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Arr. L—Notice of the Botanical Writings of the late C. S. + 
: Rafinesque. om | 
on 
Constantine S§. Rarinesque-Scumautz, a Sicilian by bir 
> first arrived in this country in the year 1802, where he remain 
_ for three years; and returning from his native land in 1815, cons. 
___ tinued to reside in the United States until his decease in Septem- 
~~ ber last, (1840.) The name of this eccentric, but certainly gifted © ~*~ 
__ Person, has been connected with the natural history of thiscountry == 
for the last thirty-five years; yet, from the manner of their publi- 
Cation, many of his scattered writings are little known to men 0} 
Science. It is chiefly as a naturalist that Rafinesque is known,» 
although his attention has by no means been restricted to N: 
tal History ; since works on Antiquities, Civil History, Philology, 
Political Economy, Philosophy, and even a poem of nearly , six 
thousand lines, have proceeded from his pen. Botany, however, 
Was his favorite pursuit, and the subject of a large portion of his 
Writings ; and to these we purpose to confine ourselves in the e 
Present article. Our task, although necessary, as it appears to us, tee 
is not altogether pleasing ; for while we would do full justice to . 2 
an author, who, in his early days, was in some respect greatly “ a. ~ 
in advance of the other writers on the botany of this country, * “* eet 
and whose labors have been disregarded or undervalued on ac- a “ a 
“Sunt of his peculiarities, we are obliged, at the same time “Me. 
» _ Protest against all of his later and one of his earlier botanical works. ee 
peel few years ago, Mr. Rafinesque published his autobiography, hat 
entitled, A Life of Travels and Researches, (Philadelphia, 1836 ;) 
Vol. x1, No, 2.—Jan.-March, 1841. wae : es 
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