364 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



compare with this. The only thing to be regretted is that it 

 interrupted, at a critical period, the prosecution of a far more 

 important work. 



Early in his career Dr. Torrey had resolved to undertake a 

 general Flora of North America, or at least of the United 

 States, arranged upon the natural system, and had asked Mr. 

 Nuttall to join him, who, however, did not consent. At that 

 time, when little was known of the regions west of the valley 

 of the Mississippi, the ground to be covered and the materials 

 at hand were of comparatively moderate compass ; and in aid 

 of the northern part of it, Sir William Hooker's Flora of 

 British America — founded upon the rich collections of the 

 arctic explorers, of the Hudson's Bay Company's intelligent 

 officers, and of such hardy and enterprising pioneers as Drurn- 

 mond and Douglas — was already in progress. At the actual 

 inception of the enterprise, the botany of eastern Texas was 

 opened by Drummond's collections, as well as that of the coast 

 of California by those of Douglas, and afterwards those of 

 Nuttall. As they clearly belonged to our own phyto-geo- 

 graphical province, Texas and California were accordingly 

 annexed botanically before they became so politically. 



While the field of botanical operations was thus enlarging, 

 the time which could be devoted to it was restricted. In ad- 

 dition to his chair in the Medical College, Dr. Torrey had 

 felt obliged to accept a similar one at Princeton College, 

 and to all was now added, as we have seen, the onerous post 

 of state botanist. It was in the year 1836 or 1837 that he 

 invited the writer of this notice — then pursuing botanical 

 studies under his auspices and direction — to become his asso- 

 ciate in the Flora of North America. In July and in Octo- 

 ber, 1838, the first two parts, making half of the first volume, 

 were published. The great need of a full study of the sources 

 and originals of the earlier published species was now ap- 

 parent ; so, during the following year, his associate occupied 

 himself with this work in the principal herbaria of Europe. 

 The remaining half of the first volume appeared in June, 

 1840. The first part of the second volume followed in 1841; 

 the second, in the spring of 1842 ; and in February, 1843, 



