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RABBIT BERRY. 
wholly a native of the northern and western regions of 
North America. Dr. Richardson observed it on the 
banks of the Saskatchewan, between Carlton and Ed- 
monton House Forts, in the latitude of 54, and Major 
Long’s party found it growing on the borders of Rainy 
Lake, about latitude 49. On the banks of the Missouri, 
the limit of its southern range is the borders of the 
Platte, but it appeared to be most abundant and fertile 
around Fort Mandan, or the Great Northern bend of the 
Missouri, in about the latitude of 48; here it becomes a 
small tree 12 to 18 feet in height, and when adorned 
with its brilliant scarlet berries, produced in thick clus- 
ters so as almost to conceal the branches, few objects 
are more ornamental, contrasted also with the silvery 
hue of the leaves, which reminds one of the useful olive; 
it presents at once an appearance both striking and 
novel. 
Amongst the natives and Canadian voyageurs it has 
several different names. According to Lewis and 
Clarke, it was known on the Missouri, to the natives, 
by the name of the Rabbit Berry, from being fed on 
probably by those animals, and it was met with by their 
party in the gorges of the Rocky Mountains. Rich- 
ardson says the Creek Indians give it a name which 
signifies Bloody Berry, (Metheoo-meeva,) from the sin- 
gular redness and transparency of its fruit. The Cana- 
dian voyageurs called it Graisse de hceuf, or Buffaloe-fat, 
from the imaginary relish of the berries, or from the 
practice of mixing them with their fat pounded meat or 
pemican. 
In 1815 I introduced a plant into the Liverpool 
botanic garden, but being kept in the greenhouse, it was, 
I presume, killed with kindness, and was soon lost. 
About 12 or 15 years ago, my friends Messrs. Wind- 
ships, of Brighton, in Massachusetts, in the vicinity of 
