72 BIOLOaiCAL SOCIETY OF WASIIINGTOlSr. 



Wilsons American Ornithology was, in like manner, continued 

 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte [b. in Paris, May 24, 1S03, d. 

 in Paris, July 30, 1857], Pii^ce of Canino, and nephew of 

 Napoleon the First, a master in systematic zoology. Bonaparte 

 came to the United States about the year 1822, and returned to 

 Italy in 1S28. His contributions to zoological science were of 

 great importance. In 1827, he published in Pisa his " Specchio 

 comparativo delle ornithologie di Roma e di Filadelfia," and 

 from 1825 to 1S33 his " American Ornithology," containing de- 

 scriptions of over one hundred species of birds discovered by 

 himself. 



The publication of Torrey's " Flora of the Middle and North- 

 ern Sections of the United States " was an event of importance, 

 as was also Dr. W. J. Hooker's essay on the Botany of 

 America,* the first general treatise upon the American flora or 

 fauna, by a master abroad, is pretty sure evidence that the work 

 of home naturalists was beginning to tell. 



So, also, in a different way, was the appearance in 1829 of 

 the first edition of Mrs. Lincoln's "• Familiar Lectures on Bot- 

 any," a work which did much toward swelling the army of 

 amateur botanists. 



Important work was also in progress in geology. Eaton and 

 Beck were carrying on the Van Rensselaer survey of New York, 

 and in 18 18 the former published his " Index to the Geology of 

 the Northern States." Prof. Denison Olmstead, of the Univer- 

 sity of North Carolina, w^as completing the official survey of 

 that State — the first ever authorized by the government of a State. 



Prof. Lai-dner Vanuxem, of North Carolina, in 1828, made an 

 important advance', being the first to avail himself successfully of 

 paleontology for the determination of the age of several of our 

 formations, and their approximate synchronism with European 

 beds.f 



* Brewster's Edinburgh Journal of Science, iii, p. 103. 

 t Gill. 



