Edward J. Nolan

“ Leidy has confined himself to the duty of accurately describing what he has seen. He very rarely draws inferences from his accumulated facts, and his innate truthfulness is such as to deter him from theorizing. As a lecturer he rarely indulges in figures of speech or flights of fancy. He is deliberate and lucid in his statements, some of his word-pictures being so nearly perfect as to make the fine blackboard drawings with which he often illustrates his remarks almost unnecessary. His delight at acquiring knowledge of a new fact is only equaled by his pleasure in communicating it to others. ”

“ Leidy's earlier scientific work was confined to no specialty. The whole field of Nature lay extended before him, and innumerable were the objects of interest which engaged his attention. Hence one is surprised to find how almost encyclopedic is Dr. Leidy's knowledge of natural history. Although he has published little or nothing upon either mineralogy or botany, his knowledge of both these sciences is rather that of one who devotes himself specially to them than that of the casual student. ”

“ At the age of sixteen he left school, with the intention of becoming an artist, as his father proposed. It is evident, therefore, that the remarkable talent as a draughtsman, which has been of such service to Dr. Leidy in his scientific work, was apparent at this early age, and it is not improbable that the world in gaining a brilliant naturalist has lost a distinguished artist. ”