PREFACE. Vll 



and Marsh, that the Birds were drawn by the former 

 and engraved by the latter ; for Mr. Brown, that the 

 Wapiti, Beaver, Otter, Weasel, Wolverine, Lobster, Aca- 

 lephs, and many Insects, were both drawn and engraved 

 by him, and that he also engraved most of the Fishes ; 

 for Mrs. Dickinson, that the Reptiles and Fishes were 

 mainly drawn by her ; and for Mr. Richardson, that 

 he engraved many of the Mammals and Insects, and 

 all of the Mollusks and Polyps. 



I desire to express my sincere thanks to my personal 

 friends and others who have encouraged and aided me 

 in this undertaking; To Professor Jeffries Wyman I 

 am under obligations for information on several im- 

 portant points, and for the privilege of figuring a beau- 

 tiful specimen of Astrophyton ; to Professor A. E. Ver- 

 rill, of Yale College, for aid in selecting the cuts of 

 the Mammals, for important suggestions, and for read- 

 ing and criticising the proofs relating to Polyps; to 

 F. W. Putnam, Esq., Superintendent of the Essex In- 

 stitute, for reading the proofs relating to the Reptiles 

 and Fishes, and adding most useful notes on nomen- 

 clature and other not less important points ; to A. S. 

 Packard, Jr., M. D., for aid in the classification of In- 

 sects, and for other favors ; to Samuel H. Scudder, A. M., 

 Custodian Boston Society of Natural History, for aid in 

 selecting the cuts of the Insects, and for reading and 

 correcting the proofs treating of that group ; to Edward 

 S. Morse, Esq., for reading the proofs relating to Mollusks, 

 and for other favors ; and to Professor H. James Clark, 

 for reading the proofs relating to Acalephs. I would 



