ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



27 



important branch of the industry of the Pacific Coast. Considerable work has 

 been done, preliminary to a full report on the geology, mineralogy, and metal- 

 lurgy of the Washoe region. 



In the department of botany and agricultural geology, the work has thus far 

 been chiefly confined to collecting the plants of the State. 



Extensive duplicate suites have been preserved both for study and exchange, 

 the specimens now collected amounting to not less than twelve thousand or fif- 

 teen thousand in number, and embracing probably half of all the species de- 

 scribed from the State, besides many new and undescribed ones. The collect- 

 ions have been made by Professor Brewer while engaged in geological explora- 

 tions, at a very trifling expenditure of time and money. 



In the department of Agriculture proper, less has been done, owing to limited 

 means. Partial preparation was made for investigating the subject of grape 

 culture, and the production of wines ; but discontinued from the same cause. 

 Especial attention has been paid to our native forage plants, to aid in devising 

 some means of arresting the rapid decrease of forage in this State, and corres- 

 pondence entered into to obtain all possible information on this subject from 

 other regions whose climates are similar to our own. 



In the zoological department — in charge of Dr. J. G. Cooper, who has been 

 employed about half the time since the Survey was commenced — the annexed 

 table gives a succinct idea of what had been accomplished, up to the close of 

 the year 1862, in the way of collecting. 



Of Articulata and Radiata no statistics can be given for want of works 

 especially devoted to the California species. 



From this it appears that, notwithstanding the large collections made by 

 Government expeditions and by individuals, during the last ten years, which 

 have been elaborately described in the Pacific Railroad and Mexican Boundary 

 Reports, the Smithsonian publications, and various other works, we have been 

 able to add materially to the known Fauna of California, and of the country 

 at large, even among the highest and best known classes. 



Arrangements have been made for having the collections in natural history 

 referred to the highest authorities in each branch, and portions of our materials 

 have already been placed at the disposition of eminent men in Europe and the 

 United States for examination and description. 



