76 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON THE EARLY BOTANISTS 



and trees, and is prefaced by an illustrated definition of 

 botanical terms. He gives a large number of original 

 localities, amongst which the following belong to the two 

 North-Eastern counties, viz., Zannicliellia palustris, Salicornia 

 herbacea, Polygonum bistorta, Cardviis nutans, Cerastium 

 arvense, Erynghun canipesire, Salvia verbenaca, Veronica hederi- 

 folia, and Galeopsis versicolor near Newcastle, Scutellaria 

 galericulata at Stella, Astragalus glycyphyllus at Newburn, 

 Sagina marititna at CuUercoats, Smyrnium olusatriim by 

 Tynemouth Castle, Gnaphaliuni sylvatictim between Conside 

 and Shotley Bridge, Pastinaca sativa at Sunderland, Vicia 

 sylvatica at Pelaw Wood near Durham, Pyrola minor in Tacket 

 Wood near Simonburn, Polygonum viviparum at the lead 

 mines by the Tees near Cotherstone, and Saxifraga stellaris 

 on the mountains near Fleet Bridge in the county of Durham. 

 Pulteney tells an amusing story of how he was sorely tempted 

 to sell his wife's only cow to buy a copy of Morison's 

 " Historia Plantarum," and how a benevolent lady heard of 

 this and made him a present of the book. Winch quotes the 

 following obituary notice of him from the "Newcastle Journal" 

 of July 27, 1 75 1 : "We hear from Kendal that last week, died 

 there, Mr. John Wilson, a noted botanist of that place, and 

 author of a " Synopsis of British Plants after Mr. Ray's 

 Method." He had uncommon natural parts, which (without 

 the advantage of a learned education) by his own industry in 

 study and application he had so much improved as to become 

 perhaps one of the most knowing herbalists of his time, and 

 was besides a most facetious and agreeable companion, of a 

 just, ready, wit, a quick discernment, a firm integrity, and 

 candid intention, which made him vastly beloved by all his 

 friends and acquaintances, who deeply regret the loss of so 

 valuable a man." Robert Brown named after him the 

 Australian genus Wilsonia, in Convolvulaceae, and calls him 

 " auctor operis haud spernandi" 



