2 LETTER FROM M. E. BOURGEAU. 
servation, and I hope that this year also you will receive a pretty 
large quantity, and а good number of each species. 
As you are geographically acquainted with the route of the 
expedition, I need not speak concerning the localities through 
which we have passed; the specimens of plants (none neglected, 
but many repeated) will prove a better botanical journal of the 
expedition than all the notes which I might send you from ћете; 
nevertheless I have preserved some notes upon the particular 
places which are woody, if it is important to know them. There 
is one particular with which it is as well you should be acquainted 
—it is the geographical extent of the plants in the countries 
through which we have travelled ; that is to say, the same species 
occupies a surface from 300 to 400 leagues. The prairies are well 
covered with plants, of the Graminec and Cyperacee in abundance, 
but of few species. "Three distinct localities are to be met with 
in these prairies—the ordinary plains, marshes and streamlets, 
and dry rising grounds. Each of these three localities has its 
peculiar vegetation; but let each locality occur where it will, it 
presents the same plants throughout. The greater part of the 
plants at Fort Garry and Pembina are the same as those of 
Carlton; and it is my conviction that they extend close to the 
mountains. My collections of 1857, and a portion of those of 
1858, you will receive this year; and I give you here the number 
of boxes which are addressed to you—two from Fort Ellice, con- 
taining the collections from Pembina, and some parcels of seeds. 
This collection is superb, and contains the plants gathered at the 
most southerly part of our voyage—viz. from the great prairie of 
the Tortue Mountain, and in the neighbourhood of the river at 
Souris, to Fort Ellice, where I remained some time, and was con- 
sequently able to make a careful collection of the Composite, 
which are in perfection from August 15th till the close of the 
season. 
From Fort Ellice our route lay direct to Saskatchewan, the 
greater part of which is what we in Europe would call pasturage. 
It is indeed pasture-land, covered with buffaloes, and the grass 
being so constantly browsed does not attain any height. The 
country also seems very dry: there are some lakes, but few 
marshes. There are no forests; but, beside some streamlets, a 
few small copses of Populus tremuloides, which appear to have been 
spared from fires. The borders also of the Saskatchewan river at 
l'Eibow are wooded in some places with P. balsamifera, grandi- 
dentata, tremuloides, Fracinus, and Betula pumila.. n the marshy 
