4o6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



region. Especially on Saturdays lie made excursions among tlie 

 sand-hills and savannas near tlie village (it was then), close up to 

 Avhose borders the pine-forests reached, " abounding with a flora 

 rich and novel to the enthusiastic young botanist." In a little 

 more than two seasons he made collections of 1,031 species, equiva- 

 lent to about one fourth of the j)henogamous flora of the United 

 States as then known; most of the plants having been found 

 within about two miles' radius of Wilmington, with a number of 

 maritime species discovered at Smithville and several from Rocky 

 Point. The results of these studies were given to the public as 

 an " Enumeration of Plants growing spontaneously around Wil- 

 mington, North Carolina, with Remarks on some New Obscure 

 Species," which appeared in the " Boston Journal of Natural His- 

 tory," September, 3, 1834. Most of the first edition of the publica- 

 tion was burned ; but it was reprinted, with additions and emen- 

 dations. Dr. Gray mentions this work as one of the first in 

 America in which the names are accented ; and Dr. Darlington 

 commended Mr. Curtis, even at this beginning of his scientific 

 career, as a careful observer and sagacious botanist. At this time 

 the literature of American botany consisted chiefly of florulas or 

 local floras, of which the best known were those of New York, by 

 Dr. Samuel L. Mitchel and Major John le Conte ; Boston, by Dr. 

 Jacob Bigelow ; Washington, by Dr. J. A. Brereton ; and Lexing- 

 ton, Ky., by Prof. C. W. Short. In North Carolina, Prof. Elisha 

 -Mitchell and the Rev. Dr. L. De Schweinitz had been studying 

 the plants ; Mr. H. B. Croom and Dr. H. Loomis printed a cata- 

 logue of plants found growing in the neighborhood of Newbern, at 

 nearly the same time that Mr. Curtis's work saw the light; Dr. 

 James F. McCree, Sr., was cultivating botany at Wilmington, and, 

 the two having learned to co-operate with each other, added sev- 

 eral species to the catalogue, thirty-four in notes and a number in 

 the catalogue proper ; Dr. Cyrus L. Hunter had prepared a list 

 of plants found in Lincoln County ; while the Rev. Dr. Bachman, 

 Mr. H. W. Ravenel, and Mr. Leitner were looking after the plants 

 near their h(^mes in South Carolina and Georgia. 



"If there is such a thing as a scientific instinct," says Dr. 

 Wood, " Mr. Curtis possessed it. He was habitually accurate in 

 his studies, and the results were early relied upon by his corre- 

 spondents. Coming into a new field of botanical study, it was 

 quite natural that he should have directed his attention to the 

 very local Dioncea muscipula. Saturday after Saturday he Avould 

 visit the savannas, and, lying at length ujDon the ground, would 

 watch its peculiarities. The popular description which he gave 

 of it in the 'Enumeration of Plants around Wilmington' has 

 been repeated for the last fifty years, and shows how greatly he 

 possessed the gift of accurate and entertaining description." Dr. 



