GRAY 179 ished in 1836, and especially his later series, "How Plants Grow," "How Plants Behave," "Lessons in Botany," and "Structural and Systematic Botany " (1858), are unsurpassed in the language for precision, simplicity, perspi- lity, and comprehensiveness. His labors are jcorded in numerous papers contributed to principal scientific journals and academical lemoirs of the day, and in several special rorks. He came forward at a time when the Id artificial systems of botany were giving ray before the natural system. Dr. Gray, dth Dr. John Torrey, was among the first rho arranged the heterogeneous assemblage species upon the natural basis of affinity, bile actively engaged in describing the new is which were pouring in upon them from inmerous explorations in our hitherto almost iknown territory, they were elaborating the cumulated knowledge of their predecessors rhich remained in a crude form. In 1838 Dr. irray commenced, in conjunction with Dr. Torrey, the publication of a "Flora of North lerica," intended to give a thorough and iprehensive history of the botany of the mtry upon the basis of the then little known itural system. This was continued as far as le end of the order composites ; but as the ex- plorations of several collectors were accumu- ing masses of new material from our west- borders, the " Flora '* was suspended until lis wealth of matter could be aggregated un- one head. The government expeditions to le Pacific coast also returned laden with bo- lical treasures, which were described by Dr. rray and Dr. Torrey in the government re- >rts. In 1848 Dr. Gray began his " Genera the Plants of the United States, illustrated >y Isaac Sprague," and in the same year the ' Manual of the Botany of the Northern United tates," several editions of which, enlarged id amended, have since appeared. In 1854 >peared the first volume of the " Botany of United States Pacific Exploring Expedition ler Capt. Wilkes," a work in which the au- thor has shown himself able to treat of the )otany of remote regions with the same criti- power that he has applied to the North imerican flora. In 1861 he published "A Examination of Darwin's Treatise on the )rigin of Species, and of its American Review- "s." He is an associate editor of the " Amer- in Journal of Science and Arts." In 1873 10 retired from active service in teaching, to " jvote himself to the charge of the herbarium )f Harvard college, and to scientific work. In 1874 he was appointed a regent of the Smith- lian institution in place of Prof. Agassiz. GRAY, David, a Scottish poet, born at Dunti- le, near Glasgow, Jan. 29, 1838, died atMerk- id, Dec. 3, 1861. His father was a hand- weaver with a large family. David, the Idest, was intended for the ministry. "When was still very young the family removed Merkland, on the other side of the Luggie, with which stream much of his poetry is as- sociated. He finished his education with a partial course at Glasgow university, becoming proficient in Greek, Latin, and French. After spending some time there as a private tutor, he wrote to Mr. Milnes (now Lord Houghton), enclosing manuscript poems and asking for advice. Milnes recognized his genius, but dis- couraged his plan of going to London as a liter- ary adventurer. Nevertheless he went, arri- ving there early in May, 1860, with but a sov- ereign in his pocket. He spent the first night in Hyde Park, contracting the pulmonary dis- ease of which he died. Meanwhile he had sent his poem "The Luggie" in manuscript to several literary men of celebrity, but none of them found time to read it. He called on Milnes, who befriended him and sent the poem to Thackeray, recommending it for the "Cornhill Magazine;" but Thackeray reject- ed it. It soon became evident that Gray was seriously ill, and Milnes sent him home to Scotland. At last, through the agency of Sydney Dobell, a publisher was found for his poems, and a specimen page of proof reached the author the day before he died. " The Lug- gie and other Poems " appeared in London in 1862, and in Boston in 1864 (enlarged ed., 1874). GRAY, Henry Peters, an American painter, born in New York, June 23, 1819. He entered the studio of Daniel Huntington in 1838, and in 1839 went to Europe, where he painted his pictures of "Thou art Gone," the "Roman Girl," the "Billet Doux," &c. Returning to New York in 1843, he executed a number of small pictures of genre and history ; and after another absence abroad in 1845-'6, during which he produced his " Teaching a Child to Pray," "Proserpine and Bacchus," Cupid beg- ging his Arrows," &c., he settled in New York. Among the most important of his works are the " Wages of War," the " Apple of Discord," "Hagar and the Angel," "Portia and Bas- sanio," "Charity," "Genevieve," "Cleopatra," "St. Christopher," "I Fiore di Fiesole," and the " Origin of the American Flag." He has also painted several hundred portraits. From 1869 to 1871 he was president of the national academy of design. In 1871 he went to Eu- rope, and still continues to reside there (1874). GRAY. I. John Edward, an English naturalist, born at Walsall in 1800. For nearly 50 years he has been connected with the British mu- seum, over the natural history department of which he now presides (1874). In addition to his labors in arranging the collections of the museum, he has been a voluminous contributor to natural history, particularly in the depart- ment of zoology ; and profiting by the advan- tages which his position has afforded him, he has probably described and classified a larger number of animal forms than any other natu- ralist. The most valuable of his numerous works are the catalogues of the museum, inclu- ding those on mollusca, mammalia, and reptiles, in which, besides the lists of animals, he gives much information on the habits, character, and
