1 6 JOURNAL OF THE 



Extending his botanical observations to the western borders of his 

 adopted State, Dr. Curtis was among the first to retrace the steps 

 and rediscover the plants found and published by the Elder Michaiix, 

 in the higher Alleghany mountains." (Sillitnan's Jour., January to 

 June, 1873, p. 392.) From the very beginning of these journeys the 

 search for a plant found in the Elder Michaux's herbarium was 

 begun and pursued with hopeful expectation for years. Michaux 

 had been proven so truthful and accurate in his descriptions, that 

 he had impressed his successors with faith in him. This veteran 

 botanist had collected a remarkable plant, as Dr. Gray says, with 

 the habit of Pyrola and the foliage of Galax, and the only specimen 

 extant was in the Michauxian herbarium, among the Planta incog- 

 nita, and this only in fruit. This plant, since discovered in flower 

 by Mr. Hyamsin McDowell, had already been named by Dr. Gray, in 

 honor of Prof. Short, of Kentucky, and now known as Shortia 

 galicifolia. Over and over again did Dr. Curtis traverse the line 

 of Michaux's travel for Shortia, but without success. 



Prof. Gray* says in a paper in which he sketched the botanical 

 tours of the botanists who had visited the mountains of North Car- 

 olina in 1841: "No living botanist is so well acquainted with the 

 vegetation of the Southern Alleghany Mountains, or has explored 

 those of North Carolina so extensively as the Rev. Mr. M. A. Curtis, 

 who, when resident for a short time in their vicinity, visited, as op- 

 portunity occurred, Table Mountain, Grandfather, the Yellow Moun- 

 tain, the Roan, the Black Mountain, &c., and subsequently, 

 (although prevented by infirm health from making large collections) 

 extended his researches through the counties of Haywood, Macon, 

 and Cherokee, which form the narrow southwestern extremity of 

 North Carolina. To him we are indebted for local information, 

 which greatly facilitated our recent journey, and, indeed, for a com- 

 plete itinerarium of the region south of Ashe county." 



Early in 1840 he was called to mission work about Washington, 

 in Beaufort county, remaining there a year, and early in 1841 he 

 removed to Hillsborough, where he remained six years. In April, 

 1847, he removed to Society Hill, in South Carolina, which accounts 

 for the fact that he is spoken of as a resident there, his residence at 

 that place having been nine years. From Society Hill Dr. Curtis 

 removed to Hillsborough in 1856, and resided there until his death 

 in 1872. 



*Notes on a Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina, &c. 

 Am. Journal Sc, Oct., Dec, 1841, p. 12. 



