Sect. III.] United States of America. 233 



who resided some time in Virginia, and Dr. John 

 Clayton *, a native of that country, both ren- 

 dered important services in investigating the bo- 

 tanical treasures of America. To several of these 

 the lovers of natural history owe a large debt of 

 gratitude ; nor can any .one take the most super- 



enterprise, as well as of Icarninf;^. His residence in Virginia 

 was chiefly at Urbannn, a small town on the Rappahannock, 

 about seventy-three miles from Richmond. He was a great bo- 

 tanist, and seems to have paid particular attention to the Ilijhrid 

 productions. He wrote a viseful work on the general principles 

 of botany, containing descriptions of a number of new ge- 

 nera of plants, which was published in 4to in 1769. He also 

 wrote, in 1743, an " Essay on the Causes of the different Colours of 

 People in different Climates,'* which Avas sent over to Mr. Collin- 

 son, and published in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. xliii, 

 p. 102 — 150. Beside these, he published an "Essaj/onthe Pre- 

 parations and Uses of the various Kinds of Pot-Ash," Philosophi- 

 cal Transactions, vol. xlv, p. ,54-1 — 563 ; and a " Letter concern- 

 ing the Force of Electrical Cohesion," Philosophical Transaction':, 

 vol. li, p. 390. See Pultencj/'s Sketches of the Progress of Botaiij/, 

 Sec, vol. ii, p. 278, Sec. It is believed the same man was the 

 author of the Map of North America, published in ITS'"), which 

 he accompanied with a large Pamphlet entitled " The Contest in 

 America," and soon followed by another Pamphlet^ entitled 

 " The Present State of Great Britain and North America," 1707. 

 See American Husbandry, &c., vol. i, p. 285. 



* Dr. John Clayton was a native of Virginia, and devoted a 

 long life to the investigation of its botanical riches. He was a 

 private country gentlieman, of moderate fortune, and greatly re- 

 spected by all who knew him. He resided in Gloucester county, 

 about eighteen or twenty miles from the city of Williamsburgh. 

 Clayton's work appears to have been iirst printed under the fol- 

 lowing title: "Flora Virginica: Numeri Plantaruni in Virginia 

 Observaturum, a Johanne Claytono." 8vo, 1739 — 1743. It was 

 afterward published under this title : Joh. Fred. Gronovii Flora 

 Virginica, exhibens Plantas quas J. Claytonus observavit, colle[^it 

 et obtidlt, ^c. Ludg. But. 4to, 1762. 



