BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. xi 



cember, 1833, — four years; and on the Library Committee from January, 1837, 

 until January, 1838, — one year. 



He was Librarian from December, 1828, until December, 1833, — five years ; and 

 a Curator from December, 1833, until December, 1837, — four years. 



The record tells us that he discharged faithfully and efficiently the duties of all 

 the positions to which he was appointed. 



To Dr. Pickering was intrusted the transfer to the Academy of the great collec- 

 tion of plants bequeathed by the Rev. Lewis David Von Schweinitz, who died in 



1834. He prepared a catalogue of American plants in the collection of the Academy, 

 and presented it at the stated meeting held May 13, 1834. Those plants which were 

 previously in the collection, many of them Mr. Nuttall's types, he intercalated in the 

 Schweinitz herbarium, attaching an appropriate label to each. On the 24th of March, 



1835, on motion of Professor H. D. Rogers, it was unanimously resolved, "That 

 the thanks of the Society be awarded to Dr. Charles Pickering for the highly suc- 

 cessful manner in which he has executed the very arduous task of collating and 

 arranging the extensive herbarium of the Academy." 



The work done by Dr. Pickering has contributed much to facilitate the labors of 

 his successors in the botanical department of the Academy. 



On the 26th of January, 1836, on motion of Dr. Samuel George Morton, it was 

 unanimously resolved, " That the grateful thanks of the Institution be tendered to 

 Dr. Pickering for his voluntary journey to New Harmony, the faithful execution of 

 the trust reposed in him of selecting from the library of Mr. Maclure such works as 

 were designed for the Academy, and for the prompt and successful arrangements 

 made by him for the transportation of said books to this city." 



The mission just referred to occupied Dr. Pickering about three months, and 

 brought to the Academy's library an addition of about 2,300 volumes of valuable 

 scientific works. 



The services of Dr. Pickering to the Academy were important in every sense, 

 and are worthy of grateful remembrance. 



While laboring for the Academy, he qualified himself perfectly to discharge effi- 

 ciently those duties which devolved upon him in 1838, when he became a member of 

 the United States Exploring Expedition. The means and facilities requisite for 

 the instruction and training of students of natural science were at that period 

 nowhere in the country more ample than in the Academy ; and it is believed that at 

 this time they are not better in any other institution in the United States. 



On the 19th of October, 1827, Dr. Pickering read, at a meeting of the American 

 Philosophical Society, a paper " On the Geographical Distribution of Plants," which 

 was published in the third volume of the " Transactions " in 1830. He was elected 

 a member of the American Philosophical Society Jan. 15, 1828, and resigned in 

 November, 1837. 



He was elected Recording Secretary of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 

 February, 1830, and served till September, 1837, when he resigned. 



