66 clintojv's introductory discourse. 



people maguey." Lewis and Clarke, in their journey to the Pacific 

 Ocean, did not observe the honey bee after they left the Osage Indians.* 



Our ophiology is, of course, of a very limited range. We have be- 

 tween thirty and forty species of serpents; the most remarkable one, the 

 rattlesnake, crotalus horridus, not being able to exist in the vicinity of 

 swine, has fled from the cultivated country. Is it true, that on appre- 

 hension of danger, the young retreat into the mouth of the mother for 

 safety ?f 



But it is time to stop these intimations, already too desultory and 

 minute ; and we shall make a few general observations which are inti- 

 mately connected with the flourishing condition of natural knowledge. 



1 . The establishment and encouragement of cabinets of natural his- 

 tory are essential to the promotion of this interesting science. Scud- 

 der's Museum in this city, and Peale's in Philadelphia, are invaluable 

 institutions, deserving private and public patronage. 



2. Statistical inquiries ought to be prepared and circulated in every 

 town, eliciting information on every subject connected with the natural 

 history, geography, agriculture, commerce, and manufactures of the 

 state. An excellent specimen of statistical questions may be seen in 

 the Transactions of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Connecticut. 

 Dr. D wight's account of New Haven is a model for writers on this 

 interesting branch of knowledge to imitate. 



3. Inquiries ought to be prepared and transmitted to different parts 

 of the world, with a view of obtaining intelligence on all important sub- 

 jects relative to science and literature. Specimens of this mode of 

 accumulating useful facts may be found in the Transactions of the Royal 

 Society of London : that learned body adopted this plan at their first 



* See Note EE. + See Note FF. 



