46 



CRITICAL NOTICES OF VARIOUS ORGANIC REMAINS HITHERTO 

 DISCOVERED IN NORTH AMERICA. By Richard Harlan, M. D. 

 &c. Read May 21st, 1834. 



The author of the following observations has been 

 led to the undertaking by the urgent requests of many 

 of his scientific friends in Europe. 



It will appear in the ensuing pages that many emi- 

 nent American naturalists have occupied themselves in 

 the successful prosecution of this most interesting de- 

 partment of human knowledge ; and yet very recent 

 inquiries has satisfied us, that but a small fraction of 

 what has been published on this subject in this country 

 is adequately known to foreign naturalists. With the 

 exception of some few of our scientific journals, 

 the limited circulation in foreign countries of our 

 scientific publications, is a subject of just complaint 

 among Europeans, who interest themselves in works of 

 this nature. We have been honored with the personal 

 acquaintance of hundreds of transatlantic savans, to 

 whom we are well assured the following pages, imper- 

 fect as they necessarily are, will prove an acceptable 

 offering ; a motive in itself more than sufficient to im- 

 pose upon us a more difficult task, and the end satisfac- 

 torily attained^ is more than adequate compensation for 

 the labor bestowed. 



