DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA TO WIT.

BE it remembered, that, on the twenty-seventh day of February, in the twenty-ninth year of the Independence of the United States of America, John Conrad, of the said district, hath deposited, in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit, "The Philadelphia Medical and Physical Journal. Part II. Vol. I. Collected and "arranged by Benjamin Smith Barton, M. D., Professor of Materia Medica, "Natural History, and Botany, in the University of Pennsylvania," in conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, " An act for the "encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and "Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to the act, entitled, " An act supplementary to an act "entitled an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of "Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, "during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the "arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

D. CALDWELL,

Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania.

TO DAVID PENNANT, ESQ.,

OF DOWNING, FLINTSHIRE,

GREAT-BRITAIN.

DEAR SIR,

PERMIT me to inscribe the following pages to you, as a small mark of my respect for your literary and private cha

racter.

I look back, with real satisfaction, upon the epistolary intercourse which, for some years, subsisted between your late excellent Father and myself. Indeed, I consider the commencement of that intercourse as constituting one of the most pleasurable and important (so far as any thing in my life is important) events of my life. Your Father's letters to me, the flattering manner in which he introduced me to the notice of the Public, were among the most powerful and permanent incitements to my labours, in the study of Natural History. I cannot, then, readily forget his kindness and his friendship; for, in the study of Nature, I have passed much the most happy period of my life; and I flatter myself, that the most happy and most tranquil portion of my remaining days will be connected with the same delightful study, which is, for ever, offering to its votaries something new and useful, especially in this New World, which, to the great retardment of the progress of the different branches of Natural History, has, hitherto, been untrod by the footsteps of a LINNEUS or a PENNANT.

To me your Father entrusted the task of enlarging the stock of American Zoology. I have to regret, that, hitherto, I have

done but little to merit the favourable opinion, which he entertained of me. Should I ever produce any work, in Natural History, worthy of the public notice, some of the value of such work must be traced up to the friendship of the late Mr. Pennant.

I beg you to excuse this vein of egotism. If I have spoken too much of myself, it has been from a desire to speak my real sentiments of your Father, whom I have always considered as the greatest Zoologist his country has produced, and whose memory I cherish with the fondest respect. My egotism, then, you must allow, is not entirely unamiable.

It is one of the objects of the Philadelphia Medical and Physical Journal to enlarge the stock of natural history; and especially of the natural history of the United-States. As yet, the work, still in its infant state, has effected but little in this way. But much will be effected in future; not, I fear, by any researches of my own, but by the labours of my pupils, and others, who, spreading themselves through one of the most interesting countries upon the face of the earth, are daily interrogating Nature, who is ever willing to answer, and to be understood.

Following the footsteps of your Father, you cannot but feel an interest in whatever relates to the amiable science which we cultivate. With this persuasion, and with a desire to exhibit some public memorial of my friendship for you, I dedicate these pages to you; and am, with much respect,

Dear Sir,

Your obedient and humble servant, &c.

BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON.

Philadelphia, February 27th,

1805.

ADVERTISEMENT.

IN presenting to the public this Second Part of the Medical and Physical Journal, the Editor deems it his duty to acknowledge his obligations to those gentlemen, who have enriched the work with their observations. He solicits a continuance of their future attention; and he will thankfully receive, from the physician, the farmer, and others, in every part of the Union, such facts, experiments, and observations, as may have a tendency to enlarge the stock of MEDICINE, of NATURAL HISTORY, of AGRICULTURE, or of any of the branches of PHYSICAL SCIENCE.

It is hoped, that this Second Part of the Fournal will be found more interesting than the First. It, certainly, contains some valuable papers, both in a theoretical and practical point of view. From this character, the Editor would always be understood to except his own immature productions.

vi

Of the papers published in the First Section of the work, two had previously appeared in print: viz. the "Account of the Native American, or Indian Dogs," which was originally communicated to Mr. Tilloch, who published it in his excellent Philosophical Magazine; and Mr. Toulmin's paper on the (supposed) Welch-Indians. Some apology may, perhaps, be thought necessary for the introduction of these papers into the Journal.

With respect to the first, it is principally republished from the Editor's desire to receive such additional information on the subject, as he knows it is in the power of many of his correspondents, and others, to communicate to him: for this paper is intended to form a part of a large work, on the Zoology of the United-States. It may be added, that although this paper has been printed before its introduction into the Journal, it has been but little seen in America, where the Philosophical Magazine, which is published in London, is but sparingly circulated, and much less known than it ought to be.

As to Mr. Toulmin's paper, its fate appeared very precarious, so long as it was entirely confined to the periodical works (however respect