47 [ 1 ] 



Fishes have been preserved In several museums throughout the country. 

 The Eoston Natural liistory Society has the best series of Morth Anieiican 

 marine s}X^cies. The New York Lyceum conies next. Neither possesses 

 many fresh water species, l)eing vastly exceeded in this respect by the col- 

 lections of Professor Agassiz and nty own. There is uiore difliculty in pre- 

 serving alcoholic specimens, (as collections of reptiles and fishes must, for 

 the most part necessarily be) than those that aie diied; it is to this fact 

 that the scanty representation of these classes of vertebrata, is owing. 



Among insects, Coleoptera have been almost exclusively studied. The 

 private collections of Messrs. Leconte, Ualdeman, ]\lorris, llanis, ]\lel- 

 sheimer and many others, are rich in species. The Messrs. Leconte, father 

 and son, have the largest of these, embracing many hundrtds iuid iiuieeii 

 thousands of undescribed species. The public collection oi' the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia, and others, are of less value. Le- 

 pidoptera, or butterflies and moths, come next. The best collection per- 

 haps of these, is that of Mr. Titian Peale, of Washington ; Messrs. Harris, 

 Morris, and Hakleman, and the Academy of Natuial Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia, have also good collections. 



Comparatively little is known of the other orders of insects. The Neu- 

 roptera and Orthoptera of New England have been collected by Dr. Harris ; 

 Diptera, Hemiptera, anil Hymeno})tera, have been almost entirely neglected. 

 Say is almost the only American Natui-alist who has occupietl the whole 

 field of Entomology. 



Spiders have been ably investigated and abundantly collected by Hentz, 

 who is still contimiing his labors in this department. ]\Iuch, howev.er, re- 

 mains to be done. 



The Podophthalmian Crustacea are preserved in various cabinets, although 

 many species yet await discovery. Messrs. Say, Dana, and Gibbes, are 

 the principal workers in this field. The remaining orders, as Amphipoda, 

 Entomostraca, Lsopoda, &c., &c., have been almost wholly neglected. 



The North American worms have never been collected to any extent. 



Of all invertebrata, the hai-d parts of Mollusca, or shells, have received 

 most attention in this countiy. There are mnnerous valuable cabinets, 

 public and private, including both domestic and foreign species. The best 

 public collection of American species, is probably that of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences. Among private ones, may be named those of Dr. John 

 C. Jay, John S. Phillips, Isaac Lea, Major John Leconte, J. G. Anthony, 

 Professor llaldeman, and others. Most of these gentlemen have had es- 

 pecial reference to Unionidae in their collections. Nothing, however, 

 has been done towards preserving a series of the animals of shells. 



Very little is known of the Radiata of North America. A few species 

 are preserved in public nuiseums, but by far the most extensive collection is 

 that belonging to Professor Agassiz. 



Phanerogamic plants have received much attention, and the ju-jvate col- 

 lections of Drs. Torrey, Gray and others, with numerous public ones of 

 greater or less extent, leave comparatively little to be desired in this respect. 

 Great additions are continually being received from the country west of 

 the Mississippi, in collections made by officers of the army and private indi- 

 viduals. Among these should be mentioned Col. Fremont, Col. Emory, 

 Capt. Stansbury, Major Rich, Messrs. Lindheimer, Wright, Fendler, Gregg, 

 Wislizenus, Drummond, and others. 



Cryptogamic botany has been considerably neglected until withui a few 



