36 BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, 



teachers of natural botany in America, and the author of a poem 

 entitled " The Botanist." * The Rev. Jeremy Belknap [b. 1744, 

 d. 1798], in his "History of New Hampshire," and the Rev. 

 Samuel Williams [b. 1743, d. 1S17], in his "Natural and Civil 

 History of Vermont,"! made contributions to local natural his- 

 tory, and Capt. Jonathan Carver [b. 1732, d. 1780], in his 

 " Travels through the Interior Parts of America," J gave some 

 meagre information as to the zoology and botany of regions 

 previously unknow^n. 



In the South the prestige of colonial days seemed to have de- 

 parted. Except Jeflerson, the only naturalist in Virginia was 

 Dr. James Greeriway, of Dinwiddie Co., a botanist of some 

 merit. Mitchell returned to England before the Revolution, and 

 Garden followed in 17S4. H. B. Latrobe, of Baltimore, was 

 an amateur ichthyologist, and Dr. James MacBride, of Pine- 

 ville, S. C. [b. 1784, d. 1817], was an active botanist. Dr. 

 Lionel Chalmers [b. 1715, d. 1777], who was for many years 

 the leader of scientific activity in South Carolina, was omitted 

 in the previous address. A graduate of Edinburgh, he was for 

 forty years a physician in Charleston. He recorded observations 

 on meteorology from 1750 to 1760, the foundation of his " Trea- 

 tise on the Weather and Diseases of South Carolina " [London, 

 1776], and published also valuable papers on pathology. He 

 was the host and patron of many naturalists, such as the Bar- 

 trams. 



There was no lack of men in the South who were capable of 

 appreciating scientific work. Virginia had fourteen members 

 in the American Philosophical Society from 1780 to 1800, while 

 Massachusetts and New York had only six each, the Carolinas 

 had eight, and Maryland six. The population of the South 

 was, however, widely dispersed and no concentration of effort 



♦Biography in Polyanthus, vol. ii. 

 t Walpole, N. H., 1794, 8vo, p. 416. 



X 1778. 



