190 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



Pickering of the Revolutionary Army, a friend of AVashington, and a member of his Cab- 

 inet. The Colonel had acquired lai'ge tracts of " wild land " in western Pennsylvania, 

 and after retiring from the Cabinet, removed thither with his son, whose wife, Mrs. 

 Lurena Pickering, subsequently became the mother of the subject of this notice and his 

 brother Edward. 



In the year 1809, Timothy Pickering, Jr. died, and his father afterwards returned to 

 Massachusetts, settling in Wenham, near Salem. He brought with him his son's wife and 

 her two boys, and it was under his supervision and that of their mother, au admix-able 

 woman, that they were brought up. 



Charles early showed a taste for natural history, roaming about the country in search of 

 birds, eggs, insects, plants and quadrupeds, with specimens of which he would return from 

 his excursions loaded. He entered Harvard College in 182-3, but did not graduate with 

 his class, subsequently taking the degree of M. D. at the Medical School in 1826. His 

 love for natural science increased with his years, and while living at Salem, he was asso- 

 ciated with William Cakes in botanical investigation, and it is thought that the two fir.st 

 explored the White Mountains together. 



He was elected a correspondent of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 

 November 28th, 1826, in the twenty-second year of his age; and the next year he removed 

 to Philadelphia, and became a member of that Society. The scope of his various scientific 

 attainments, even at that early period of his life, may be estimated from the fact that he 

 served on the Zoological Committee for ten years (from December 25th, 1829); on the 

 Botanical Committee for eight years, half this time as chairman ; on the Publication Com- 

 mittee four years ; on the Library Committee a year ; as Librarian five years, and as Cu- 

 rator for four years, discharging all the duties of these several positions with the utmost 

 faithfulness and efficiency. 



He prepared a Catalogue of American Plants in the Academy's collection, in 18.34, 

 and was intrusted with the transfer of the great collection of plants bequeathed to the 

 Society by Von Schweinitz. His great services in collecting and arranging the extensive 

 herbarium of the Society, merited and received its thanks, presented through a resolution 

 unanimously passed on motion of Prof Henry D. Rogers. He also was made the recip- 

 ient of the grateful thanks of the Society on motion of Dr. Samuel George Morton, for 

 his services in selecting from Mr. Maclure's library the 2300 volumes designed for the 

 Academy. 



He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society, January loth, 1828, 

 having previously (Oct. 19th, 1827), read before this Society his paper " On the Geograph- 

 ical Distribution of Plants." He was a member of the Yale Natural History Society, and 

 read, conjointly with James H. Dana, before that Society the " Description of a Crustaceous 

 Animal, belonging to the genus Caligus, C. Americanus," published in Silliman's Journal, 

 Vol. XXXVllI. He served as Recording Secretary of the Pennsylvania Horticultural 

 Society, from February 1830, till September 1837. 



On the organization of the U. S. Exploring Expedition under Lieutenant Charles 

 Wilkes, Dr. Pickering's reputation was such that he was at once selected as chief zoolo- 

 gist, and placed on board the flagship Vincennes. The expedition sailed from Hampton 

 Roads, Aug. 19th, 1838, and on its return reached Sandy Hook, June 10th, 1842. Dur- 

 ing the four years' voyage, Dr. Pickering turned his attention to anthropology and to the 



