14 Bulletin 1, Biological Society of Washington, 1918. 



Henry, Baird, Ford, Gill, Ulke, and Jillson and Doctors 

 Gale, Force and Foreman, and it is evident that his remarks 

 on natural history were gathered from authentic sources. 

 The scientific names are used with such precision that it is 

 probable the proof was read by someone of scientific ability. 

 Cones and Prentiss refer to the work in the following lan- 

 guage: "A little book entitled 'Washington Described,' 

 • * * contained cursory notices of the natural history of 

 the District, prepared anonymously by several of the resi- 

 dent naturalists ; and among these was a slight sketch of the 

 Ornithology by one of the present writers." " 



It seems probable, therefore, that we can accept the 

 natural history statements at their face value. The fol- 

 lowing species not recorded from the District in subsequent 

 publications are mentioned by Haley : Among mammals, 

 Peromyscus nuttallii, a species at present known from no 

 nearer locality than Dismal Swamp, Va. ; among birds the 

 white ibis, a notorious wanderer like others of the heron 

 tribe; and among reptiles Lampropeltis doliata clerica, add- 

 ing a fourth to the varieties of this species of snake known 

 to inhabit the District. With these interesting records is 

 closed the introduction of the sketch of the natural history 

 of the District of Columbia. We will now review what has 

 been accomplished in the various branches of the subject, 

 and first of all in botany. 



BOTANY. 



The first scientific paper thus far brought to light which 

 mentions a plant possibly obtained within the limits of the 

 District of Columbia flora is entitled "Remarks by Mr. 

 James Petiver, Apothecary and Fellow of the Royal Society, 

 on some Animals, Plants, etc., sent to him from Maryland, 

 by the Reverend Mr. Hugh Jones," ^^ and it was published in 

 the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of Lon- 

 don in November, 1698. 



Under the heading "Aconitum baccis niveis et rubris. 



"Avifauna Columbiana. Bui. 26, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, p. 8. 

 18 Philosophical transactions. Roy. Soc. of London, Vol. XX, No. 246, 

 Nov., 1698, pp. (393)-(406). 



