Norton,-The Botanical Survey of Maine


  two lichens and one moss. Young made no attempt to include the
  result of his dredging operations in the report, or to enumerate the
  non-vascular Cryptogams which he evidently collected on or near
  Katahdin. The chief emphasis of the report is placed on the survey
  of Mount Katahdin. Here he enumerates the vascular cryptogams,
  Coniferales, Graminales, Liliales, some other prominent herbaceous
  groups, and the woody plants of the mountains. On the coast he
  touched either upon the most conspicuous or the rarer species, few in
  number, and in York County almost entirely upon the trees and
  shrubs.
    By March, 1848, he had prepared the first volume of a proposed
 Exsiccatae of the "Flora of Maine." One or more copies of this was
 exhibited at various cities, Portland, Boston and New York, and a
 copy seems to have been presented to Hon. Nathan Dane Appleton,
 yet no copy in the original' condition seems to be known in existence
 today.
   The following abstract by Dr. Asa Gray2 gives the most complete
 description of the title and nature of the work which we have dis-
 covered.
   A Flora of Maine, illustrated with specimens from Nature, arranged ac-
 cording to the Natural System, and containing Descriptions of all the known
 Indigenous Plants Growing in the State, etc. by AARON YOUNG, JR. Bangor,
 1848. Vol. I.
   We have seen a specimen volume of this work, which Mr. Young who
 was recently appointed to make a botanical survey of the State of Maine
 is engaged in publishing, "in so unique a manner." It is a large folio
 volume, very handsomely bound in cloth, and containing fair specimens
 of about forty plants of the state, each fastened to a sheet of thick paper
 protected by a fly leaf, and accompanied by another leaf containing the
 name of the natural family to which the species belongs, its generic,
 specific, and popular names, a specific character, place of growth, time of
 flowering, and some descriptive or popular remarks. Mr. Young proposes
 to publish all the plants of his state in this manner, "in about twenty
 volumes" (which however, will not be sufficient for the purpose), and
 offers the whole to subscribers for $100, or the volumes "of from five to
 ten decades each" at six dollars. No doubt there will be a ready demand
 for as many copies as he can prepare, "of the present magnificent size"
 and style; but how they can be afforded at this price is entirely beyond
 our comprehension. That it is not done at the expense of the State, but
 at the author's proper expense, is evident from the fact, that, the appro-
 priation for conducting the botanical survey appears to be only two
 hundred dollars per annum for three years.
                                                           A. Ga.
  I Dr. M. L. Fernald informs the writcr that there is a set in the Gray Herbarium
which has been taken apart and the specimens distributed according to the classifi-
cation of the Herbarium.
  2 1848. Am. Journ, Sci. 2 s. V. 453.


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