SECOND LETTER FROM M. E. BOUHGEAU. 13 



Second Letter from M. E. Bourgeau, Botanist to Capt. Pal- 

 liser's American Exploring Expedition. Addressed to Sir W. 

 J. Hooker, F,E.S., F.L.S., and communicated by him, 



[Read May 5th, 1859.] 



Fort Edmonton, Saskatchewan, 

 October 9th, 1858. 



Sir, — I have much pleasure in laying before you the results of 

 my botanical labours during this second season. 



I suppose that you have received my account of the preceding 

 season, in which I gave you full details up to Eort Carlton. I 

 shall now, therefore, confine my narrative to the period between 

 that locality and the Eocky Mountains. 



The expedition started on the 15th of June, crossing the prairie 

 Saskatchewan between the two arms of the river of the same 

 name. Some days afterwards I found several places rich in legu- 

 minous plants, and particularly some Astragali, which I had not 

 found in the previous year. The numerous plants which I 

 gathered led me to hope that I might find some fine things farther 

 on. My only difficulty was from the rains, which fall annually in 

 June and July. I recorded thirty-three days of more or less con- 

 tinuous rain. I have succeeded in preserving all my collections, 

 without losing a single packet. I have not found as many dif- 

 ferent species as I had hoped to do. I have preserved many 

 species already gathered the first season, on account of their 

 forms, the dates, or their geographical distribution ; probably half 

 the collection is in duplicate. 



On the 26th June we travelled over the open and treeless 

 prairie, and on the 27th we encamped by a small forest of the two 

 species of Populus (lat. 52° 39' N., and long. 108° 52' W.). On 

 the 2nd July we reached more abundant forests, composed of the 

 same trees, with thickets of rather large Salio!, which provided us 

 with excellent firewood. 



The spaces between the forests consist of more or less marshy 

 prairies, with large plants of different species, nearly all inha- 

 bitants of the forests, such as Lathyrus, Vieia, Orohus ?, Astra- 

 galus, and Carex, in abundance. 



The prairies are rich in food for animals, the grass averaging in 

 height from 18 inches to 2 feet (lat. 52° N., long. 109° 3' W.). 



From the 3rd to the 7th July we (»*ossed a wooded sandy 

 slope. In many places the vegetation appeared to have suftered 

 from the frosts and the hail. All the poplars looked as if they 



