MICROFILMED 1986 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY GENERAL LIBRARY BERKELEY, CA 94720 COOPERATIVE PRESERVATION MICROFILMING PROJECT THE RESEARCH LIBRARIES GROUP, INC. Funded by THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION Reproductions may not be made without permission. THE PRINTING MASTER FROM WHICH THIS REPRODUCTION WAS MADE IS HELD BY THE MAIN LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, CA 94720 FOR ADDITIONAL REPRODUCTION REQUEST MASTER NEGATIVE NUMBER go. 074 AUTHOR: Stearns, Rebert Edwards Caxtey, 1827—(909- TITLE : In memorium ... PLACE: C np-3 DATE : 1342 VOLUME 5 9 CALL F3¢° MASTER Ye” NO. v.s:9 x NEG. NO. 0T#¢ Stearns, Robert Edwards Carter, 1827-1909. In memoriam - Dr. Wesley Newcomb. (n.p.] 1892. (1),121-123 p. port. 22cm. [Pamphlets on California biography, v. 5, no.9] " [Reprint] from the Nautilus, March, 1892." FILMED AND PROCESSED BY LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, CA 94720 sono. 86 11150 DATE 3 86 : 7 I ay REDUCTION RATIO 8 - — DOCUMENT "SOURCE — BANCROFT LIBRARY ll liz ls [in 2.8 25 ls izg 2s i 122 lj22 be: = fue lle ls fie MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL 1010a (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) IN MEMORIAM-DR. WESLEY NEWCOMB. ER ® From The Nautilus, Marck, 1892. IN MEMORIAM—DR. WESLEY NEWCOMB. From The Nautilus, March, 18g2. Or, WESLEY NEWCOMB IN MEMORIAM—DR. WESLEY NEWCOMB. Dr. Wesley Newcomb, the last of the old school of conchologists, died at his home in Ithaca N.Y. on the 26th. of January at the advanced age of 84 years. His name belongs on the roll of honor as one of a distinguished group of American Naturalists, who made themselves illustrious by their services in the development and advancement of the study of Natural History in this country, and their contributions to scientific knowledge. Among those who may be, specially regarded as Dr. Newcomb’s contemporaries, the names of Gould, Binney the elder, C. B. Adams, P. P. Carpenter, Bland, Conrad, Lea, Anthony, Couthouy etc., at once occur. While Lea and Jay were among the last to pass within the folds of 4% # the low green tent,” before Dr. Newcomb, sad as it was, no doubt, to him, to note the loss of one old friend after another, he was happy in this, that his prolonged life, brought him in contact with many kindred spirits’ among the younger men and workers of the present, and he had the knowledge of their friendship and regard as a consolation. In his early life he was more fortunate than many of his scientific friends. He had the conspicuous advantages of excellent teachers and a good education. He first attended the Academy at White Plains N. Y., and afterwards the Rennseleer now the Polytechnic Institute, at that time in charge of one of the best of the earlier scientists, Professor Amos Eaton; subsequently at the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and last at the Castleton Medical College, Vermont, where he graduated most creditably. As a pupil of Professor Eaton, he was, to use his own expression “forced into the study of shells,” in order to intelligently study fossils, of which otherwise he would have learned but little that was satisfactory. Living or recent shells were then termed “ Concha Marina”—a ‘lumping together amusingly indefinite and vague as seen in the light of to-day. To quote him further “I fancied recent shells would furnish a key to Paleontology and I expected in a few weeks of study to master the science of conchology.” The result was (121) 122 THE NAUTILUS. somewhat disappointing; he found as all true students have found, whatever the path of study, that fresh vistas, eternally new, are con- stantly opening, and that with increased knowledge comes a wider and more distant horizon, and so like others who have the love and thirst and courage of learning, undaunted he kept right on. His father, Simon Newcomb, of the fifth generation of the family in America, the first being Andrew who came to this country in 1635, was a physician. The son it will be noticed followed the father’s profession. In 1838 he was fortunate in making a marriage that was in every way congenial; his wife a most estimable woman, his companion and friend for 54 years, survives him. After prac- tising medicine in Albany, and a prolonged visit to the Antilles in 1846-7, in 1849 he went to California, thence to the Hawaiian islands in 1850, where he resided for five years. “Here the oppor- tunity for studying the interesting shells of the Achatinellidae was open to him, and he added over a hundred species to the number previously known. His exhaustive series of these beautiful forms is probably the finest extant, and the conclusions reached by him are without doubt more nearly correct, than those of other authors who have published on this rather difficult group. In 1856 he returned to New York. In 1857 he went to Europe and part of the time had Dr. Gould for a companion. In London he had the pleasure of meeting many of the leading naturalists of the old world, Reeve, Gray, Sowerby, Adams, Hanley, Owen and others, and Deshayes, Kiener, Bernardi, Hupé and others in Paris. On his return to the United States he went to California in 1858 and established himself as a physician in Oakland, where he became well and agreeably known and soon had an ample practice. Here as elsewhere he continued his conchological studies, ever enthusiastic and ever ready to assist others as he had been from the beginning and was unto the end, all the while adding to his collec- tion, already magnificent, and one of the finest and best arranged in the world. His generous encouragement to collectors as well as occasional field-work himself, resulted in his adding several new species of Land, Freshwater and Marine forms to the molluscan fauna of the West Coast. In 1867 the Newcombian collection was purchased by Mr. Cornell for the University that bears his name. Doctor Newcomb soon followed it to Ithaca and its re-arrangement and installation in the Museum of said institution, received his personal attention. THE NAUTILUS. 123 The same liberality that characterized his dealings with brother conchologists and collectors in the past, and the comprehensive system of exchanges established years before, notwithstanding the serious gaps that death had made in the list of his correspondents, continued to yield good fruit, and the collection after it had ceased to be his property, still received his fostering care, and was enriched by numerous and valuable accessions. Dr. Newcomb was no closet naturalist wise in books yet unfamiliar with the things themselves. His erudition was inclusive and covered both. Twice he visited Europe, the chief object of his first visit being the further study of his profession; thrice he collected on the reefs in the Bay of Panama and southerly to Ecuador; also at many places in the United State of Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and San Salvador. In 1846-7 before briefly referred to, he collected on twenty-one of the West Indian islands from Santa Cruz to Demerara, and subsequently at San Domingo, Hayti and Key West, also one winter on the Gulf coast of Florida where he made a large collection on the shores and by dredging the Sarasote Bays.” In 1870 he was appointed sanitary expert to the San Domingo expedition by President Grant, the voyage being made on the U. 8. S. Tennessee, and the following year, he was made one of the commissioners, to examine and report on the Sutro Tunnel," Nevada. Dr. Newcomb was an honorary and corresponding member of many scientific societies at home and abroad. His numerous papers covering the period from 1849 to 1866, have appeared in their pub- lications. From the above it will be seen, how active was his life, and how enthusiastic his love of Nature. This love possessed him to the last. Of his character nothing can be said but praise. All who knew him will bear testimony to his noble sincerity and great goodness of heart, unconsciously exhibited in numberless acts of kindness, generosity and benevolence. So closed a life well rounded with fullness of years, of good will and of generous service. R. E. C. slea/vms. : U.S. Nat. hua, 7 = rR ? Woes holon, 5.C. 742 py URIVERSITY \ Gar r Fa END ~ OFTITLE END OF REEL. "PLEASE REWIND.