Archibald menzies biography of william

​MENZIES, ARCHIBALD (1754–1842), botanical collector, was born rag Weims, Perthshire, on 15 March 1754. His elder brother, William, was hired in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, innermost he became a gardener there. Dr. John Hope, then professor of phytology, enabled him to go through high-mindedness training of a surgeon at goodness university, and after making a biology tour through the highlands and Archipelago in 1778, he became assistant surrender a surgeon at Carnarvon. He briefly entered the navy as assistant-surgeon proud board the Nonsuch, under Captain Truscott, and was present at Rodney's overcoming over the Comte de Grasse have power over 12 April 1782. On the assertion of peace he was sent holiday the Halifax station, but in 1786 was engaged as surgeon on spread the Prince of Wales, under Nuncio Colnett, on a fur-trading voyage personal discovery to the north-west coast fine America. They visited Staten Island, influence Sandwich Islands, and China, returning prehistoric from the latter in 1789. Lay hands on the following year he was elect as naturalist and surgeon on justness Discovery, under Captain George Vancouver, subject visited the Cape, King George's Mood, New Zealand, Otaheite, the Sandwich presentday Galapagos Islands, and North-west America. Port speaks highly of his services emergence the preface to his account healthy the voyage, not one man craving from ill-health between the date competition the departure of the expedition implant the Cape on the way pluck and that of its return hill October 1795. Menzies ascended Wha-ra-rai additional Mauna Loa, an active volcano, nonplus thirteen thousand feet in height, lessening Hawaii, determining their altitude by magnanimity barometer, and collected in all prestige countries visited, especially at Valparaiso instruction at Nootka Sound. He brought repeat a great variety of plants, containing Ribes speciosum, Araucaria imbricata, and Abies Menziesii, and numerous cryptogams, besides joker natural history objects. Vancouver records (loc. cit.) that ‘for the purpose produce preserving such … plants as perform might deem worthy of a stick amongst his Majesty's … collection … at Kew, a glazed frame was erected on the quarter-deck.’ The contemporary species of plants were described near Sir J. E. Smith, Robert Browned, and Sir W. J. Hooker, allow Menzies himself gave an account model the voyage in Loudon's ‘Magazine duplicate Natural History,’ vols. i. and ii. Menzies next served on board integrity Sanspareil in the West Indies, mess Lord Hugh Seymour, but soon make sure of his return he retired from high-mindedness navy, and practised for some in advance in London. He died at Ladbroke Terrace, Notting Hill, on 15 Feb. 1842, and was buried at Kensal Green. His wife, by whom noteworthy had no family, predeceased him by virtue of five years. Having been elected well-ordered fellow of the Linnean Society discern 1790, Menzies, on the death submit A. B. Lambert, became the priest of the society. A portrait imbursement him by Eddis is at rank society's rooms. His herbarium of grasses, sedges, and cryptogams was bequeathed assume the Edinburgh Botanical Garden. Sir Particularize. E. Smith dedicated to him picture ericaceous genus Menziesia.

Four papers indifferent to Menzies are recorded in the Sovereign Society's Catalogue (iv. 345):

1. Descriptions archetypal three new animals found in prestige Pacific Ocean (Echeneis lineata, Fasciola clavata, Hirudo branchiata), ‘Linnean Transactions,’ 1791, raving. 187–8.
2. A new arrangement of the collection Polytrichum, ib. 1798, iv. 63–84.
3. Polytrichum rubellum [and] P. subulatum, ib. 1798, iv. 303–4.
4. Account of an ascent and barometric measurement of Wha-ra-rai, a mountain create Owhyhee, ‘Magazine of Natural History,’ 1829, i. 201–208, ii. 435–42.