e & 
Cabinet of Natural History. 7 
ing two woolen manufactories, two of cotton, three of carpetings, 
one paper mill, several founderies, three steam engine manufactories, 
one brass foundery, three flouring mills, one silver plate manufactory 
and three copperas manufactories, with many other mechanical ope- 
rations usually carried on in our large western towns. There are 
three printing offices issuing weekly papers, six churches, one bank, 
one market house, and thirty trading stores. An abundant supply 
of bituminous coal is found in the adjacent hills for conducting all 
the various manufactures, and for domestic uses. The continual 
cloud of dust arising from its combustion, gives rather a sombre look 
to the buildings and streets, a feature, however, common to all man- 
ufacturing towns. 
Cabinet of Natural History.—May 7: I spent a part of the 
forenoon in examining Judge T.’s Cabinet of Natural History. He 
has a fine collection of haimaetle shells and fossil organic remains. 
The minerals embrace nearly twelve hundred species, arranged in 
natural families. The fresh water shells amount to nearly one 
hundred species, the greater number of which are peculiar to our 
streams. ‘The family of the Uniones alone contains about ninety 
species, all natives of the western waters. His collection of ma- 
rine shells is also very fine. The library of the Judge embraces, 
besides a due proportion belonging to his own profession, many of the 
most valuable writings of Cuvier and Brongniart, in their original 
language, on the animal kingdom, as well as fossil organic remains. 
It is truly gratifying to see even a small part of the wealth of our 
country, and a share of its most brilliant intellect, devoted to 7" 
study and the development of the natural history of ‘ the west ;” 
subject deeply interesting, but until recently, shrouded in a 
darkness; within a few years, however, many bright lights have 
been kindled, which promise to illustrate the hidden arcana of nature. 
The Conchology and Botany of the great valley have been pretty 
thoroughly examined, while .Entomology, one of the most fertile 
branches, has been but partially investigated, although the indefati- 
gable Say made a very fair beginning. The study of fossil vegeta- 
ble and animal remains, of which the valley of the Mississippi is 
one vast cemetery, yet remains an almost entirely unexplored field.* 
_* The readers of this Journal have only to refer to Volume xxrx. No. 1 
Sinple evidence, furnished a Dr. Hildreth, that mn nck, has been scomplihed ys 
