'Goodale.] 
198 
[Feb. 20, 
to three professors. Few things were more pleasant to Dr. Gray, 
in the last years after he had relinquished the work of teaching and 
certain administrative cares to others than to watch the progress of 
the garden, the arboretum, the cryptogamic collections, and the 
botanical laboratories. His counsel was always at the service of his 
young associates ; but his chief interest was, as it well might be, 
in the herbarium. He felt its importance to American botany, but 
he regarded it as a means only, not an end. Hence he gave his 
time and money to this indispensable means. He made everything 
in his Cambridge life contribute to the advancement of a knowl- 
edge of the Flora of North America. His text-books were designed 
to introduce the youth of this country to the subject in which they 
might afterwards help on this great work. His studies of Darwin- 
ism were to enable himself to gain a better comprehension of the 
origin of our vegetation, and having found upon trial that it was 
of service to himself in this work proclaimed the fact boldly to oth- 
ers. All of his systematic work, even his extraordinary study of 
the Japanese flora, is made to throw light on our own plants. Even 
up to the very last days in November when the shadow fell, his 
thoughts were given to the future of his herbarium, as a means 
of working out all the relations of the vegetation of North America. 
Hence his associates believe that there has been intrusted to them 
a definite charge to carry out his plans. On some of his associates 
will fall the burden of teaching ; to others must come administra- 
tive duties ; while to others still must be given the task of com- 
pleting the unfinished volumes of the synoptical Flora of North 
America. In short, the work which Asa Gray carried on so long, 
single-handed, must now be intrusted to many hands. 
It is surely a reason for profound congratulation that three great 
naturalists like Agassiz, Wyman and Asa Gray, have interested 
themselves in our Society. It should stimulate us to high endeavor 
to carry out the plans for the advancement of the sciences which 
they loved so well. 
General Meeting, Feb. 20, 1889. 
The President, Prof. F. W. Putnam, in the chair. 
Professor Putnam gave an account of an “ Indian Burial Place 
at Winthrop,” which was illustrated by the stereopticon. 
