1867.] 191 [Annual Repo^^ 



ing the winter of 1838-39, JSfucula thracicefonnis was fre- 

 quently found in the stomachs of the sand-dab, but search for 

 them since has been ahnost fruitless. 



One of the first results of the joint action of the members 

 of this Society, and of which it has more reason to be proud 

 than any other, Avas the part taken by some of them in the 

 series of admirable reports on the natural history of the 

 State, presented to the General Court in compliance with a 

 legislative enactment. The report on the Trees was by Mr. 

 George B. Emerson, then President of the Society, on Fishes, 

 by Dr. D. H. Storer, on Insects Injurious to Vegetation, by 

 Dr. T. W. Harris, and on the Invertebrate Animals, except- 

 ing insects, by Dr. Gould. They at once gained for their 

 authors wide-spread reputation. 



The Molluscs were Dr. Gould's favorite subjects for study, 

 and his attention was chiefly given to them. Up to this time, 

 few if any attempts had been made to give as complete a 

 zoological survey as practicable of any particular region of 

 the United States. As regards the Molluscs, the descriptions 

 of Say, Conrad and others, pioneers in conchology, ]iertained 

 more to the Middle and Western States, than to New Eng- 

 land. Their writings were fragmentary and scattered through 

 the narratives of travels, journals of science, and even news- 

 papers. It was no small labor, therefore, to become ac- 

 quainted, merely as a preparation for his task, with the writ- 

 ings of his predecessors. To make his report as complete as 

 possible, and to ascertain what changes in the classification 

 of Molluscs recent important progress growing out of the 

 study of them would indicate, he opened correspondence for 

 information and exchanges with European naturalists inter- 

 ested in the same branch of study, who obligingly and cour- 

 teously lent their aid, and out of tliis correspondence grew 

 up long continued friendships. 



The report fills a volume of nearly four hundred pages, 

 illustrated by more than two hundred figures skilfully drawn 

 from nature by himself " Every species described," he says, 

 "indeed, almost every species mentioned, has passed under 

 my own eye. The descri23tions of species previously known, 

 have been written anew, partly that they might be more mi- 



