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scientific research three men have conferred
distinction upon Harvard University In the last
half century. These three, rs no well-informed
person needs to be reminded, were Louis
ARnssiz, JefTries Wyman, and Asa Gray. The
reputation OF the last named may have been OF
slower growth. but 1t seems destined to prove
no lees durable. While there is unstinted
recognition OF the services rendered by him In
the double capacity Of Investigator and ex-
FOUNDER to the particular science with which his
name is firmly coupled. few. except bis intimate
associates, have appreciated the variety OF his
RttRinments and the dIscursve activity Of his
intellect 1t is, therefore, ht once a labor OF duty
and affection to friend and OF utility to the
general reader which Prof CHARLES SPRAoUE
SARGENr has performed In collecting and
republishinR some noteworthy reviews and
essays undor the title Of Scientific Papers Of Asa
Gray tHoughton, Minlin 4 Coz In his process
OF selection the editor has been guided by q
desire to reproduce what was intrinsically
valuable. and at the same time inaccessible.
He has. aocordingly, presented no extracts
from Prof. Grays educational text books or
well-known contributions to descriptive bot
any. Neither has he here reprinted any OF the
moro elaborate philosophical essays growing
out OF the discussion OF the Darwinan theory.
for these the author himself had brought to-
Rether in book form not long before his death.
Yet after all deductions have been made on the
grounds named. there remains remarkable
mass OF literary compositions out OF print but
worthy Of republication, In the shape OF reviews,
Of biographical notices, and OF essays upon
subjects Of interest not only to botanists but
70 the whole educated public. From those
articles numbering moro than eleven hun
drod, and covering period OF moro than fifty
years, Mr.. Sargent has been at no loss to find
material for two capacious volumes. which are
q substantial addition to botanical literature
and fitting tribute to the authors memory.
In the multitude OF interesting papers now
placed within our reach we have marked for
especial reference reviews OF Hooker's Dis
tribution Of Arctic Plants" OF De Candolle's
variation and Distribution OF Species" and
"Origin OF Cultivated Plants" and Of Darwin'H
"Habits Of Climbing Plants" essays on the
Longevity Of Trees" on "Sequoia and it's
History" on Tho Flora of Japan" and on
"The Fortunately OF Weeds" and. also. bio
graphical notices OF JefIries Wyman. Louis
Agassiz, A. P. de Caudoe, and Charles Darwin.
It In the conclusions and conjectures Of Prof.
Gray himself that We shall endeavor to exem-
plify, and lest the author should be taxed with
assertions or views which. with the progress OF
science. he may have seen cause to dlsavow.
we must point out the importance OF bearing
In mind the date at which q particular opinion
was expressed.
In discussion OF the Distribution OF Arctic
Plants" published in 1861. DIR. Joseph D.
Hooker accepted the Darwinian theory ac-
counting for the origin Of species by the joint
operation Of variability and natural selection
and showed that this hypothesis explains the
fact that the Scandinavian flora Is represent
ed In every latitude OF the globe, and is the
only flora that is thus omnipresent. 1t
is manifest from the comments on this pa
per that Prof, Gray was nearly prepared to do
claro his own adoption OF the same hypothesis
for after defining Dr. Hookers principal DO
sitions to be that our existing species, or their
originals. are far moro ancient than WAS for
mery thought. mainly. II not wholly. mite
dating the glacial period, and that they have |
therefore been subject to grave climatic vicis. |
situdes. Prof. Gray proceeds to say that there |
may be many naturalists who still hesitate to |
accept those propositions as there are one or |
two who deny them: but those or similar con-
clusions have evidently been reached by those |
botanists. paleontoogsts. and geologsts in
general who have most turned their thoughts
TO such Inquiries, and march foremost in |
the advancing movement of these sciences"
Prof. Gray. In other words. was ready to pos
tulate the vast amount OF time which is the In
dispensable condition Of the operation Of nat
ural selection. He adds that the field OF bo-
tanical inquiry explored by DR.. Hooker is just
the ground upon which the elements OF the
new Darwinian) hypothesis figure to the best
advantage.
The date Of tho views regarding the variation
and distribution of species put forth by NJ AL
phonse de Candolle. apropos Of a study OF the
oaks, is not given by the editor OF these Volumes
but 1t should seemingly be referred to 1868 or
1864. In review Of this paper. Prot. Gray points
out the necessity Of discriminating between
two terms often confounded by readers OF
Darwin. and shows himself alive to the lack
OF any explanation OF variabity-a void which.
tits we'll known, Dr. Weismann OF Freiburg has
since endeavored to fill. We quote some note
worthy remarks by Mr.. Gray upon these topics.
In the phrase fused by Dr.. Faconer) Natural
selection. or q PROCESS OF variation from exter-
nal influences" we have he says, an example
OF the very common confusion OF two distinct
things, namely variation and natural selection.
The former has never yet been shown to have
its cause In external Influences lprecisely this
Is affirmed by DR.. WeismannL or to occur at
random. AS We have elsewhere insisted II
not ineXplicable. 1t has never been explained:
all we can yet say is that plants and animals
are prone to vary, and that some conditions
favor variation. Perhaps in this DR.. Faconer
may yet find what he seeks. for 1t is difficult to
believe that there Is not in the nature tof varia-
biityl deeper seated and innate principle.
10 the operation OF which natural selection is
merely an adjunct. The latter natural seec-
tionl which is the ensemble OF the external In
fluences. including the competition OF the in
diyiduals themselves picks ont certain varia-
lions as they arise. but in no sense can be said
10 originate them" The deep-seated and In
nate principle of variability. which DR.. Fal- (
coner WAS bidden to search for. DR.. August ,
Weismann is thought to have found /
In 1888 the veteran French botanist, Alphonse
do Candole. brought out a work on he origin OF !
cultivated plants which WAS soon afterward re- ,
viewed by Mr.. Gray in article which occu- {
pies more than forty pages of Mr.. Sargents {
1rst volume. Mr.. Gray assents to most OF De
Candolles conclusions with regard to the coun-
rles in which edible plants were first culu- ]
VaIed. but produces an amount OF supplement '
al and qualifying evidence that strikingly ex- ]
libts the extent of his own acquaintance with I
ainnl nanRrnrhu nd Mimi List..rI Ilo q