THE LONGEVITY OF TREES. 75 



Mr. Nuttall, it appears, first arrived in this country the very 

 year that the younger Michaux finally left it. And from that 

 time to the present, no botanist has visited so large a portion 

 of the United States, or made such an amount of observa- 

 tions in the field and forest. Probably few naturalists have 

 ever excelled him in aptitude for such observations, in quick- 

 ness of eye, tact in discrimination, and tenacity of memory. 

 In some of these respects, perhaps, he may have been equalled 

 by Rafinesque, — and there are obvious points of resemblance 

 between the later writings of the two, which might tempt us 

 to continue the parallel ; — but in scientific knowledge and 

 judgment he was always greatly superior to that eccentric 

 individual. Mr. Nuttall has also enjoyed the best opportuni- 

 ties for exploring the wide regions beyond the Mississippi. 

 In 1811, along with Mr. Bradbury, he ascended the Missouri 

 to the Mandan villages 1600 miles above its mouth ; and 

 shortly after his return published his extended and most hap- 

 pily executed botanical work, the " Genera of North Ameri- 

 can Plants." In 1819, at the imminent risk of his life, he 

 ascended the Arkansas to the Great Salt River. And, in 

 1834, he finally succeeded in crossing the Rocky Mountains 

 by the now well-trodden road along the sources of the Platte, 

 and exploring the territory of Oregon and of Upper Cali- 

 fornia. Mr. Nuttall was therefore peculiarly qualified for 

 the preparation of a supplementary North American Sylva, 

 designed especially to comprise the forest trees of these wide 

 regions, which are now, for obvious reasons, attracting par- 

 ticular attention. 



The work, according to the announcement on the title-page, 

 will consist of three volumes ; and we understand that the 

 editor committed the whole manuscript to the publisher's 

 hands more than two years ago, when he returned to his na- 

 tive country, to take possession of an ample family inheri- 

 tance. But from some cause, the publication has been greatly 

 delayed ; only one volume having yet appeared, and that in 

 two portions, of which the first bears the date of 1842, while 

 the second has but just reached us. We postpone all critical 

 remarks until the entire publication is completed ; merely ob- 



