VI. 



Some Remarks on the Fishes of the Western Waters of the State of 

 New-York,' in a letter to S. L. Mitchill, M. D. &c. from the Hon. 

 De Witt Clinton, LL. D. Member of the American Philosophical 

 Society, President of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New- 

 York, SCc. dated New-York, February 1st, 1815. 



[Read before the Society, on the 9th of February, 1815.] 



Sir, 



Your meritorious attempts to elucidate the ichthyology of this 

 country, have attracted the attention, and excited the expectations, of 

 the public. " Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much 

 required," is the language of holy writ. What the Michaux have done 

 to illustrate our botany, and Wilson our ornithology, will, no doubt, be 

 effected by you, in the great department of natural science which you 

 have undertaken. What vast treasures of natural knowledge remain to 

 be discovered in this country ! Let us hope that these immense fields 

 of interesting investigation will, in due time, be fully explored by the 

 eagle eye of philosophy. 



In abundance, in variety, and in delicacy, the fishes of our western 

 waters are not surpassed by any in the world. They ought to be fully ex- 

 amined, and I need not tell you, that little or nothing has been done in this 

 way. The few scattering and desultory notices we have of them, have 

 been principally furnished by strangers to natural knowledge. With a 

 view of drawing your particular attention to this subject, I have taken the 



