Charles Pickering (November 10, 1805 – March 17, 1878) was an American naturalist.
Born in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, the grandson of Colonel Thomas Pickering , he grew up in Wenham, Massachusetts and received a medical degree from Harvard University in 1823. A practicing physician in Philadelphia, he became active as librarian and curator at the city's Academy of Natural Sciences.
Pickering went with the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 as one of its naturalists, then upon his return was appointed to a post at the Patent Office. This did not last long; in 1843 he traveled to Africa and India to research native races.
He later moved to Boston, where he resumed his medical practice.
Books
- Races of Man and Their Geographical Distribution (1848)
- Geographical Distribution of Animals and Plants (1854)
- Geographical Distribution of Plants (1861)
- Chronological History of Plants: Man's Record of His Own Existence Illustrated through Their Names, Uses, and Companionship (1879)
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