Say should be described by Nuttall. The work was begun by this naturalist, but he was obliged to go to Europe, and was prevented from returning in season to do any more. The plants were accordingly put in the hands of von Schweinitz, who described them most acceptably.
Toward the end of 1823 the then well-known botanist communicated to the Lyceum of Natural History (now the Academy of Natural Sciences), of New York, a key or analytical table for determining the American species of Carex—the largest genus of the sedges. This production, though small in bulk, could result only from ample knowledge and exact discrimination. In 1824 the American Journal of Science published a short paper by him on the rarer plants of Easton, Pa. There was another synod at Herrnhut this year which it was necessary for him to attend, and, having a Monograph of the North American Carices about completed, he put the manuscript, together with a large collection of specimens, into the hands of Dr. Torrey, in order that the monograph might be communicated to the Lyceum of Natural History in his absence. He gave full liberty for making any additions or alterations warranted by Dr. Torrey's later discoveries. When he found, on returning, that his editor had made important additions to the number of species described, von Schweinitz, with characteristic conscientiousness, requested that the paper should be published as their joint production, saying that "the judicious and elaborate amendments he has proposed, and the mass of new and valuable matter he has added, entitle Dr. Torrey to a participation in the authorship of the work." The whole number of species described was one hundred and thirteen, of which six were new. This and the analytical table of the Carices were both printed in the first volume of the Annals of the Lyceum. In his absence a paper in which he described fifteen new American species of Sphærice, one of the largest genera of fungi, was communicated to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and appeared in vol. v of its Journal.
Von Schweinitz was absent till near the end of 1825. After his return he resumed his labors as general agent for the Brethren; the charge of the school, however, had been given up some time before. The great work to which he now devoted his attention was a Synopsis of North American Fungi. He had intended this for publication in one of the European journals, but was induced to present it, in 1831, to the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia. In this work three thousand and ninetyeight species, belonging to two hundred and forty-six genera, were described, of which twelve hundred and three species and seven genera had been discovered by the author. If to these discoveries we add those made by von Schweinitz in other orders of
