a LETTER FROM M. E. BOTJRGEAU. 



servatioii, and I hope that this year also you will receive a pretty 

 large quantity, and a 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 here ; 

 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 Graminece and CyperacecB 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 Grarry 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 EUice, 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 Composites, 

 which are in perfection from August 15th till the close of the 



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 oiPopulus tremuloides, which appear to have been 

 spared from fires. The borders also of the Saskatchewan river at 

 r Elbow are wooded in some places with P. halsamifera, grandi- 

 dentata, tremuloides, Fraxinus, and JBetula pumila. In tlie marshy 



