298 THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCHWEINITZ AND TORREY 
Persoon, Christiaan Hendrik (1755-1837). A botanist whose myco- 
logical works are deservedly regarded as classics; born in South 
Africa, of Dutch-Hottentot parentage, and of extremely repulsive 
appearance and habits; spending his last years in poverty in Paris; 
nevertheless his name occupies a permanent place of honor in the 
history of botany. | 
Pickering, Charles (1805-1878). American botanist, zoologist and 
anthropologist, noted for his profound scholarship; graduate of 
the Harvard Medical School; member of the staff of the Wilkes 
Exploring Expedition, 1838-42, and explorer in Egypt, Arabia, 
India, and eastern Africa, 1843-44, residing in Boston for the 
remainder of his life. From 1827 to 1838 he lived in Philadelphia, 
í and was active in the work of the Academy of Natural Sciences 
as curator and librarian; he supervised the transfer of the Schwein- 
itz collections to the herbarium of the Academy in 1834. 
Fitcher, Zina (1797-1872). Physician and naturalist; United States 
army surgeon, in service on the frontier, 1822-36; thereafter a 
resident of Michigan; president of the Army Medical Board and 
of the American Medical Association; regent and professor of the 
University of Michigan; mayor of Detroit. 
Prince, William (1766-1842). Horticulturist; proprietor of the “ Lin- 
nean Botanic Garden” at Flushing, New York, a commercial 
enterprise, but one conducted with more regard for the advance- 
ment of American horticulture than for profit; author of a “ Treatise 
on horticulture” (1828). 
Pursh, Frederick (1774-1820). Student of the North American flora; 
native of Saxony; spent about twelve years (1799-1811) in the 
United States, traveling, studying plants, and serving as a gardener 
at Philadelphia and New York; went in 1811 to England, where 
he continued his studies, and where his “Flora Americae septen- 
trionalis” was published in January, 1814; later he went to Canada 
to continue his work of botanical exploration, and died at Montreal. 
Rafinesque, Constantine Samuel (1783-1840). Brilliant but eccentric 
naturalist; of Franco-German parentage; born in Constantinople; 
educated in Italy, where he very early became a student of the 
natural sciences, especially botany; in youth he spent three years 
(1862-05) in America, at Philadelphia; then lived for ten years in 
Sicily, returning in 1815 to the U nited States, where he remained 
throughout his career; from 1819 to 1825 he was a professor at 
PAR a o 
