1910. 
Somiology of North America, 
including the 
Flora and Fauna, or the Botany and Zoology of 
ıhe United States of America and the Adjacent 
Countries. 
3 (Zele et Perseverance.) 
w Adanfon and Poired have propofed a plan, by 
which all the known Plants misht be gradually figured 
and defcribed, at [uch a rate, as might fuit every talte 
and any body, Superleding therefere, and preventing 
the continual publications of cölily compilations, illus- 
tratious amıl iconographies of Plants, who senerally do 
more harm than good, and are in all cales above the 
means of the real Bolaniſt or the ufeful clalles of focie- 
ty. Their plan has never been put into execution, be- 
caule it ſuiks better the generality of authors and pub- 
liskers,:t0 throw into the public a variety of coſtly works, 
than a cheap but nlefnl one, 
. S. Ralinesque, however, will attempt, at lalt, to car- 
xy into execulion an undertakirg,nearly on the propofed 
plan, relpecling the Planis and Animals of the United 
Stakes, or Nortli America in general: the moli materi- 
al deviations Will relate tho the introduction of the Ani- 
mals thereio, Ihe adoption of the 8vo. fize inſtead of the 
ato. and the figures Pens engraved »on wood inſtead of 
copper, in order io be afforted eheaper. This plan will 
therefore combine the numerous advantages of the for- 
mer, to many of its own, and it is hoped it will cla m 
tlıe patronage of all the enligthened men in America, Eu- 
rope aud eilewhere. As tlie greateſt difficulties in un- 
dertakings of fuch magnitude always lay in tlie firft 
eps, it is probable that if they are overcome in this in 
ſtande, limilar attempts will be undertaken in Europe, 
in order to deferibe in a perpetual manner, the natural 
Productions of the other parts of the world; and if they 
are entirely modelled on the prelent plan, will complete 
of courle an uuparalieled Fabric of Science, railed to tlıe 
glory op Nature. In this inltauce, therefore, as in many 
others, America will haye given the lead, which ought 
to procare to the prelent -undertaking, the character of 
a national work, ; f a 
The outlines of this plan are as follow. Every [pecies 
of Plant and Animal will be drawn by C. S. Rafınesque or 
under his direclion, from a living or well preferved ſpe- 
cimen, with de flowers or peculiar organs properly mag- 
nified, and engraved on wood in a plate of evo. e, in 
a peculiar neat style, by eminent engravers, aud each by 
itfelf. However, minute I[pecies of Plants and Animals 
may be ſometimes united two or feveral in a plate z, but 
in that cafe, proper care shall be taken that fuch Plants 
and Animals do belong to the lame genus and füb-genus, 
in the moſt firiet- lenfe uf the words. To [uch a plate 
shall be anuexeda full account of the [pecie, or Ipecies, 
therein figured, contained in two, three, or more pages 
svo ob letter preßs, an good paper and the, and divi 
ded ia ix parts. ı Nomenclature, #uchrding Deno- 
minat ons, Or Names, Synonyinies and Eiymologies. 2. 
Diagnolis, including Fhrafes, Delinitions, Opinparalions, 
Littergriſcher Anzeiger. 
proſpect of genera. 
Nr. V 1 
and Iconography. 3. Delcription, including Habii, ger 
neral Defcription, Oualilies aud Varieties. 4. Hiſtory, 
including Difeovery, Olalſificalion, Critieism, Geogra- 
phy and Biography. 5. Properties, including Ules, 
Sußſtitutes, Analylis and Value. 6. Peculiarıties, in- 
DE Culture, Soil, Food, Functions, Manners, Eue- 
mies, Diforders, Plıenomena, etc. 
This undertaking will begiu in 1818. as fome time is 
required to collect by travels and correlpondence exten- 
five materials, books of reference and fubferiptions z 
but when hesun, from twenty to fifty plates, etc. will be 
illued monthly. It is contemplated te begin hy giving 
in the firlt inſtance, a plate for every Natural Clals, Or- 
der and Family, which, when bound by themfelves, will 
answer the purpole of a Key lo. thole ellential diviſions 
of living Baer Next will follow a plate for every Ge- 
nus of animals and Plants, anfweriug io a complete 
In each of thole caſes, the Iubjecis 
will be felected among the moſt ufeful, orhamental, rare 
or unſigured. 
The next object will be to give plates and hiſtories 
of every uleful, ornamental, medical or noxious plant 
and animal; while the rare and indifferent [pecies, or 
füuch as have only a value in the minds of thofe to whom 
no production of nature appear unworthy of notice, will 
Finnen follow, until the whole Animal and Vegetable 
singdoms of North America, will be completely explo- 
red and defceribed, With the exception perhaps of fuch 
new Ipecies or remarkable varieties as may Hereafter be 
ſound, and which will by eafily introduced, as soon as 
discovered, be a few additional plates. 8 
The moſt effential advantage of this plan (and Which 
may give (o it the character ol a popular work) lays int 
the fo lowing eircumftance, that fublcribers or purcha- 
lers will not be obliged to purchaſe the whole, but me- 
rely, fuch parts, lets, claffes or orders thereof, as [uits' 
their taſte, purluits or wants: for inſtance, the phyfi- 
cian may procure all the medical and nosious plants and 
animals. The farmer, all thoſe that are cultivated in 
fields, mead»ws, eto. The gardener, all the ornamental 
and hortieultural ones. The ladies, fuch flowers or oh- 
jecls as invite their altenlion. The [portsman, ſuch 
bealts and birds as afford them their [ports. The angler, 
fuch fishes as they delight to decoy, ele, The entomo- 
logıli, the inſeols and the plants they feed upon. The 
merchaut, the animals and plants which afford furs, 
drugs and other articles of trade, etc. and, any one Ihe 
lants and animals of their owu late or neighhourhood. 
Fach of thofe clalles of foeiety will find in their reſpec- 
tive lets, good figures of every object, by which means 
they will be enabled to kuow ihem at a mere glance, be- 
fides a full, complete, and accurate acount of the vari- 
ous names, techuical delcription, natural hiſtory, pro- 
perties, pecnliarities, etc. of each object or ſpecie; avoid- 
ing Ihereiore, forever, the polhbility of eonfounding aur 
more [pecies and objecls, and availing themfe ves of the 
information they will receive for their various purſuits 
in life. g 
Moreover, not only-feparate ſets wll be difpofed of, 
but fingle plates or numbers, to [uch as may have ‚ult 
fome, or may want them to amule ulefully their chil- 
dren, or for auy other pu:pole; evell plates Without let- 
ter preis Will be fold leparate; which circumſtance 
10 | 
