440 MICHIGAN SURVEY, 1905. 



In 1859, the Legislature passed an Act entitled ''An Act to finish the 

 Geological Survej^ of the State." The late Prof. Alexander Winchell was 

 appointed State Geologist and Prof. Manly Miles State Zoologist. 



The first report bears date December 31, 1860. It contains in addition 

 to other faimal lists, a catalogue of 161 species of shells, two of which Planorbis 

 truncatus and Unio leprosus are described as new. 



In the years, which had intervened between the publication of these cata 

 logues, in addition to such scientific activity as centered around the labors 

 of Dr. Sager and Prof. Winchell at the university, a little band of active 

 collectors residing at Grand Rapids had done much to develop the fauna 

 of the western part of the state. Alfred O. Currier, John A. McNeil, W. H. 

 DeCamp and L. H. Streng were the leaders. 



Mr. Currier came to Grand Rapids in 1850 from Troy, N. Y., where he 

 had become fascinated with the study of conchology from being associated 

 "vvdth that eminent conchologist, the late Dr. Wesley New^comb. He died in 

 1880 and his extensive collection became the property of the Kent Scien- 

 tific Institute of Grand Rapids. He pubhshed in 1859 (?) a ''List of Shells 

 Collected in the Grand River (Mich.) Valley," and in. 1865 a "Catalogue of 

 the Mollusca of Grand Rapids, Michigan." In 1867 he published descrip- 

 tions of four supposed new species from this state in the American Journal 

 of Conchology, III, p. 112. In 1868 he published as No. 1 of the Miscella- 

 neous Publications of the Kent Scientific Institute, an elaborate "Catalogue 

 of the Shell-bearing Mollusca of Michigan." This list was by far the most 

 complete yet published and enumerated 171 species and 6 varieties. 



Dr. DeCamp came to Grand Rapids in 1855. In the congenial company 

 of Mr. Currier he turned aside from botanical and geological work, which 

 had previously enlisted his attention, and from that time devoted his leisure 

 hours almost wholly to the study of our local mollusca. He accumulated 

 a large and valuable collection, and his time and specimens were always 

 at the service of his fellow collectors. In 1881, Dr. DeCamp, under the 

 auspices of the Kent Scientific Institute, pubhshed a "Catalogue of the 

 Shell-bearing Mollusca of Michigan," in which, in addition to the list of 221 

 species and 9 varieties, he figured and described three species named by Mr. 

 Currier, but never formally described. He died in 1898. 



In 1856, Mr. John A. McNeil settled in Grand Rapids, and became inter- 

 ested in the subject through Mr. Currier and Dr. DeCamp. He remained 

 there as an active and indefatigable collector until 1870, when he left and 

 made collections in Central and South America a specialty. He died about 

 1891 at Binghampton, N. Y. I am not aware that Mr. McNeil ever pub- 

 hshed anything upon his Michigan collection. But Prof. Miles acknowledges 

 the assistance afforded by him in the preparation of his catalogue, and Mr. 

 Anthony was also indebted to him for some of the material from which 

 he described a number of Michigan species, and, indeed, named one of them 

 after him. 



Mr. Streng, who has been a resident of Grand Rapids since 1870, began 

 to collect as far back as 1850, when a resident of Saugatuck and is still en- 

 gaged in the pursuit of his favorite study. The writer has elsewhere had 

 occasion to express his obhgations to Mr. Streng for much generous assist- 

 ance in compiling his previous catalogues of the shells of the state. 



In 1879, the writer pubhshed a "Catalogue of the Shell-bearing Mollusca 

 of Michigan" in the Journal of Conchology, in 1892 a second list in the Nau- 

 tilus, and a third in 1894. 



