SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS, 



137 



CIECULAE 



OFFICERS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. 



The Smithsonian Institution has been engaged for several years 

 in the prosecution of researches relative to the climatology and 

 natural history of the continent of North America. For this 

 purpose the voluntary services of a large body of intelligent 

 correspondents, distributed throughout the entire territory of the 

 United States, have been secured, from whom records of changes 

 of the weather, and other phenomena, with facts and specimens 

 in natural history of much interest, have been obtained. 



The observations thus accumulated have been reduced, and the 

 results will shortly be published, both in tabular form and on 

 maps, illustrating the lines of equal temperature : of rain at dif- 

 ferent points : the mean direction and intensity of the wind : the 

 character of the land, whether forest or prairie, fertile or barren : 

 the distribution of various animals and vegetables, etc. Reports 

 have been issued, or are in preparation, embodying detailed 

 monographic descriptions of the Algre, the forest trees, the Yerte- 

 brata, insects, Mollusca, Crustacea, &c., of the continent ; and 

 efforts made generally to furnish a full and perfect account of its 

 natural and physical history. 



In the prosecution of these researches, a serious obstacle has 

 been experienced in the lack of sufficient data from the region 

 north of the boundary line of the United States, especially from 

 its more northern portion. The isolated observations and collec- 

 tions, which have from time to time been received, have proved 

 of great interest and importance ; but the Institution now desires 

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