INTRODUCTION. V 



with a committee of the Boston Society of Natural His- 

 tory, reported in favor of a more full survey, and a re- 

 solve to the following effect was adopted : 



^'Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor, with 

 the advice and consent of the Council, is hereby author- 

 ized and requested to appoint some suitable person, or 

 persons, to make a further and thorough Geological, 

 Mineralogical, Botanical and Zoological Survey of this 

 Commonwealth, under his direction, particularly in ref- 

 erence to the discovery of Coal, Marl, and Ores, and an 

 analysis of the various soils of the State, relative to an 

 Agricultural benefit. And he is hereby authorized to 

 draw his warrant, from time to time, upon the treasurer 

 of this Commonwealth, for any sum not exceeding two 

 thousand five hundred dollars, for the foregoing purpo- 

 ses. Approved 12th April, 1837." 



For the execution of this Resolve, Prof. Hitchcock of 

 Amherst, was appointed by Gov. Everett, to continue 

 the Mineralogical and Geological Survey ; and Geo. B. 

 Emerson of Boston, President of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History, Chester Dewey, Professor of Botanv, 

 Materia Medica, &c. in the Berkshire Medical Institu- 

 tion, Ebenezer Emmons, M. D., Prof, of Natural His- 

 tory, &c. Williams College, Rev. Wm. B. 0. Peabody 

 of Springfield, T. W. Harris, M. D., Librarian in 

 Harvard University, D. H. Storer, M. D., and A. A. 

 Gould, M. D. of Boston, Curators in the Boston So- 

 ciety of Natural History, were commissioned to take 

 charge of the Botanical and Zoological Survey. 



In the letter of Governor Everett, accompanying the 

 commission for the latter survey, the chairman was in- 

 structed to confer with the other gentlemen on the 

 commission, that separate portions of the work might 



