Friday, March 16, 2012

Belated

I knew it was Archibald Menzies' birthday yesterday, but I ran out of time to say so. I didn't know, however, that among the plants named after this scientific explorer of the west coast is a type of kelp. There's a little article (and pictures) on that here, at a thoroughly fascinating blog that concentrates on the natural history of a single location on the California coast. The variety shown in this blog coupled with the bizarre antics of the peacock spider that I mentioned last post are enough to confirm in anyone (well, me, anyway) a likely incurable case of natural history; so much amazement can be found in such a small area, be it a single beach or a single bush.

2 comments:

Mahri said...

Wow, Molly. You have mentioned Archibald Menzies before, so I am passingly familiar with himself and his work, but I had no idea that he was exploring the West Coast of the New World so early in its history. Thanks for the link; it was very interesting.

Molly said...

He's one of those fellows of whom I am extremely jealous, at a glance and of whom, I believe there are biographies circulating which I just might manage to get ahold of one of these days (so I can be more thoroughly jealous, I suppose).