11 



its members. The geological structure of New England is 

 now as well understood as that of any equally large part of 

 Europe. Geological surveys of each of the six New England 

 States have been authorized by their governments, and in five 

 of them the work has been performed by members of this 

 society. 1 The project of the geological and zoological sur- 

 veys of this commonwealth, was from its inception to its ac- 

 complishment, the work of members of this Society ; they 

 proposed it, advocated it, urged it, and finally carried it into 

 execution. It was the first of the kind fully completed, and 

 we are happy in believing that, as models for those which 

 were to follow, the volumes which resulted were not unwor- 

 thy of imitation. Its accomplishment formed an era in the 

 progress of natural history in the United States, the effect of 

 which is not likely to cease in our day. There is, at this 

 time, in the community, scarcely a gentleman of general intel- 

 ligence and reading who is not acquainted with the leading 

 doctrines of geology ; and the public itself no longer views 

 its developments with incredulous doubt, but receives them as 

 a part of the accredited facts of science. 



We have now not merely catalogues, but elaborate works, 

 upon the Zoology of Massachusetts. The mammalian ani- 

 mals of our state, its birds, its reptiles, its fishes, its testa- 

 ceans, its insects, and others of its invertebrate animals, have 

 been scientifically described and amply illustrated by members 

 of this Society, in volumes which are a part of the standard 

 stock of knowledge, and which are now as essential to the 

 student of American zoology as the works of Linnaeus and 

 Lamarck. A general work on the Ichthyology of the United 

 States, has recently been prepared by one of our members, 

 which does great credit to him and to the science of the 

 country, and elaborate works in other departments are known 

 to be in preparation. 



1 A work of acknowledged merit on the Geology of Nova Scotia, by two of our 

 members, had already been published. 



