RICKER: botanical activity in district of COLUMBIA 495 



The next renewal of Botanical activity began with the organi- 

 zation of the Potomac Side Naturalists Club^^ on January 29, 

 1858, which originally consisted of T. R. Peale, Dr. E. Foreman, 

 Dr. G. C. Schaefer, Dr. C. Girard, Dr. F. V. Hayden, Dr. J. 

 G. Cooper, Robert Kennicott, Prof. W. W. Turner, Dr. Wm. 

 Stimpson, and W. R. Smith. Major W. Rich and W. Mechlin 

 were included as the only members of the former Botanical 

 Society and the following were among those later elected: J. S. 

 Newberry, B. G. Wilder, T. H. Rothrock, ElHot Coues, Dr. 

 Arthur Schott, H. Engelmann, M. S. Bebb, E. Bebb, and Thos. 

 Eggleston, Dr. G. Suckley, F. B. Meek, and R. Ostensacken 

 were elected as temporary residents. This society adjourned 

 sine die on March 26, 1856, but was resurrected on May 1, 1873, 

 at a meeting of the house of Prof. W. H. Seaman, and included 

 Dr. Arthur Schott, H. Engelmann, M. S. Bebb, E. Bebb, Prof. 

 S. F. Baird, Dr. Theodore Gill, and W. R. Smith, and reached a 

 membership of 58. A committee consisting of Dr. George 

 Vasey, Prof. J. W. Chickering, Dr. E. Foreman, Prof. Wm. H. 

 Seaman, and Mr. Lester F. Ward was appointed to prepare a 

 new District Flora with the result that a catalogue of 1083 species 

 was published in 1876 and 117 additions were made during 1877. ^^ 

 The last meeting was held February 11, 1878, and in 1880 the 

 Biological Society of Washington was organized with most of 

 the old members of the Potomac Side Naturalists Club as mem- 

 bers. Numerous papers on botany have been since published 

 in their Proceedings. 



Previously to 1869 there had been no official government 

 botanist in Washington, although several botanists had been con- 

 nected officially with various government exploring expedi- 

 tions, but Charles C. Parry was now appointed botanist of the 

 Department of Agriculture and served until 1871. He was fol- 

 lowed on April 1, 1872, by George Vasey, who retained this 

 position until his death March 4, 1893, and was succeeded by 

 the present incumbent, Frederick V. Coville, on March 8, 1893. 



18 See Chickering, J. W., in Science, n. ser. 23: 264-265, 1906, for detailed 

 history. 



" See bibliography under Flora Columbiana. 



