xii 



INTRODUCTION 



immediately came under the personal and most inspiring influence of 

 Professor John Strong Newberry, the veteran teacher with whom he 

 had studied geology and palaeontology in Columbia College while pre- 

 paring for his degree. He greatly admired Dr. Newberry, who perceived 

 his talents and showed great confidence in his ability, and who also 

 was warmly attached to him, treating him like ''one of his own boys." 

 On January 9, 1888, he was appointed Honorary Fellow in Geology in 

 Columbia College. Seizing every opportunity which the museum and 

 his close acquaintance with Professor Newberry afforded, young 

 Northrop rapidly made himself familiar with the principles of botany 

 and zoology. He exhibited that breadth of interest which was such a 

 marked characteristic of his master; but made a specialty of zoology, 

 and delivered a series of lectures in this subject while holding his 

 fellowship. He became a candidate for a higher degree, and in 1888 

 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on the presentation 

 of his two dissertations: "Histology of Hoy a carnosa^^ and "Fossil 

 Leaves from Bridgeton, N.J." The work on the Fossil Leaves from 

 Bridgeton was carried on under Professor Lester F. Ward of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey at Washington, and was ultimately to be published 

 at Washington by the government. Previous to this he had published 

 "Plant Notes from Temiscouata County, Canada," in the Bulletin 

 of the Torrey Botanical Club, November, 1887. 



After receiving his degree, in the summer of 1888 he accompanied 

 Dr. Newberry to Colorado and assisted him in some geological work. 



On June 28, 1889, he married Alice Belle Rich, at the time Tutor 

 in Botany at the Normal College, New York City, a companion who 

 shared all his scientific tasks and the value of whose assistance in all 

 his work he never failed to appreciate and acknowledge. 



Together they spent much of the summer of 1889 at Eastport, 

 Me., and Grand Manan, N.B., dredging, shore collecting, and 

 studying marine invertebrates. Dr. Northrop was an enthusiastic 

 and indomitable collector and most careful observer, sparing neither 

 time nor trouble to complete or render correct whatever he under- 

 took. He never could stifle his sense of humanity through his enthu- 

 siasm as a naturalist. The following, as an iUustration of his love of 

 animals, is recited by Dr. Arthur Hoflick : While at Grand Manan, 

 during the summer of 1889, he visited one of the httle islands which 

 the petrels had long used as a breeding-place. He took several of the 



