COLDEN, CADWALLADER, lientenantegovernor of New York before the revolution, was the author of numerous works on subjects in medicine, natural philosophy, and botany. Hie father was minister of Ilene in Scotland, where he was born in 1688. He received his medical education at the University of Edinburgh, and in 1708 he emigrated to Pennsylvania, where for several yetsrs he practised as a physician. After visiting England, and having established a reputa tion by 'Remarks on Animal Secretions,' he returned to Pennsylvania, aud settled finally, in 1718, in New York, where he was appointed surveyor of the lands of the colony and master in chancery, with a seat in the king's council. His principal works nre—' A History of the Fire Indian Nations," An Account of the Diseases then prevalent in America," Au Essay on the Cause and Remedy of the Yellow Fever, so fatal at New York in 1743," A Treatise on Gravitation,' subsequently enlarged aud republished as ' Principles of Action in Matter,' with a treatise annexed, on the ' Elements of Fluxioue, or Differential Calculus;' 'An Introduction to Medicine,' Remarks on the Inaccuracy of the History of New York.' His favourite study was
botany. The 'Acta Upealienaie (for 174344, 'Plantar Novreboraceuees, contain his descriptions of several hundred American plants, of which 200 were new species. He left a long eerie. of meteorological obser cations, with a daily register of the thermometer and barometer; and several valuable manuscripts on the vital movement, properties,of light, intelligence of animals, and on the phenomena attending the mixture of metals. Among his correspondents were most of the leading scientifio an I learned characters of the age, as Franklin, the Earl of Macclesfield, Gronovius, and especially Linutous, who honoured him by naming a new species of plants Coldenia. He died at his seat on Long Island at the age of eighty-nine.