■jF.rou'N- \N>;rAi. addrkss. 



Tho clKMiiislry ol" |)1;iiits iiiul .•iiiimals is a siibjc'l as \cl Iml. 

 sliillitly worked, and one of iirowinu ini])ortaii(c. Wliilc it 

 f'ajiiiol l»o considered as ]o'-a] in ils i)atiir<\ tli(> (jnostion as to 

 }io\v much of variation in composition is possible, and to wiiat 

 ■extent suc!i \ariation is iitflueneed I)y climatic and other p!i\'s- 

 ieal conditions, is one which can only he (h-teiniined h\- hical 

 investiu'ations. Not oidy tiie ori>-;niisnis tlieniselves 1)ut tJie 

 product of oro-anie activity and oi-o-anic deeay and dissolution 

 :ire rich with unsolved problems. 



The prin.cipal means at ])i-esent existini;- for tlie iilnsti-ation 

 of the fauna, llora, ircoloii-y and mineraloiiv of the State are 

 <'onnected with educational institutions. 'I'hv Stale Tniver- 

 sity. Aiiricultural (V)lle,u-e, loua ("olleo-e at ( irijiiiell. Coi-nell 

 ("oiieo-e at Mt. \'ernon, and po.-sibl_\- some others posse.-s col- 

 lections of some extent. In all of tliese, however, and neces- 

 sai-ily from the (educational stnudpoiiit, it Mill he found that 

 much space is i>iven to foreign animals, and tliat our local 

 fauna is mea^-erly represented. In none of them is tliei-e anv- 

 thini;- like a comprehensive exhibit of t!ie State fauna. The 

 State Tniversity is rich in mammals fioni the Hornadav col- 

 lection, aiid will doubtless !i;;ve a u'ood i-ej)re<i'ntat ion of the 

 man.nnalian fauna of the State. Tlie Ao-ri(ailtural Colh^u-e !ias 

 :i fairly compb'te series of the l)irds of the State, citlier 

 mounted or in skins, .also considej-alile collections of re])tiles 

 and inseets. 



The nnis(Mnn of the Davenport Academy has a more local 

 object, and its nmseum is especially I'ich in anthropoloiry. 

 It will be sr>en that in no place in the State is their a eolh^e- 

 ti(m esi)ecially devoted to exhibitiuL;- the resources of the 

 State. 



For the i)urpos(^ of bi'ini;ini;- su'-h material t'>o-,.ther and 

 m:d<ini:- it available for i)iu-poses of kno\vle(lL;-e, we have <rreat 

 need of a State collection which may be said to have foi- its 

 special pm-pose the illustration- of the natural lii>tor\- of the 



