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INTRODUCTION. 



On the 3d of March, 1830, a resolve passed the 

 Legislature of Massachusetts, authorizing a general 

 Trigonometrical Survey of the Commonwealth. This 

 was followed, on the 5th of June of the same year, by a 

 Resolve, introduced at the suggestion of Governor Lin- 

 coln, authorizing him to appoint a "suitable person to 

 make a Geological Examination of the Commonwealth, 

 in connexion with the General Survey." 



Under this Resolve Prof. Hitchcock was appointed, 

 and the manner in which he accomplished its objects is 

 shown by his admirable Report, published in 1833. 



In conformity with a Resolve of the Legislature, of 

 February 2d, 1831, he was directed " to cause to be 

 annexed to his report, a list of the native Mineralogical, 

 Botanical and Zoological productions of the Common- 

 wealth, so far as it may be practicable to ascertain the 

 same, within the limits of the appropriation already 

 made." 



In the execution of this part of the commission, he 

 received and acknowledged the " assistance of several 

 gentlemen distinguished for their acquaintance with 

 particular branches of natural history." The catalogues 

 which were formed, were, iji almost every instance, the 

 first complete catalogues of the productions of the State, 

 which had been attempted. In Botany, very full ac- 



