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XV. Letter to M. Lacepede, of Paris, on the Natural 

 History of North America. By Benjamin Smith 

 Barton, M.D. Professor of Materia Medicci, Natural 

 History^ and Botany, in the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania*, 



At is a long time since I have received a letter from you. 

 I have anxiously expected one, as I am very desirous to 

 know vi^hat progress you have made in your work f on 

 Fishes. I should, indeed, have been very glad if my leisure 

 had permitted me to have transcribed for your use a very 

 considerable number of facts relative to the fishes of North 

 America, especially of the United States. These facts will, 

 however, be published in two works in which I am en- 

 gaged, viz. my Fragments of the Natural History of Penn- 

 sylvania, and my Travels through various Parts of the 

 United States. I shall only observe at present, that many 

 of our fishes are undescribed by the different writers whom 

 I have had an opportunity of consulting; and I believe I 

 may assert that much very interesting matter relative to the 

 manners, the migrations, &c. of various American species 

 is entirely unnoticed. 



I exceedingly rejoice to find, by the French and other 

 foreign publications, that all the branches of natural history 

 are making so much progress in your country. On this 

 side of the Atlantic we also are doing something; as much, 

 perhaps, as could be expected from us. The museum, 

 founded by our countryman Mr. C. W. Pcale, is very re- 

 spectable, both for the number and value of the articles 

 which it contains. Within the last three or four years se- 

 veral new species of quadrvipeds, or mammalia, have been 

 discovered, and our knowledge concerning other species 

 has been greatly extended. You are, doubtless, well in- 

 formed that two pretty complete skeletons of the mammoth 

 (as it has long been called) have been discovered. One of 

 these has been sent to Europe, and it is probable that you 

 will have an opportunity of seeing it at Paris J. I think you 

 will have no hesitation in agreeing with nie, that this mon- 

 strous animal must be referred to the genus elephas. As 

 far as we are enabled to judge from the bony fabric of the 

 animal, (and I take this to be an excellent foundation upon 

 which to construct generic characters,) the American mam- 



• Communicated by the Author. f This has been published. 



\ Mr. Peale junior, after exhibiting the mammoth here spoken of in 

 London, returned with it for America without visiting the Continent of 

 Europe. — Edit. 



Vol. 22. No. 86. July 1805. G moth 



