112 SHORT ON WESTERN BOTANY. 



described many new plants, and added many valuable ob- 

 servations relating to sucb as were before known.* 



After tbe deatb of Dr Baldwin, the botanical duties of tlie 

 expedition devolved upon his successor Dr James, who ois- 

 cbarged them in a highly satisfactory manner, as will appear 

 from a reference to an account of the expedition, drawn up 

 by himself, and published in two volumes 8vo., in 1823. in 

 this work will be found a vast amount of general information 

 in regard to the countries explored, and especially on the 

 subject of its vegetable productions. Previously to the ap- 

 pearance of this work, however, the botanical results of the 

 expedition were given by Dr James in the 2d volume, (N. 5.) 

 of the Amer. Philos. Trans.; and more recently a fuller 

 account of the plants found exclusively on the Western side 

 of the Mississippi, has been published by Professor Torrey 

 in the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural Historv, of New 

 York. 



Within a short time past, death has robbed the republic 

 of science of another member of this expedition — another 

 naturalist of pre-eminent attainments — Mr Thomas Say- 

 This gentleman, whose acquirements in some of the most 

 difficult departments of Natural History were perhaps supe- 

 rior to those of any other individual on the Continent, pu''' 

 lished some years since, three volumes on American Ento- 

 mology, which in point of elegance of execution, and accu- 

 racy of matter, will challenge a comparison with any siniilai* 

 production. For the last few years Mr Say had resided at 

 New Harmony, Indiana, whither he had been invited by his 

 friend, the proprietor, Mr William Maclure. Here he 

 undertook the publication, periodically, of a work on the 

 shells of North America, illustrated with coloured engra^' 

 ings from the pencil of his accomplished lady. This work* 

 which is highly spoken of by those best conversant with the 

 subject of which it treats, is the first work on any depart- 

 ment of Natural History which has yet been published in the 



* Account of the Expedition, &c. 



