f 
Geological Reports. 187 
6. To ascertain the best methods of destroying injurious plants, 
7. To embody in the final report the most useful applications of 
botanical knowledge to agriculture, &c. 
8. To prepare a State Flora—in the most intelligible and useful 
form. 
Dr. De Kay states, that from a hasty estimate, it is supposed ‘that 
the various forms of animated nature exist in about the following 
proportions : 
ee ~ - - - - - 60 
Bird - . - - - 275 
Reptiles and Fishes, - - - - 250 
Mollusca, = - - - - . 200 
Insects, - - 3,000” 
The wieRiniinaey reports of ine state aeobains now printed, have 
a primary reference to those facts that are of practical utility—the 
more full scientific views being reserved for the final reports. 
Dr. Beck’s report on mineralogy and chemical analysis presents 
the ores of iron as forming a primary—probably ‘he primary mineral 
interest of the state. They are numerous, both in kind and locality, 
and the annexed analyses shew them to be rich: their actual explo- 
ration and manufacture is already great, but being still only in infancy, 
vast results may hereafter be anticipated. 
There are valuable deposits of lead, with ores of zinc ; for details 
we have no room. This department is ably sustained. 
Lt. Mather, assisted by Mr. C. Briggs, Jr. reports on the first ge- 
ological district, including Long and Staten Islands, and all south of 
the head of Lake Champlain, southwest to the Delaware river, and 
along the eastern and northern boundaries of Pennsylvania and New 
Jersey, and the western boundary of the eastern states to the head of 
Lake Champlain. 
Among useful substances—building materials, rocks and slays for 
brick and pottery, limestones for lime, iron ore, lignite, peat, and shell 
marl, mineral waters and soils form prominent and important subjects. 
The encroachments and changes produced by the sea and the 
winds along the extensive island-coasts, forming beaches, shoals, 
spits, &c. and giving rise to land slides, sand, dunes, salt marshes or 
marsh alluvions, alluvial sandstones, clays, &c. are set forth in an in- 
teresting and striking manner, and, along with the erratic blocks, 
fine subjects for theoretical as well as practical geology. We 
have viewed these scenes with the same interest which they have 
excited in the minds of the geologists. 
