PREFACE 3 



Whether this was a blunder or was purposely done 

 so as to bring out a bon mot, he rendered himself sus- 

 pect, and one will easily form an opinion how far to 

 trust such a man in his observations of natural history. 

 Immediately after the war, and almost at the same 

 time the united American states were visited by sundry 

 learned and intelligent men who had come over from 

 Europe with the express design of travelling through 

 the country. Germans, Swedes, French, English, 

 Dutch, and even an Italian conte, were present to muse 

 upon the wonders of the new states, and they journeyed 

 almost always with pen or black-lead in their hands. 

 But now, after the passage of several years, none of 

 them has been pleased to give to the public the results 

 of his observations, if I except the brief reports of Pro- 

 fessor Martyr, in the Physikal. Arbeiten der eintracht- 

 igen Freunde in Wien (ist and 3rd year, and 2nd year, 

 ist quarter). It may be that the others were deceived 

 in their expectations, not finding memorable things in 

 the hoped-for plenitude, and have done what I perhaps 

 should have done, in this respect not less unfortunate 

 than they, and more restricted in the items of time, cir- 

 cumstances, conveniences and helps. But since it may 

 be better to have a few contributions, rather than none, 

 to a knowledge of the latest status of these parts, I ven- 

 ture now, (only since I see that none of the travellers 

 mentioned has cared to forestall me), to give the dry 

 observations which offered themselves to me incident- 

 ally during a journey through the United States under- 

 taken with a different purpose in view. I willingly ad- 



