"Backwoodsman" may be regarded as a be regarded as a national pocn; Charles F. Hoffman, whose "Vigil of Faith" is the fruit of early-cultivated genius, and who has thrown the charms of poetry, as well as of romance, over our almost unknown mountains and lakes; Alfred B. Street, known as the author of "Nature," "A Forest Walk," and "The Grey Forest-Eagle;" Edward Sanford, author of the spirited "Address to Black-Hawk;" Peter H. Myers, author of "Ensenore;" George W. Doane, and William Croswell, writers of sacred lyrics; Theodore S. Fay, John Inman, and Park Benjamin, not unsuccessful in poetry, though engaged in other fields of literature; James O. Rockwell, author of "The Lost at Sea;" Samuel Woodworth, writer of a touching effusion, "The Old Oaken Bucket," which our domestic affections will not permit to lose a place in our literature; Elizabeth F. Ellet, author of "The Daughter of Herodias;" Mary E. Brooks and her sister, Mrs. Hall, known to our readers as Norna and Hinda; and Emma C. Embury, who has given us the chaste and affecting verses entitled "Christ in the Tempest"—all are writers whose fame is cherished by the generous and refined portions of the American community.*

The history of the fine arts in New York, unfortunately, is scarcely more than an account of a controversy concerning the manner of promoting them. The American Academy of Fine Arts was established in the city of New York in 1800, and was incorporated in 1808, with liberal legislative patronage. Among the founders of the institution, were Robert R. Livingston, John R. Murray, De Witt Clinton, Charles Wilkes, Robert Fulton, William Cutting, Edward Livingston, Rufus King, David Hosack, and James Fairlie. The object of the association was to combine influence and patronage in favor of the fine arts. Addresses were delivered at the annual exhibitions of the academy. Of these, the discourse of De Witt Clinton in 1816, and that pronounced by Gulian C. Verplanck in 1824, are very valuable contributions to our literature. Many of our artists conceived the opinion that the objects of the society would be better promoted by an association, conducted by professional individuals, than by the academy, the operations of which were mainly conducted by

*Notes on Literature were received from Charles F. Hoffman, Esq., and Alfred B. Street, Esq.

patrons. Hence arose in 1825, the National Academy of Design, the members and officers of which are artists. This association, under the presidency of Samuel F. B. Morse, has procured valuable collections in both the antique and life schools; and its usefulness has been signally manifested in the gratuitous instruction it has imparted to more than four hundred students. In the meantime, the Academy of Fine Arts has ceased to exist. Its place, however, is well supplied by the Apollo Association, consisting of both artists and patrons; an institution which cheers. and encourages genius, without incurring jealousy or censure.

Painting, engraving, and sculpture, were scarcely known here before the Revolution. William Dunlap, a painter of considerable merit, has shown in his curious and interesting history, that West and Copley, in their early years, executed some portraits in the city of New York; but the state can not lay claim to any honor from the birth, education or fame of these distinguished men. Peter R. Maverick, an engraver, in 1783, found insufficient occupation, although he seems to have enjoyed a monopoly in the business of his profession. In about 1794, Cornelius Tiebout engraved some portraits on copper. Alexander Anderson, M. D., of New York, introduced wood engraving in 1794.

We need scarcely remark, that although we are very far from having established an American school, and although we confess our inferiority not only to the ancient masters but to modern European artists, yet the genius of our citizens has applied itself to the study of the arts with all the assiduity and zeal which mark the national character, and their success in that department may be expected to increase as rapidly as national taste and patronage will permit. All artists and amateurs in our country concede the palm to Peter Vanderlyn, among whose performances will be remembered his "Ariadne" and his "Washington."

Music was long since admitted in every plan of female education; but owing to a strange perverseness, has been almost universally neglected in the education of the other sex. Just sentiments, however, are beginning to prevail. Elementary instruction in that art is now given in many of our primary schools, and it may reasonably be hoped that soon there will be none in which this tasteful and refined study will be omitted. VOL. II.-11

It remains to notice the progress of the physical sciences. The notes on these subjects will be the more brief, because they are fully investigated in the work to which this is an introduction.*

