The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-03-08
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The DEPARTURE OF a NOTABLE MAN.

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The most distinguished man who
has died during the present year is
DR.. Asa Gray, the Botanist OF all
the men celebrated in that depart
ment of science who wrote in En-
glish DIR. Gray, with one exception,
was the most distinguished. The
one exception was 5. W. Joseph
Hooker of England. DR.. Gray held
the Professorship of Botany in Har-
ward University for many years.
But in the last years of his life he
relinquished all instruction at that
institution, and only nominally held
the chair. He had, originally, only
such an education as a medical col
lege could give, land his early des-
tiny appeared to be that of coun-
try physician. He had no classical
training, but early became master
of good English style. He was
early inclined to scientific investiga-
ton, and turning his attention to
botany, he pursued that science I'M
til his rank was finally among the
three or four great botanists of the
world. Nearly all English students
of botany are well acquainted with
many of the books which Professor
Gray published from time to time.
DR.. Gray visited California few
years ago and made special study
of vegetation and trees on the noun
tains of this State. His attention
was especially drawn to the great
sequoia groups of the Sierras. His
theory was that these great trees
were the descendants and survival
of fossil vegetation. They had
reached their great size under a law
of evolution. They had flourished
ages ago when the climate was much
warmer, and when in the great ply
steal changes which again brought
| in warm climate, some of these
immense trees were found to have
survived in places at considerable
elevation along the sides of the
mountains.
DR.. Gray few years ago, read 4
paper before the British Association
at Montreal in which the theory Of
descent and natural selection was
clearly stated. His views made 6
strong impression, and were received
with great favor. He did not go tc
the extent of Darwin, but the latter
refers to him in his "Life and Let
ters,'; affirming that DR.. Gray was
one of the three or four whose judg
ment on his theory was of more
value than that of all others in thu
world, naming Gray, Hooker, Lyell
and Huxley. Gray always helt
that evolution was guided by som'
intelligent power. At this poin
his views differed from those of Oar
win. There was nothing left t
mere chance. Gray's botanici
knowledge was far greater than tina
of Darwin's, whose investigation
were more particularly in the lin
of animal organisms. The form e
was devout man, and while one O
the most acute observers and subtl
thinkers, found no difficulty in re
conciling his scientific theories ant
discoveries with the precepts ant
doctrines of Christianity.
Nearly all students of botany il
this country during the last thirt,
or forty years, have made use 0
DR.. Gray's elementary textbooks
and in later years they have follow
ed the lines of higher investigation
with little variation from thos
which he had marked out for them
The quiet, lovable man had won tn
full measure of scientific fame, bot
at home and abroad, and departe,
full of years and honors. S. +
Bulletin.