GG 



gation of the Flora of Buffalo and the formation of an Herbarium, 

 for its illustration. At the close of the year 1863, two seasons hav- 

 ing been spent in the field, the Committee had detected and identi- 

 fied 936 species, or well-marked varieties, of phsenogamous plants. 

 A list of these, and of 40 species of vascular cryptogams, which 

 had also been collected, was prepared by Judge Clinton and pub- 

 lished in the spring of 1864. 



The investigation thus begun, although not always prosecuted 

 with the assiduity which at first characterized it, has never since ceas- 

 ed. At the present time the plants which have been collected in our 

 region, and of which specimens are contained in the Herbarium of the 

 Society, amount to not less than 2800 species. It is confidently be- 

 lieved that except in the lower orders of the Cryptogamcz, the num- 

 ber of species belonging here, and which still remain to be discov- 

 ered, is comparatively small. Hence, the Society has deemed the 

 present time a proper one to give to the botanical world a Catalogue 

 of "The Plants of Buffalo and its Vicinity." 



In preparing such a catalogue for publication, it has been thought 

 well that it should embody the results (so far as they have proved 

 accessible) of the efforts of all persons, whether connected with the 

 Society or not, who, at any time, or in any degree, have contributed to 

 make a knowledge of our Flora more complete. For all such assist- 

 ance it has been intended that due credit should be given. But it 

 would be unpardonable if the declaration were not here placed upon 

 record, that to the tireless energy and zeal of the Society's first Presi- 

 dent, we are indebted for much the largest and most valuable 

 part of the labors epitomized in the Catalogue. From the founda- 

 tion of the Society until his recent removal from our city, Judge 

 Clinton freely gave to the exploration of our Flora, not only the 

 assiduous attention of a profound and discriminating mind, but also 

 such unremitting, physical labor as only the most devoted student of 

 nature could have bestowed. By his hands, specimens of all the 

 plants, except Algas, here enumerated, as well as some 20,000 more, 

 the product of other regions, procured by him for the Society, have 

 been labeled and arranged in its botanical collections, henceforth, 

 in grateful recognition of his services, to be known as " The Clin- 

 ton Herbarium." 