The earliest publication relating to the botany of New York, was Cadwallader Colden's account of the indigenous plants of Orange county, and its vicinity, published in 1744. It is contained in the "Acta Societatis Regiæ Scientiarum Upsaliensis," and fills two quarto volumes. The catalogue embraced several hundred species, which were carefully described. The "Plantæ Coldenhamiæ" were frequently quoted by Linnæus. The traveller Kalm, who visited this country in 1747, under the patronage of the Swedish government, collected a large number of plants and transferred them to his preceptor Linnæus, by which distinguished naturalist they were described in the "Species Plantarum," and "Systema Vegetabilium." Wangenheim, a Hessian surgeon in the British army, during the American Revolution, collected many plants in New York, and in other portions of the United States, of which he published accounts in 1781 and 1787. The Michaux, elder and junior, travelled in New York in 1792, and in 1803. The former published in Paris, in 1803, the "Flora Borealis Americana." The latter, in 1810, and subsequent years, gave a description of our indigenous forest-trees, in his splendid work entitled, "Arbres Foresties de l'Amerique Septentrionale." C. W. Eddy, of New York, published in the "Medical Reposi. tory," in 1806, a catalogue of the plants growing about Plandome on the northern side of Long Island, in which several new species were mentioned. In 1811, John Le Conte published in the "American Medical and Philosophical Register," a list of four hundred and sixty-eight plants growing on the island of New York. A catalogue of plants indigenous in the state of New York, was published in 1814, by Jacob Green. Frederick Pursh explored portions of the state, and incorporated the results of his examinations in his valuable work entitled, "Flora America Septentrionalis," published in 1814. Nuttall, author of the "Genera of North American Plants," and other learned works relating to the botany of this country, has materially aided in perfecting the flora of the state. In 1817, the "Lyceum of Natural History," in New York, appointed a committee to prepare a catalogue of the plants growing within thirty miles of the me

*The Natural History of the State of New York.

tropolis. The duty was performed by John Torrey, M. D., and the results published at Albany in 1819. The localities, times of flowering, synonyms, and characteristics of new species, were included in the account. Amos Eaton, in 1818, published his "Manual of Botany for the Northern and Middle States." This work has passed through eight editions, the last of which was greatly enlarged, and appeared under the title of "North American Botany." The great circulation which this book has obtained is a gratifying evidence of increasing interest in this useful department of natural history. Doctor Torrey published in New York, in 1823, a volume designed to be a part of a series entitled, "Flora of the Northern and Middle States." The work comprised only the first twelve classes of the Linnean system, and the author then relinquished his purpose under a conviction that he would better advance the cause of science by adopting the natural method, and by describing the flora of the whole of North America.

The "Botany of the Northern and Middle States" was published by Doctor Lewis C. Beck in 1833, and has greatly contributed to the advancement of accurate botanical knowledge. James Hall and John Wright published, in 1836, a catalogue of plants growing in the vicinity of Troy. This work forms a useful manual for persons pursuing the study of botany in the valley of the Hudson, and contains the names of most of the plants indigenous in the river counties north of the Highlands. Doctors John Torrey and Asa Gray have been many years engaged in collecting and preparing materials for a complete "Flora of North America." The first volume of their work, comprising the polypetalous division of the dicotyledonous or exogenous plants, was published at intervals between 1838 and 1840. The authors adopt the natural system, and the work has been exccuted in a manner entirely in harmony with its high design. Besides these more elaborate works, other contributions to botanical science have appeared from time to time in scientific journals. Among these we refer to papers in "Silliman's Journal," by Doctor Gray, David Thomas, and others; descriptions of new and rare plants in the state of New York, by Doctor Gray, published in the "Annals of the New York Lyceum of Natural History;" catalogues of the indigenous plants of particular counties or towns, printed in the reports of the regents of the

university; and especially papers by Professor Dewey and Doctor Knieskern, contained in the last annual report. Many valuable papers on practical botany, and its relations to agriculture, are to be found in agricultural journals.

The science of zoology in this state owes its origin to Samuel L. Mitchill, who, in 1813, commenced, and in the succeeding year completed, an elaborate account of the fishes of New York. This paper was given to the public in the "Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York." The work, although strictly local, and limited chiefly to a description of the fishes found in the waters in the vicinity of the city of New York, became a standard of reference and comparison for succeeding laborers in the field of ichthyology. That science not only received from the labors of Doctor Mitchill a great impulse, but its votaries here won for themselves regard from the savans of the old world, and were encouraged to persevere in their labors, even under disadvantageous and almost discouraging circumstances. To that impulse may be attributed the formation of the "Lyceum of Natural History" in the city of New York in 1818. In connection with this department of natural history, it would be unjust to pass without notice the efforts and researches of De Witt Clinton, who, although engrossed in public duties, devoted himself with assiduity to the pursuit of natural science, and especially to the study of natural history. The results of some of his investigations are contained in a letter to Doctor Mitchill, published in the "Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society."

Although the study of ornithology has not been pursued with the especial object of determining the species of birds indigenous in the state, still in the comprehensive treatises which have issued from the press, there is no deficiency of information on that interesting subject. The labors of Wilson, Bonaparte, Audubon, Cooper, and De Kay, in this department, are too well known to require more than a reference on this occasion.

Similar remarks apply to the history of the mammalia of the state. Although investigations in that department have been made by many distinguished individuals, none have confined their observations to species peculiar to the state, except William Cooper, who has published a treatise of the "Cheiroptera of New York." Bachman, of South Carolina, in researches extending