64 THE LIFE AND WORK OF GEORGE DON. 
the care of his father, who was himself a great cultivator of flowers 
for amusement.! 
While living in Edinburgh on terms of friendship with Dr. 
Patrick Neill—whose firm, Neill & Co., were the printers of his 
“ Herbarium Britannicum ” — heexplored the district round 
“Scotia’s darling seat” with untiring assiduity, discovering many 
species that were new to the district, including Vieza lutea, which 
he gathered in company with Patrick Neill at North Queensferry 
in 1804, and Valeriana pyrenaica in Colinton Woods. The 
Pentland Hills were a favourite resort, and there he got Gahum 
uliginosum asanew Scottish species; Roslin Glen and North 
Berwick Law were also made to yield their treasures.? 
He was elected an Associate of the Linnean Society in 1803 
in recognition of his services to Botany, and he was also a 
Member of the Natural History Society of Edinburgh, 
In 1804 he began the publication of a “ Herbarium 
Britannicum,” which was dedicated by permission to that well- 
known patron of science, Sir Joseph Banks, in July of that year, 
' As Gardener of the Royal Botanic Garden, Don received forty pounds a 
year as wage. Pipe Roll—The declaration of the Account of Dr. Daniel 
Rutherford, Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Edinburgh, for 
the monies impressed into his hands for the support of the Botanic Garden at 
Edintuess Srom 5 January 1803 to 5 January 1809.—I. B. B. 
* The following extract from a notice of a meeting of Wernerian N at. Hist. 
Socy., 13th May, 1809, records Don’s botanical activity when resident in 
Edinburgh :—The Secretary ‘‘ produced a list of about 100 herbaceous 
plants and 200 cryptogamia, found in the King’s Park, Edinburgh, and not- 
enumerated in Mr. Yalden’s catalogue of plants growing there (published 
in the appendix to Lightfoot’s “Flora Scotica”) ; communicated by ‘Mr. G. 
Don of Forfar, late Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden at Edin- 
burgh.” —Scots Magazine, 1809 (vol. 71), p. 327. 
In the memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society, Vol. I., p. 215, 
is a paper, “A List of the Rarer Plants observed in the Neighbourhood of 
Edinburgh,” by Robert Maughan, Esq., F.L.S. (read 9th December 1809), 
which says :— 
“Since the sprees of Lightfoot’s ‘Flora Scotica,’ in 1777, a very con- 
siderable addition has been made to the catalogue of indigenous and 
naturalized aks of Scotland, particularly by the researches of the 
indefatigable Mr. George Don of Forfar, and of the late Mr. John Mackay 
of the Botanic Garden at Edinburgh, ; 
“The following list contains an enumeration of such of the rarer species 
and varieties as have been observed within a oe s excursion of the 
metropolis.” —/, B. B, 
