1874.] 103 [Gray. 



whence he came home by way of the Peruvian coast and the 

 Isthmus. 



By such expeditions many of the choice materials of his 

 museum and of his researches were gathered, at his own 

 expense, to be carefully prepared and elaborated by his own 

 unaided hands. A vast neighboring museum is a splendid 

 example of what munificence, called forth by personal enthu- 

 siasm, may accomplish. In Dr. Wy man's we have an exam- 

 ple of what one man may do unaided, with feeble health 

 and feebler means, by persistent and well-directed industry, 

 without eclat, and almost without observation. While we 

 duly honor those who of their abundance cast their gifts into 

 the treasury of science, let us not — now that he can not 

 be pained by our praise — forget to honor one who in silence 

 and penury cast in more than they all. 



Of penury in a literal sense we may not speak ; for al- 

 though Prof. Wyman's salary, derived from the Hersey en- 

 dowment, was slender indeed, he adapted his wants to his 

 means, foregoing neither his independence nor his scientific 

 work; and I suppose no one ever heard him complain. In 

 1856 came unexpected and honorable aid from two old 

 friends of his father who appreciated the son, and wished 

 him to go on with his scientific work without distraction. 

 One of them, the late Dr. William J. Walker, sent him ten 

 thousand dollars outright; the other, the late Thomas Lee, 

 who had helped in his early education, supplemented the 

 endowment of the Hersey professorship with an equal sum, 

 stipulating that the income thereof should be paid to Prof. 

 Wyman during life, whether he held the chair or not. Sel- 

 dom, if ever, has a moderate sum produced a greater 

 benefit. 



