Geological Reports. 187 



6. To ascertain the best methods of destroying injurious plants. 



7. To embody in the final report the most useful applications of 

 botanical knowledge to agriculture, &;c. 



8. To prepare a State Flora — in the most intelligible and useful 

 form. 



Dr. De Kay states, that from a hasty estimate, it is supposed "that 

 the various forms of animated nature exist in about the following 

 proportions : 



Mammalia, 60 



Birds, 275 



Reptiles and Fishes, - - - - 250 

 Mollusca, ------ 200 



Insects, 3,000" 



The preliminary reports of the state geologists now printed, have 

 a primary reference to those facts that are of practical utility — the 

 more full scientific views being reserved for the final reports. 



Dr. Beck's report on mineralogy and chemical analysis presents 

 the ores of iron as forming a primary — probably the primary mineral 

 interest of the state. They are numerous, both in kind and locality, 

 and the annexed analyses shew them to be rich : their actual explo- 

 ration and manufacture is already great, but being still only in infancy, 

 vast results may hereafter be anticipated. 



There are valuable deposits of lead, with ores of zinc ; for details 

 we have no room. This department is ably sustained. 



Lt. Mather, assisted by Mr. C. Briggs, Jr. reports on the first ge- 

 ological district, including Long and Staten Islands, and all south of 

 the head of Lake Champlain, southwest to the Delaware river, and 

 along the eastern and northern boundaries of Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey, and the western boundary of the eastern states to the head of 

 Lake Champlain. 



Among useful substances — building materials, rocks and clays for 

 brick and pottery, limestones for lime, iron ore, lignite, peat, and shell 

 marl, mineral waters and soils form prominent and important subjects. 

 The encroachments and changes produced by the sea and the 

 winds along the extensive island-coasts, forming beaches, shoals, 

 spits, &tc. and giving rise to land slides, sand, dunes, salt marshes or 

 marsh alluvions, alluvial sandstones, clays, &:c. are set forth in an in- 

 teresting and striking manner, and, along with the erratic blocks, 

 afford fine subjects for theoretical as well as practical geology. We 

 have viewed these scenes with the same interest which they have 

 excited in the minds of the geologists. 



