DR. EMMONS' REPORT. 



To His Excellency^ 



Edward Everett, 



Governor of the State of Massachusetts : 



Sir, — The subscriber in fulfilment of the trust committed to him 

 by the Executive, to make farther investigations in relation to the 

 animals of this State, offers the following Report : 



In the first place, I deem it proper to state the difficulty I met 

 with in satisfying myself as to the manner in which the work ought to 

 be performed. The difficulty arose not from a deficiency of interest, 

 nor a want of importance to a scientific public, but from a doubt how 

 the work could be made of practical importance to the community at 

 large ; the requirement that it should possess this character, being 

 distinctly set forth in the commission. 



After some reflection on the subject, and consultation with the 

 gentlemen associated in the enterprize, it was considered expedient 

 to confine my investigations, in part at least, to the domestic animals. 

 Though this field has been occupied more or less by members of 

 our excellent Agricultural Societies, still, many facts, it was suppos- 

 ed, might be gleaned, highly useful to the public. 



In addition to the above, as well as to what has been made public, 

 concerning the animals of the state, in the preceding reports, I de- 

 termined to figure and describe some of the rarer animals which had 

 come under my particular notice. This part of the work seemed to 

 be left discretionary, as no adequate provision had been made for its 

 execution ; but no doubt could be entertained of its acceptability, if 

 correctly performed. Another consideration which has induced me 

 to undertake this difficult task, is the fact, that many of our animals 

 are incorrectly described and badly figured. This is said without im- 

 puting to any one of our naturalists, inattention or incompetency. 

 The subject has inherent difficulties, and it cannot be expected that 

 any individual can give a full and correct account even of the animals 



