WILLIAM RALPH MAXON. 



William Ralph Maxon, whose portrait is presented this 

 month, first saw the light at Oneida, N. Y., on Feb. 27, 1877, 

 where his parents reside. He graduated at Oneida High School 

 in the class of 1894. From there he went to Syracuse University, 

 where he took the degree of Ph. B. in 1898. The bent of his 

 mind was toward botany and almost immediately after graduating 

 he went to New York and was employed for a few months in 

 the herbarium of the Botanical Garden at Bronx Park. From 

 there he went to Washington and took a temporary position in 

 the U. S. National Museum. But in August, 1899, as the result 

 of a Civil Service examination, he received the appointment of 

 Aid in Cryptogamic Botany in that institution, and still retains 

 that position. 



Mr. Maxon joined the Fern Chapter in 1895, served as its 

 secretary for the year 1899, and as president of the Chapter for 

 the two years 1900 and 1901. He is a member of the Botanical 

 Society of Washington, of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, and of two other local societies in 

 Washington. He has published several valuable papers on 

 botanical subjects, among which are "A List of the Ferns and 

 Fern Allies of North America north of Mexico;" "On the Oc- 

 currence of the Hart's-tongue in America," which formed his 

 presidental address before the Fern Chapter at its meeting in 

 New York in 1900; "A Study of Certain Mexican and Guate- 

 malan Species of Polypodium" ; besides several shorter papers 

 containing descriptions of new species, including a continued 

 series in the Fern Bulletin entitled "Notes on American Ferns." 

 For a young man Mr. Maxon has done some notably good work, 

 and his position in the National Museum is one which will give 

 him exceptional opportunities for original work in the future. 

 —B. D. Gilbert. 



