198 YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION. 



M.D., of Sheffield, who accompanied Sir J. E. Smith on one 

 of his continental tours, Robert Teesdale of Ranelagh, and 

 William Curtis. Knowlton was still alive, and joined soon 

 afterwards ; and amongst the original Associates was Edward 

 Robson of Darlington, who in one of the early volumes gave a 

 description of a new currant which he gathered near Richmond, 

 under the name of Ribes spicatian. Sir Jas. E. Smith became 

 the first President of the Society, and Goodenough, afterwards 

 Bishop of Carlisle, the monographer of the British Carices, 

 the first Treasurer. Sowerby's ' English Botany ' was started 

 in 1770, and Smith's ' Flora Britannica ' was published in 1800. 

 In 1792 was drawn up the first extensive catalogue of 

 Yorkshire plants, the fruit of the researches of Robert Teesdale, 

 in the neighbourhood of Castle Howard. It was laid before the 

 Linnean Society at their meeting on February 7th, 1792, and 

 printed in the second volume of their ' Transactions,' (page 

 103). Teesdale had been in the employment of the Earl of 

 Carlisle, but was now old and had gone to live in London. 

 The prefatory remarks to his paper run as follows : — " During 

 the time I resided at Castle Howard some of my leisure hours 

 were employed in herborising. My business not admitting of 

 long excursions, it enabled me to take the more pains in the 

 collecting of the plants of my own neighbourhood. The woods 

 about Castle Howard are extensive, and the bogs near Terrington 

 produce many valuable acquisitions to the curious investigator. 

 The downs called the Wolds are likewise productive of some 

 good plants. I seldom extended my rides or walks upon these 

 botanical excursions more than ten or fifteen miles from home, 

 and upon summing up the plants I had observed and collected 

 they amounted to 960. This, I presume, will be thought a 

 great number to be found in so small a space of country by one 

 collector, as the learned Dr. Martyn tells us in his 'Plantse 

 Cantabrigenses,' that with the indefatigable labours of Mr. Ray, 

 Mr. Lyons, himself, and doubtless many other residents of the 

 university, they have made their catalogue amount only to 829 



Trans. Y.N U. 1883 (pub. 1SS5). Series E 



