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AiiT. XV. — Description of some new and rare Plants disco- 
vered in Canada^ in the year 1819. By John Goldie. 
(Communicated by Dr Hooker.) 
i HE collection of plants from which those in the foUowing 
list are selected, was gathered under circumstances so unto- 
ward, and so unfavourable for botanical research, that I shall 
probably be pardoned for prefacing my account of them mth a 
short notice'of the journey, of which they were the produce, and 
the motives of it. 
Having had for many years a great desire to visit North 
America, chiefly with a view to examine and collect some of its 
vegetable productions, I contrived, in 1817, to obtain as much 
money as would just pay my passage there, leaving, when this 
was done, but a very small surplus. 
In the month of June I sailed from Leith, and landing at 
Halifax, remained for some days botanizing in the neighbour^ 
hood of that place, where I met with several plants which were 
interesting to me, especially a yellow flowered variety of Sarroi^ 
cenia purpurea^ which I have never since seen elsewhere. 
From hence I went to Quebec, carrying with me all the roots 
and specimens that I had obtained, which, together with the 
produce of two weeks’ researches in the neighbourhood of Que- 
bec, I put on board a vessel which was bound for Greenock, 
but never heard of them afterwards. Hence I proceeded to 
Montreal, where, meeting with Mr Pursh, author of the North 
American Flora, he advised me to turn my course towards the 
north-west country in the following spring, and promised to pro- 
cure me permission to accompany the traders leaving Montreal. 
I travelled on foot to Albany, and then proceeded by water tO 
New York. I remained but a short time in this last place, for 
I explored the eastern part of New Jersey, — a country which, 
though barren and thinly inhabited, yet presents many rarities 
to the botanist, and gave me more gratification than any part of 
Anierica that I have seen. At a place called Quaker’s Bridge 
I gathered some most interesting plants, and having accumu- 
lated as large a load as my back would carry, I took my jour- 
ney to Philadelphia, where I staid but a very short time ; for 
knowing that a ship v/as about to sail from New York to Scot- 
