—26— 



in their house, except Lindley's English Grammar, Milton's Para- 

 dise Lost, the Bible, and Cook's Voyages, but he studied closely 

 the unwritten book of nature. While he was studying the forest 

 devastation by tornadoes, resulting in his great discovery of the 

 rotary motion of these destructive agents, the son was collecting 

 and comparing plants, minerals, and other objects when in com- 

 pany with his parent. The father at last, interested in steam- 

 boating on the Hudson, and thus getting to New York occasion- 

 ally, bought books, among others Thornton's Grammar of Botany, 

 and a Latin reader. The son taught himself the Latin language 

 in this way, and had his botanical tastes fixed when but 10 years 

 of age. The father subsequently moved his family to New York, 

 and the son was placed in a high grade Lancasterian school. 

 A Baptist clergyman, Rev. Samuel Barnes, the head of the 

 school, was a devotee of natural history, and Mr. Redfield 

 credits him with fixing his tastes in the scientific direction. 

 He also always spoke in the highest admiration of the love 

 for learning he derived from the parapatetic women who taught 

 the country schools in the winter, and which led him to be a 

 strong advocate through life of women teachers in even the 

 highest positions in our public schools. 



As a man he was universally beloved. He was in close 

 friendship with the leaders of scientific thought and botanical 

 eminence in many parts of the world. Hooker, Ball, Torrey, 

 Gray, Sargent and other famous men were his intimate friends. 

 He was never known to speak ill of any one. Charity to all was 

 his working principle. His active work in the Academy of 

 Natural sciences commenced in i860, and continued till his death 

 on the 27th of February, 1895. A genus of grasses, named by 

 Prof. Scribner, Redfieldia, commemorates his deservings. 



Philadelphia. 



THE GROWING PERIODS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFOR- 

 NIAN FERNS. 



By S. B. Parish. 



THE physical peculiarities of Southern California are of such 

 character as to give it two entirely distinct climates. The 

 higher mountains are buried in snow in Winter, and the 

 temperature sinks below zero. Consequently their climate is like 

 that of the North, and plants grow in Summer and are dormant 



