MR. EMERSON'S REPORT. 



To His Excellency, Governor Everett : 



Sir : — I transmit a Report from Dr. Harris, upon the habits of 

 some insects injurious to vegetation, in Massachusetts, and a Report 

 from Dr. Gould upon the Molluscous and other inferior animals. 

 These, with the reports I have already had the honor to transmit to 

 your Excellency, although confessedly incomplete, are all. that the 

 Commissioners for the Botanical and Zoological Survey will be able 

 to present, during the present season. Those upon the Botanical 

 Survey are necessarily deferred, a single full year not having elapsed 

 since the date of our commission. 



Immediately after receiving from your Excellency that commis- 

 sion, which bore date June 10th, 1837, and by which Drs. Emmons, 

 Gould, Harris, and Storer, and Messrs. Dewey, and Peabody, and 

 myself were appointed upon the Botanical and Zoological Survey of 

 the State, authorized by a resolve of April ISth, I made known to 

 the other gentlemen the fact of their appointment, and laid before them 

 the letter of instructions received from your Excellency. The great 

 distance from the metropolis at which three of the gentlemen resided, 

 making it inconvenient to have a full meeting, as would have been 

 desirable, and as was recommended by your Excellency, I conferred 

 with those gentlemen of the commission who resided in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity, and communicated with the others by letter, and thus ar- 

 ranged with them, by mutual agreement, an assignment of the sepa- 

 rate portions of the work which should be undertaken by each. 



In this arrangement, Dr. Emmons undertook to report upon the 

 Mammalia of the State ; Dr. Storer, upon the Fishes and Reptiles ; 

 Mr. Peabody, upon the Birds ; Dr. Harris, upon the Insects ; Dr. 

 Gould, upon the animals of the lower orders ; Professor Dewey, 



