m America, and, if practicable, in visiting those interesting and 
50 MR. DRUMMOND'S COLLECTIONS. 
NOTICE CONCERNING MR. DRUMMOND'S COLLEC- : 
TIONS, MADE IN THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN 
PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
Mr. Tuomas Drummonp has been long known as a most 
zealous and accurate Botanist, first, by his Muscological re- 
searches, and the publication of his Musci Scotici, whilst | 
residing at the Nursery at Forfar, (which, as the residence _ 
also of his no less able predecessor, Mr. Don, may almost be 
considered by the student of the British Flora as classical — 
ground); and, secondly, by his successful labours in North : 
America, while engaged as assistant-naturalist to Dr. Richard- - 2 
son, in the Second Overland North American Expedition, — 
under the command of Captain Sir John Franklin. His col- — 
. lections both in Zoology and Botany have been admired by © 
all who have seen them, for the manner in which the specimens _ 
are preserved, as well as for the judgment with which they - 
have been selected, and they reflect the highest credit on his 
zeal and assiduity.* It occurred to Dr. Graham and myself, 
that such a person could not be more usefully employed in the — 
cause of science than by investigating some of the less known 
parts of the Southern and JVestern United States of North | 
hitherto unexplored and mountainous regions of Mexico and 
. California bordering upon the United States. The necessary 
funds for the outfit were, by the liberality of our natural his- 
tory friends, soon raised, and a considerable interest was mani- — 
fested in the success of the expedition. The route proposed 
was to proceed from New-York, early in the season, to cross 
the Alleghanies, and journey on to St. Louis on the Missouri, 
* A brief account of Mr. Drummond's Expedition to the Rocky Moun- 
tains, and to the source of the Columbia, is given by himself in the 
volume of the former series of this Miscellany, p. 178. 
