V 74 



pursuing- the beaten track, and enables us to compare our own ob- 

 servations with those of our predecessors. The want of proper 

 books to facilitate inquiries of a scientific nature has been long; 

 felt in this city ; indeed it has frequently been asserted that New- 

 York, in proportion to its population, contains fewer works in its 

 public libraries than any other city in Europe or America. With 

 a view of ascertaining the truth of this assertion, at least as far as 

 our own country is concerned, we have taken some pains to pro- 

 cure the following comparative statement. Mr. Dobson of Phila- 

 delphia, Dr. Cohen of Baltimore, and Dr. Bass of Boston, will 

 accept of our thanks for the ready politeness with which they 

 have answered our inquiries. JVeio-York, with a population of 

 170,000, possesses ten public libraries, containing 44,000 volumes ; 

 Baltimore, with a population of 70,000, has four public libraries, 

 containing 30,000 volumes ; Philadelphia^ with a population of 

 160,000, possesses nineteen public libraries, containing 70,000 

 volumes : Boston, with a population of 60,000, possesses thirteen 

 public libraries, containing 55,000 volumes. 



< Note G — Page 51. 



This information is derived from our able and indefatigable as- 

 sociate. Captain Le Conte, who has devoted many years to the 

 study of this department. He possesses detailed descriptions and 

 accurate drawings of nearly all the number mentioned in the text, 

 and supposes them to be distributed among the different orders in 

 nearly the following proportions : 



Coleoptera 2,000 



Hemiptera 1,000 



Lepidoptera 800 



Diptera 3,000 

 Hymenoptera 1,500 



Neuroptera 100 



Aptera 500 



1^ 



