Iz.] 350 [October 18, 



ory, but also for his investigations in Natural History, and he 

 published in successive years a series of admirably illustrated 

 volumes upon Herpetology and Ichthyology. This series 

 remains, and will ever remain, a standard work in Natural 

 History. He was still engaged upon his Ichthyology of South 

 Carolina, when all undertakings of that kind at the South 

 were interrupted by the war. Dr. Holbrook was too calm 

 and far-sighted to be swept along by any gust of passion or 

 public excitement. For a long time he tried to stem the 

 current, and hoped that a judicious and wise statesmanship 

 might save the country from civil war. But when all hope 

 of an amicable settlement was over, he shared the dangers of 

 his friends, served as a physician in the Southern army, and 

 old as he was then, seventy years of age, shrank from no 

 hardship or exposure, slept under the army wagon and shared 

 the rations of the common soldier. While he was away 

 upon this service his wife died at Columbia, S. Carolina, 

 where she had taken refuge with her family and friends from 

 the impending siege of Charleston. 



Nothing was more characteristic ,of Dr. Holbrook than the 

 way in which he accepted the end of the war. There was 

 not a taint of bitterness in his feeling, though the result had 

 involved him in the common ruin. The struggle had been 

 fairly fought, he considered the end as final, and was among 

 those who were willing to make all reasonable efforts and 

 concessions for the restoration of peace on a sound basis. 

 He returned with unimpaired affection to his northern friends, 

 for difference of opinion did not, with him, affect private 

 relations in the least. Manly as he was in each word and 

 act of his life, ever ready to stand by his convictions, the 

 freeest discussion of disputed points was always possible with 

 him because of his large liberality and gentle courtesy. 

 After the war he resumed his habit of coming north for the 

 summer. Those of us who had the privilege of being his 

 intimate personal friends, will not easily forget the time 

 when, after five years of separation under such painful cir- 



