158 
Obituary. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1     March,  1888. 
ton  Grammar  School,  and  graduated  from  the  medical  college  at  Fairfield  as 
M.  D.  in  1831.  He  then  taught  natural  history  in  Utica,  and  soon  afterwards 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  late  Dr.  John  Torrey,  who  exerted  a  marked  in- 
fluence upon  the  young  scientist's  career.  As  the  curator  of  the  Lyceum  of 
Natural  History  of  New  York  city,  Dr.  Gray  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the 
study  of  the  flora  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  in  1836  published  his  "Ele- 
ments of  Botany,"  the  first  of  a  series  of  elementary  works,  which  have  been 
largely  instrumental  in  fostering  the  study  of  botany  throughout  the  United 
States,  and  which  in  more  recent  editions,  are  still  extensively  employed  as 
elementary  text-books.  An  appointment  as  botanist  to  the  United  States  ex- 
ploring expedition  under  Captain  Charles  Wilkes  was  accepted  by  Gray,  but 
owing  to  the  delay  by  the  government  with  the  necessary  preparations  for  the 
protracted  journey,  Gray  resigned  the  position  in  1837,  before  the  expedition 
sailed,  and  together  with  Torrey  commenced  in  1838  the  publication  of  the 
"  Synoptical  Flora  of  the  United  States,"  which  soon  afterward  was  suspended 
owing  to  the  rapid  accumulation  of  new  material,  but  from  1878  to  1884  was 
continued  with  the  efficient  aid  of  Prof.  Sereno  Watson,  after  Prof.  Torrey's 
death  in  1873. 
In  1838-39  Gray  visited  Europe,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  most 
eminent  botanists  of  Great  Britain  and  the  European  continent,  and  had  oc- 
casion to  examine  the  botanical  treasmes  collected  together  in  those  countries* 
In  1843  he  accepted  the  Fisher  Professorship  in  Harvard  College,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  to  his  death,  though  since  1873  the  active  duties  have  devolved 
upon  Professors  Goodale  and  Farlow,  while  Gray  devoted  his  time  to  the 
elaboration  of  the  flora  of  North  America.  His  extensive  herbarium  and  valua- 
ble library  remain — in  a  fire-proof  l^uilding — at  the  scene  of  his  principal 
labors. 
Aside  fi-om  his  elementary  works  on  botany  designed  for  the  use  of  amateurs 
and  for  schools.  Gray's  "  Structural  and  Systematic  Botany  "  has  been  of  most 
decided  influence  in  North  America  upon  the  study  of  botany  as  a  science.  The 
sixth  edition  has  grown  into  four  volumes,  of  which  the  first  on  "  Organogra- 
phy," appeared  in  1880,  and  the  second  on  ''Physiological  Botany,"  by  Professor 
Goodale,  in  1885.  The  thhd  volume  on  "  Cryptogamous  Botany,"  is  being  pre- 
pared by  Professor  Farlow,  and  the  fom'th  volume,  "  Systematic  Botany  of 
Phaenogamous  Plants,"  has  been,  in  part  at  least,  prepared  by  Gray. 
His  ''Manual  of  the  Botany  of  the  Northern  United  States"  made  its  first 
appearance  in  1848,  and  the  fifth  edition  in  1867;  it  is  still  the  standard  work 
for  the  region  indicated  on  its  title  page. 
Gray's  contributions  to  botanical  science  are  exceedingly  numerous,  and  are 
•'distributed  through  many  "Reports"  (like  the  "Botany  of  California")  and 
periodicals;  among  the  latter  should  particularly  be  mentioned  the  American 
Journal  of  Science  and  Arts,  and  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Academy  of 
Arts  and  Sciences.  His  critical  papers  on  Darwin's  observations  were,  in  1876, 
collected  together  in  a  volume  bearing  the  title  "  Darwiniana." 
Professor  Gray's  eminence  as  a  scientist  has  been  recognized  at  home  and 
abroad.  Honorary  degrees  have  been  conferred  upon  him  by  various  educa- 
tional institutions,  and  most  of  the  prominent  learned  societies  abroad  elected 
him  a  member.  For  many  years  his  name  graced  the  list  of  honorary'  members 
of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
