30 FIELD AND FOREST. 



of the United States Exploring Expedition (June 1842) under command 

 of Capt. Charles Wilkes, U. S. N., bringing to this country a large 

 number of living exotics which had never been seen here before, and 

 which became the nucleus of the present Botanical Garden, located at 

 the foot of Capitol Hill. The Collection was first placed in some 

 rudely coustru6ted green -houses on G street, immediately on the 

 northern part of the lot now occupied by the Patent Office. It was 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Wm. D. Brackenridge, one of the 

 botanists of the Expedition, and by assiduous attention, and overcom- 

 ing many difficulties, he succeeded in keeping everything in good or- 

 der, rapidly enlarging the stock of plants as the scanty means at his 

 disposal permitted. The conliection of Mr. Brackenridge with this 

 collection terminated upon his assuming the charge, in co-operation 

 with the late Mr. Downing, of laying out some of the public grounds 

 in the city, and the present brilliancy and beauty of Lafayette Square 

 and the Smithsonian grounds, is due to the united labor and skill of 

 these gentlemen. A funereal urn and monument in the Smithsonian 

 grounds has been erected in the centre of one of his best works. Old 

 inhabitants may remember the condition of this part of the mall prior 

 to 1850, as a large common stretching from Seventh to Twelfth street, 

 and from the canal to B street South, presenting a surface of yellow 

 or white clay, cut into by deep gullies, and without trees, except one 

 or two scraggy and dying Sycamores. The streets named, were mud- 

 roads, along which an omnibus scrambled once a day, to the steamboat 

 wharf, and foot travel paced its muddy or dusty way over the bleak, un- 

 hospitable common in zig-zag meanderings. The landscape gardeners 

 in. exchange have given us a paradise. 



E. Foreman. 



FIELD RECORD. 



A Case of Snake Swallowing. — Recently, while taking an early 

 morning walk in the country, I observed, lying nearly at full length by 

 the roadside a reptile Avhich proved to be the Chain, or Thunder snake 

 {Ophibohis getulus, B. & G.,) and upon approaching nearer, the tail of 

 a Garter, or Striped snake {Eutania sirtalis, B. & G.) was seen pro- 

 truding from its mouth, only about six inches remaining unswallowed. 

 When taken up 'for the purpose of preserving the specimens in their 



