Third. General Zoology of the State.*" 



It will be noticed, upon comparison, that so far as regards Phys- 

 ical Geography, Scientific and Economical Geology and the con- 

 comitant science of Mineralogy, the Statutes of 1844 and 1853 

 imposed similar duties upon the State Geologist and State Natu- 

 ralist to which there can be, probably, no well-planted objection 

 except to that requirement by which he is expected to make "care- 

 ful and complete analyses of soils " with a view to a special appli- 

 cation of Geology to Agriculture. Upon the doubtful utility of 

 this requirement, I propose to offer some remarks in their proper 

 place. 



By the act of 1853, Botany and the General Zoology of the State 

 are added to the previous act of 1844, thereby obviously contem- 

 plating a complete Natural History of Vermont, in three parts or 

 subdivisions a design which, if Providence had permitted Prof. 

 Thompson to carry out to completion, would have possibly 

 surpassed any thing of the kind in any of our sister States. It 

 was one of Professor Thompson's most ardent earthly aspirations 

 that he might be allowed to present to the world in an entire, 

 well-planned and well-executed work, the Physical Geography, 

 and Natural History of his native State ; and from the liberal 

 Views which prompted the passage of the act of 1653 it is obvious 

 that a like laudable feeling and ambition pervaded the General 

 Assembly. But in the death of Professor Thompson such ex- 

 pectations have been disappointed ; and we may be compelled to 

 satisfy ourselves with or rather to submit to such a Geological 

 Survey as has, in general, been satisfactory to different States in 

 our Union, consisting of carefully prepared and arranged reports 

 upon the Natural History of Vermont. It is no disparagement 

 to any living Naturalist or Geologist to express a doubt whether 

 for many years to come there will be found among us another gen- 

 tleman so ardent in his feelings upon the subject, or so well fitted 

 by life-long series of observations and scientific examinations, to 

 execute on behalf of the State a task of such magnitude and im- 

 portance as was the late and highly gifted State Naturalist, Pro. 

 fessor Zadock Thompson. 



We may, however, gather consolation in the fact that so far as 



* See Appendix Nd- 3. 



