398 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. | (Vor. XXXIX. 
Samuel Johnson, according to Boswell, called him “a delightful 
fellow." In 1789, he was elected a correspondent of the 
Académie des Sciences of Paris. On March 26, 1820, he died 
at Arcueil, Paris, at the home of his friend Berthollet, the 
renowned chemist. 
Sir Joseph Banks was born on February 13, 1743. He 
attended Harrow and Eton where he was early interested in 
botany. He afterwards entered Christ College, Oxford, where 
he became interested in general natural history. From 1768 
until 1771, he fitted out and accompanied Cook's expedition on 
board the * Endeavor.” He died at Isleworth, June 19, 1820, 
and his collections and herbarium were finally placed in the 
British Museum, where it is not improbable some of the Rhode 
Island animals collected by Blagden, were sent. 
One of the letters under date of October 28, 1777, states that 
the specimens were sent to Europe on “the Brigantine Betsy, a 
Navy Victualer" in *twelve Kegs” “preserved in Rum” and 
Blagden writes: “Upon my appointment to the employment 
which brought me hither, Mr. Barrington desired that I would 
collect what things fell in my way for the use of his friend Mr. 
Lever. After considering as maturely as I could what would 
best answer everybody's purpose, I thought that desiring you 
& Mr. Barrington to accept the collection jointly between you, 
would be the properest step. Mr. Lever! wants anything that 
he happens not to have in his Museum, whether it tends to illus- 
trate Science or not; on the contrary nothing can be an object 
to you but what will conduce to the improvement of Natural 
History as a branch of Philosophy T qur All my apprehensions 
are, lest the coolness which has subsisted between you & Mr. 
B. should make this division unpleasant; but if it be possible, 
wave that on the present occasion out of your friendship to me ; 
if it be not possible, the last resource is, that you will each be 
so kind as to take six kegs apiece: At the same time consider, 
that at least 19 out of 20 of the things sent must be mere 
1S8; : : 
Sir Ashton Lever “expended an immense fortune in the formation of.... 
the Leverian Museum” near Manchester, which later was removed to London, 
and was finally sold “by way of lottery ” in 1785, to a Mr. Parkinson, who sold 
it by auction in 1805. 
