INTRODUCTION. 11 



departments of Natural History than Geology and Mine- 

 ralogy, I have thought it would be useful to present cata- 

 logues of its zoological and botanical productions ; and for 

 this purpose have availed myself of the opportunities 

 which have offered to procure such catalogues, and regret 

 that I am not able to present them in every department. 



A catalogue of the birds and of the larger wild animals 

 of the county has been contributed by Thomas Beesley, 

 Esq., of Dennisville. To persons in the county, the name 

 of the contributor will be a sufficient voucher for the full- 

 ness and accuracy of the list. 



A catalogue of the fishes found in the vicinity of Bees- 

 ley's Point, prepared by Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, is copied from the Ninth Annual 

 Report of that Institution. This list adds much to our 

 knowledge of the fishes of the shores of New Jersey; and 

 the distinction of Prof. Baird, as an ichthyologist, gives it 

 the stamp of authority. 



A catalogue of plants collected at, and near, Beesley's 

 Point by Samuel Ashmead, Esq., is inserted. It contains 

 but a small proportion of the plants found there; but it 

 shows the most common species of fiowering plants of that 

 part of the State. Mr. Ashmead also furnishes a list of 

 the Marine Algae growing in the same neighborhood. He 

 " has found a much greater variety of species at Beesley's 

 Point than Professor Harvey allots to the New Jersey 

 coast." A set of beautifully preserved specimens of all the 

 algaB, and of part of the phenogamous plants, was pre- 

 sented to the State collection by Mr. Ashmead. 



A Sketch of the Early History of the County of Cape 



