Dr. Hooker on American Boiamj. 213 



Thus, by Mr. Pursh's personal exertions and industry, and 

 1iy the aid of other botanists, he found hinmself, about the year 

 1807, in possession of materials for a Flora of North Ameri- 

 ca, amountint!; to nearly double the number of species enu- 

 merated by Michaux. He began seriously to think of pub- 

 lishing them, and applied to some bookseller in Philadelphia 

 for that purpose ; but his intention was deferred in conse- 

 quence of his being called upon to take the management of 

 the public Botanic Garden at New- York, originally estab- 

 lished by Dr. David Hosack,and his private property. Here, 

 again, keeping his favourite object respecting the publication 

 of a Flora in view, he had the opportunity of adding farther 

 to his knowledge of the plants of the United States, and of 

 obtaining still greater assistance, particularly from M. Le 

 Conte of Georgia, and from the estimable Professor Peck* 

 of New Cambridge University. 



Fortunately for the cause of science, there existed at the 

 time of which we are speaking, so many obstacles to the pub- 

 lication of scientific works in America, that Mr. Pursh was 

 led to visit England, where the reception he met with from 

 Sir Joseph Banks, and A.. B. Lambert, Esq. made him re- 

 solve upon printing his book in this country. The access 

 which was granted him to the Libraries and collections of 

 these two eminent men, were alone a source of much ad- 

 vantage to him. He had also the opporttinity of examining, 

 amongst others, the select Heibaria of Clayton, in the Bank- 

 Bian collection, from which the Flora F'irginica was formed; 

 of Walter, from which the Flora Caroliniana was compiled, 

 in the possession of Messrs. Frasers of Sloan-square; of 

 Catesby, part of which is in the British Museum, whilst ano- 

 ther part, together with numerous additions from Walter, 



'^ We recollect when, many years ago, this gentleman did us the hon- 

 our of a visit in England. He mentioned that his taste for natural his- 

 tory was induced by the perusal of an imperftct copy of Linnaeus's Sys- 

 fema JSTaturce^ a work then scarcely known in America, and which he ob- 

 tained from the wreck of a ship which was lost near the spot where he 

 resided. Professor Peck afterwards became eminent, particularly for 

 Iiis knowledge of insects ; and his communications to our great entomo- 

 logist, the Rev. Mr. Kirby, are highly valuable. Many of these were 

 published by Mr. Kirby, in the Transactions of the Linneean Society, and 

 amongst them the curious Xenos Pcclcii, an insect whicli inhabits thf^ 

 joints in the abdomen of the Wasp. Another insect nearly allied to this 

 is the Slylops Mditta of Mi'. Kirby 's Monograpkia Apmn An^lia*. Jijuf 

 which inhabits the same situation in tlie bodv of the Hooey hrf. 



Vol. IX. -No. 2. .'^.■. 



