Sereno Watson, Ph. D., the Curator of the Harvard Herbarium for the last eighteen years, died at his home on Shepard Street yesterday morning of an aggravated case of the grippe. Sereno Watson was born Dec. 1st, 1826, at East Windsor Hill, Conn. He graduated from Yale College in 1847, and spent the next few years in teaching in New England, Pennsylvania and New York. In 1856 he pursued the study of medicine with his brother Louis, but did not long continue in practice. For a few years just before the Civil war, he was interested in the Planters' Insurance Company, Greensboro, Alabama. After coming North he was engaged in literary work with Dr. Henry Barnard of Hartford. In 1867 he went to California, and, shortly after, entered the service of the Geological Expedition for the exploration of the Fortieth Parallel. At first he was employed as one of the topographers, but on the resignation of Mr. W. W. Bailey, now of Providence, he became Botanist to the Survey. He examined the plants which were collected, first at New Haven in Professor Eaton's Herbarium, and afterwards at Cambridge. From 1870 he resided in Cambridge, attached to the Gray Herbarium, and, on Dr. Gray's death, took charge of the Herbarium, continuing Dr. Gray's systematic work. The results of his scientific activity are found chiefly in the Proceedings of the American Academy, and in large separate works. Of these the most important are the Index to North American Plants, The Botany of California, and James's Mosses. He was for a time one of the assistant editors of the Century Dictionary.

He was an honored member of many learned societies at home and abroad. His associates feel that in his death American Botany has sustained an irreparable loss.

The funeral services are to be held in Appleton Chapel on Friday at half-past two o'clock.