PREFACE. 



The completion of Volume III. of the Proceedings of the Davenport 

 Academy of Natural Sciences closes the life-work of its youthful editor and 

 publisher, Joseph Duncan Putnam. As a fitting tribute to his memory, 

 this is made a memorial volume. 



It was through his earnest efforts that the plan for the publication of its 

 proceedings was inaugurated by the Academy in November, 1875. The first 

 volume was issued in 1876, under his editorial management. The publica- 

 tion of Volume II. was his individual enterprise. It was received with 

 favor by the scientific world, and brought large additions to our library and 

 museum. The first part of Volume III. was published by the Academy, 

 and contains the proceedings of the annual meeting of January 1st, 1879, 

 with a list of exchanges and donations during the years 1877 and 1878. To 

 secure the continuation of this publication, Mr. Putnam, on January 18th, 

 1881, removed to the Academy building his private press and printing 

 material, and made, at his own expense, such additions of type and mate- 

 rial as were found to be necessary for the work. The entire editorial super- 

 vision, until his death, was performed by Mr. Putnam, and, under this eco- 

 nomical arrangement, the printing of the second part of this volume steadily 

 proceeded. It contained the proceedings and scientific papers presented 

 during the years 1879, 1880, and 1881. 



The labors thereon of the young publisher were closed at page 128 by 

 his untimely death, December 10th, 1881. At this point the unfinished work 

 of Mr. Putnam was taken up by his associates and friends, and Part II. of 

 this volume was completed and issued in August, 1883. 



The Table of Contents indicates the general character of the contri- 

 butions during this period. They were largely made up of local investi- 

 gations into the natural history, antiquities, and geology of this district. 

 Other papers, from abroad, occupy the larger field of investigations opened 

 by our rapidly-developing western territories 



The third and concluding part of Volume III., published by the Acad- 

 emy, is also issued as a separate publication, and is exclusively devoted to 

 the memory of its late President, Joseph Duncan Putnam. 



The papers on the Solpugid* therein contained represent the scattered 

 notes which Mr. Putnam had been collecting for the purpose of preparing a 

 complete monograph and bibliography of this group. They embrace the 

 accumulations of a number of years of study and research in this line, and 

 it is greatly to be lamented that he could not himself have brought the ma- 

 terial together in shape for i)ublication. These notes have been collected, 

 prepared, and arranged for publication with conscientious care by Professor 

 Herbert Osborn, Entomologist of the Agricultural College, at Ames, Iowa, 



