13 [ 1 ] 



course of preparation by Professor Harvey of the University of Dublin, 

 Ireland, a gentleman who is recognized as the iirst authority in this branch 

 of Botany. He was induced to visit this country by an invitation to lec- 

 ture on the Algaa before the Lowell Institute, and by the opportunity 

 thus offered him of studying his favorite branch of science in a new region, 

 xifter completing his lectures, he made a collection of the marine plants 

 of our coast and offered to furnish drawings of the genera and species of 

 them with detailed descriptions free of all cost, provided the Institution 

 would bear the expense of publication. 



Upon the warm recommendation of some of the principal botanists of 

 tliis country, the lihei-al offer of Professor Harvey was accepted, iind he is 

 now engaged in making with his own hand the drawings on stone. — 

 The preparation of the whole work besides the time expended in collecting 

 the specimens, will occupy more than a year. This voluntary contribu- 

 tion to knowledge from a man of science may surprise those whose minds 

 are not liberalized by philosophical pursuits, and who cannot conceive any 

 object in labor unconnected with pecuniary gain. 



It is proposed to color the plates of a part of tlie edition of this work 

 and to offer the copies containing them for sale, to assist in defraying the 

 heavy expense of the publication, and to issue the work in parts so as to 

 distribute the cost through at least three years. 



In achlition to the foregoing an appendix — added to Mr. Squier's paper 

 on the ancient monuments of New York — has been printed. Also, there 

 has been such an urgent demand for copies of Mr. Ellet's paper on the 

 physical geography of the Mississippi Valley, that it has been -thought 

 advisable to reprint it and distribute the whole of the fust edition, among 

 all persons to whom a knowledge of its contents wouhl be of peculiar 

 importance. 



The several papers which have been described in this and the preceding 

 report will, when collected together, form the contents of the second and 

 ])art of the third volume. 



The plan adopted of printing each memoir with a separate title and 

 paging has been found to answer a good purpose. There is no delay in 

 printing one paper on account of the engraving of the plates of another, 

 and long before a volume can be completed, a separate memoir may be 

 widely circulated among those most interested in its perusal. As an ex- 

 ample of this, I may n\ention that one of the papers which forms part 

 of the second volume of the contributions, has already been reprinted in 

 the London and Edinl)urg Journal, with due cretlit given to this In- 

 stitution. 



REPORTS ON THE PROGRESS OF KNOWLEDGE. 



The income of the Institution as yet, has not l)een sufficient for fully 

 reducing to practice this part of (he plan of oiganization. The pre})ara- 

 tion of these reports can only i>e entrusted to those who arc familiar with 

 the suiijects, and well skilled in the art of composition, and the sirvices 

 of such persons cannot be ol>taine(l without an adecpiate reimmeration. Of 

 the several reports mentioned at the last meeting of the Board, but one 

 has been ])ui)!ished, viz : that on the discovery of the planet Neptune, by 

 Dr. B. A. Gould, of Cambridge, editor of the Astronomical Journal. It has 

 been stereotyped, and copies distributed amongst all our Meteorologkal 



