74 THE NAUTILUS. 



lecting on the Pacific coast. In 1855, after tlie abandonment of the 

 survey, he was at Gray's Harbor, then at Whitby's Island, then for 

 six weeks in the Santa Clara Valley, in California, after which he 

 went to Panama to collect shells for his father, who wrote the article 

 on West Coast Shells for the Pacific E. R. Reports. Until 1860, 

 Dr. Cooper continued his field work on the Pacific coast, much of 

 the time at his own expense. In that year he was appointed Zoolo- 

 gist of the California State Geological Survey under Whitney. While 

 engaged in this work, he collected along the coast from San Diego 

 to Bolinas, as well as inland. His observations on the land birds 

 were embodied in the report on Ornithology, edited by Professor 

 Baird and justly regarded as " by far the most valuable contribution 

 to the biography of American birds that has appeared since the time 

 of Audubon." (Baird.) Dr. Cooper's report on Conchology still 

 remains in manuscript form in the library of the University of Cali- 

 fornia. This report contains information of the highest value, especi- 

 ally in its voluminous notes on geographical distribution. 



Through the latter part of the Civil W^ar, Dr. Cooper served as 

 surgeon in the Second Cavalry, California Volunteers. In 1866, at 

 Oakland, California, he married Miss Rosa M. Wells. His later life 

 was spent in the practice of his profession, until, with failing health, 

 he retired to Ventura county, then in 1875 to Haywards. Although 

 no longer as active in collecting as in earlier years, his scientific work 

 was continued with the ripe experience and knowledge of zoology 

 which the years had brought him. Some of his later work was done 

 for the State Mining Bureau in the identification of fossils, in the 

 description of new species, and in the publication of a Catalogue of 

 Californian Fossils. For the Academy of Sciences also, of which he 

 was an early member and at one time vice-president, he performed 

 valuable service, both in conchology and in palasontology. Some ot 

 his latest papers were based on material collected by members of the 

 Academy. 



Dr. Cooper published more than forty papers on conchology be- 

 tween 1859 and 1896. His discoveries of new species and varieties 

 of mollusks were numerous. Of the 116 new forms credited to him, 

 65 were described by Dr. Philip P. Carpenter, 16 by W. M. Gabb, 

 17 by Dr. Cooper himself, and the remainder by William Cooper, 

 Gould, Bland, Newcomb and Tryon. It is noticeable that so few 

 were described by Dr. Cooper. Owing to a lack of scientific books 



