August 2, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



97 



the neighbourhood. In 1818 he went to live at Valley field, 

 the seat of Sir Robert Preston, Bart., whose garden was then 

 celebrated for its choice collection of exotic plants. Here he 

 was treated by the head gardener, Mr. Stewart, with great 

 kindness, who procured him access to Sir Robert's valuable 

 botanical library. From Valleyfield he removed to Glasgow, 

 where he was employed in the Botanic Garden of the Uni- 

 versity. His intelligence attracted the attention of Dr. (after- 

 wards Sir William) Hooker, then professor of botany at 

 Glasgow, and he made him his companion in his botanical 

 excursions for the purpose of collecting materials for his 

 " Flora Scotica." By Sir William Hooker he was recom- 



mended to the Horticultural Society of London as a botanical 

 colleotor, and in 1823 he was sent to the United States, where 

 he procured many fine plants, and greatly increased the col- 

 lection of fruit trees in the possession of the Sooiety. In 1824 

 he was sent by the Horticultural Society to explore the vege- 

 table productions of the country adjoining the Columbia. 

 River and southwards towards California. The vessel in 

 which he went out touched at Rio de Janeiro, where he col- 

 lected many rare Orchidaceous plants and bulbs. In the 

 course of his voyage round Cape Horn he shot many rare and 

 curious birds. He visited the island of Juan Fernandez, which 

 he desoribes as " an enchanting spot, being fertile and delight- 



fully wooded." Here he sowed a quantity of garden seed, 

 with the wish, he says, that he might add " to the collection 

 of a second Robinson Crusoe, should one appear." He arrived 

 at Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River in April, 1825. 

 During his journey he sent home from time to time large 

 numbers of beautiful plants, with seeds and dried speoimens. 

 Of the genus Finns he discovered several species of gigantic 

 size, one of which has been named after himself, P. Douglasii. 

 In the spring of 1827 he went from Fort Vancouver across 

 the Rocky Mountains to Hudson's Bay, where he met Captain 

 (afterwards Sir John) Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and Captain 

 (afterwards Sir George) Back, returning from their overland 

 Arctic expedition. With these travellers he returned to 

 England, bringing with him the result of his researches. 

 Shortly after his return he was elected, free of expente, Fellow 

 of the Linntean, Zoological, and Geological Societies. He 



remained in London two years, and sailed again for thei 

 Columbia River in 1829. He afterwards went to the Sandwich 

 Islands, where he had remained some months when an acci- 

 dent put an end to his existence. The natives of the Sand- 

 wich Islands are in the habit of making pits, in which they 

 catch the wild bulls. In one of his excursions Mr. Douglas 

 fell accidentally into one of these pits, in which an infuriated 

 animal was already trapped. The animal attacked him, and 

 he was found dreadfully mutilated and quite dead. This 

 occurred on the 12th of July, 1834. 



THE ROSE ELECTION AND ROSES. 

 Several letters have appeared, and I haye also had one or two 

 privately disapproving the suggestion of restricting the naming 

 of similar Roses like Mdlle. Marie Finger and Eugonie Verdier. 



