PARRY
250
PARRY
and up the St. Croix; across the Isthmus
to San Diego, to the junction of the Gila
and Colorado, along the southern boun-
dary line and up the coast as far as
Monterey; through Texas to El Paso, to
the Pimo settlements on the Gila, and
along the Rio Grande; in the mountains
of Colorado, to which and to those of
California he returned again and again in
the pursuit of his special study, the Alpine
Flora of North America; across the conti-
nent \«th a Pacific railroad surveying
party by way of the Sangre de Christo
Pass, through New Mexico and Arizona,
through the Tehachapi Pass, through the
Tulare and San Joaquin Valleys to San
Francisco; through the Wind River dis-
trict to the Yellowstone National Park;
in the Valley of the Virgen and about Mt.
Nebo, Utah; about San Bernardino,
California, and in the arid regions stretch-
ing to the eastward; and in Mexico about
San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, and Monterey.
The winter of 1852-3 was spent in Washington, in the preparation of his re- port as botanist to the Mexican Boundary Survey; and the years from 1869 to 1871 inclusive, while botanist to the United States Agricultural Department, were also passed chiefly at the capital, em- ploj'ed in arranging the extensive botan- ical collections from various government explorations, which had accumulated at the Smithsonian Institution. During this period, also, he visited, in his official capacity, the Royal Gardens and herbaria at Kew, England, and was attached as botanist to the Commission of Inquiry which visited San Domingo early in 1871.
In 1879, being called to the East by the illness and death of his father, he did little if any work in the field. In 1880, as special agent of the Forestry Department of the United States Census Ofiice, he accompanied Dr. Engelmann and Profes- sor Sargent in an expedition to the vaUey of the Columbia and the far Northwest. Wintering in California he spent the fol- lowing year in that state, making num- erous collecting trips north and south, including a trip to the Yosemite in June.
In January and February, 1883, he
made two camping trips into Lower Cali-
fornia; then, going to San Francisco,
made numerous excursions from that
point, and returned to Davenport in
September. In June, 1884, he sailed a
second time for England, returning in
August of the following year, after spend-
ing much time at Kew, and visiting other
herbaria and gardens on the Continent.
The summer of 1886 he spent partly with friends in Wisconsin, partly in the quiet enjoyment of his Iowa home. But even when resting, his mind did not rest — his wonderfully voluminous correspon- dence went on, and the microscope filled in his otherwise leisure hours. Again the winter was passed in San Francisco, from which city he made numerous collecting trips as before. Remaining in California, chiefly in the vicinity of San Francisco, until September, 1888, he was busily employed making special collections of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus, and in the study of these and the genus Alnus. His last visit to California was made in the spring of 1889. Returning to Davenport in July, he made a trip to Canada and New England, visited New York and Philadelphia and returned to his home but a few weeks before his death.
Parry was recognized as an authority by botanists everywhere ; not only in this country (where he ranked with the first) and in England, but on the Continent as well; and this notwithstanding the fact that he never published a book, had no ambition in the way of authorship, and left most of his discoveries to be described by others. His writings, though suffi- cient to constitute volumes, and compris- ing much of great scientific value, are scattered in fragmentary form through various government and society re- ports, scientific journals, and the daily press.
In 1875 he was made a fellow of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science, and kept up a corre- sponding membership in Philadelphia, Buffalo, St. Louis, Chicago, and Califor- nia Academies of Science.
His name (bestowed by surveyor-
