Vol. XIII, pp. 109-121 December 30, 1899 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS 



OF • 



THOMAS NUTTALL IN CALIFORNIA. 

 BY fredp:rick v. coville. 



I was puzzled recently, in reading some references to Thomas 

 Nuttall's botanical work in California, at discrepancies in vari- 

 ous statements regarding time and place, and this led to a 

 careful examination of the available records regarding his work 

 in that State. 



Professor W. 11. Brewer,* to Avhom one naturally turns for 

 information about botanical explorations in California, states 

 that Nuttall's collections there were made " during a part of the 

 year 1835." This there was reason to doubt, and looking 

 further I found that Professor Brewer's authority for the state- 

 ment was probably Elias Durand's " Biographical notice of the 

 late Thomas Nuttall."t 



In this article Durand states, on page 311 : 



"There [at the Sandwich Islands] he remained a couple of months 

 [after January 5, 1835], visiting the different islands of that happy group 

 and collecting plants and sea-shells ; thence, separating from his com- 

 panion, Mr. [.John K.] Townsend, he took passage on board a vessel sail- 

 ing for the coast of California, where he landed early in the spring, to 

 enjoy new emotions of pleasure. All again was new to him! He re- 

 mained in California a great part of the spring and summer, actively 

 engaged in mailing collections, and returned to the Sandwicli Islands, 



*In Brewer & Watson, Bot. Cal., II, 555, 1880. 

 tProc. Am. Phil. Soc, VII, 297-315, 1801. 



25— Biol. Sou. \V.\sii., Voi,. XIII, 1809 



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