an edition of Josselyn's "New England's Rarities Discov- 

 ered," with annotations, including a biography of Josselyn, and a 

 sketch of the earlier sources of our knowledge of New England 

 plants and of some of the people who made them known. In 1832 

 and 1833 he assisted Mr. Samuel G. Drake in the preparation of 

 his "Book of the Indians" and "Indian Wars." Between 1834 

 and 1841 he contributed to the New York Churchman no less than 

 fifty-four articles under the title of " Notitia Literaria" and "Ad- 

 versaria," upon points in history, biography, and theology. He 

 was also a frequent contributor to other religious journals. 



Professor Tuckerman's fondness for botany was shown at an early 

 age. When a student at Union College he was appointed curator 

 of the Museum. His acquaintance with William Oakes, of Ipswich, 

 Mass., one of the pioneers of botany in New England, and Dr. T. 

 W. Harris, a noted entomologist and librarian of Harvard College, 

 dates, perhaps, from a still earlier period ; at any rate the influence 

 of these two men — the one an indefatigable collector and explorer, 

 the other a thorough student — must have had much to do in forming 

 his tastes and shaping his future career. Of all plants lichens were 

 always the most attractive to him, and his first paper, "An enumera- 

 tion of some Lichenes of New England," was presented to the Boston 



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