31 



MEMORIAL SKET 



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THOMAS BRIDGES, Esq., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



AND MEMBER OF THE CALA. ACAD. NAT. SCI. 



A Paper read before the California Academy of Natural Sciences, Jan. 8th, 1866, 



BY T\-. H. DALL. OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTlTtJTlON, ACTING DIEEOTOK SCI. CORPS, W. U. T. EX. 



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Mr. Bridges was born at Lilly in Hertfordshire, England, on the twenty- 

 second of May, 1807. 



At an early age he became interested in Natural History, and when about 

 nineteen or twenty — having previously studied for some three years under Sir 

 William Hooker, at Kew Gardens — he sailed for Valparaiso. He remained 

 there, or passed the time in some of the adjoining provinces, from 1827 to 1844, 

 when he returned to England on a short visit. On again reaching South 

 America, he undertook the explorations in Bolivia, so well known to naturalists 

 through their magnificent results. During the course of this journey, in June, 

 1845, he discovered and obtained seeds of the great South American Water 

 Lily, the Victoria Regia, Lindley. Although the plant had previously been 

 detected, to Mr. Bridges belonged the honor of first introducing it into the 

 old world, by transporting seeds which subsequently germinated at Kew. 



In 1846, he returned to England, where for many months he was prostrated 

 by severe illness contracted in his arduous explorations. 



In 1847, he was married to Miss Mary Benson, of Bristol, England, a niece 

 of the eminent collector, the late Hugh Cuming. Soon after he proceeded 

 again to Valparaiso. 



In 18.51, he visited and explored the island of Juan Fernandez. 



In the report of Lieut. Herndon, U. S. N., on his explorations of the Ama- 

 zon, he acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Bridges, for invaluable information 

 furnished, in regard to the head-waters of that river. 



In 1855, he proceeded to Panama, remaining there some six months ; and 

 from thence to P]ngland, subsequently to France, and finally to California, 

 where he arrived in November, 1856. 



About 1857, he went to British Columbia, and remained nearly two years, 

 collecting and exploring. In the winter of 1858, his family, hitherto in Europe, 



