Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 73.djvu/503

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BOTANY AT ST. LOUIS
499
for publication in your valuable journal. Those species which are presented as new are minutely described, and in all cases where the western specimens of known plants differ from the eastern, this difference is stated. By this means we shall become acquainted with, at least, some of the peculiarities in the vegetation of that interesting section of the United States. Concerning the more common plants, the habitats and times of flowering only are mentioned. The catalogue, it is hoped will contribute somewhat to increase our stock of knowledge, and will be particularly interesting to geographical botanists, and to future waiters upon the botany of the United States.

This annotated list, which was continued in three volumes of Sillimans Journal, mentions about two hundred species of plants, and is the earliest extensive list known to the writer. Many of Beck's plants are cited in Riddel's "Synopsis of the Flora of the Western States," published in 1835, but apparently only a portion of them are so mentioned.

In 1822 Beck moved back to Albany and remained there the rest of his life. He held positions as professor of botany and other sciences at a number of institutions up to the time of his death; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rutgers College and Albany Medical College being those with which he was most prominently connected. Dr. Beck was well known in botanical circles, being the author of a manual of the botany of the northern and middle states, 6f which two editions were issued. He also published a number of botanical papers. He was a well-known writer on chemical and medical subjects besides; and published a manual of chemistry which passed through four editions. He seems to have been a conservative writer, as his bibliography contains but twenty-three titles. Dr. Beck died at Albany on April 20, 1853.

After Beck closed his work in the vicinity of St. Louis there seems to have been a period of nearly ten years when there was no botanical work done. In 1831, however, there began a period of activity which has continued more or less regularly up to the present time. The first botanist to start this activity was Thomas Drummond.

(To be continued)