, 1860-09-20
THE STATE FAIR.


| N"+~A AAlotN1$ k241l$
This ia the first exhibition ever made by th.
6tate Natural History S cety. The attractive
display IL this department has been chief fea
tuFe Of the Fair. This Hall has been constantly
crowded and throDg=d With visitors, The de.
paFtments of Geology, Minera1ogy, Botany
ornitbolegy, Entomology aud Conchology arc
represented, the dirisions in these several
branches being under the direction Of Messrs
WILDER, Debb, Holden, Walsh and Powell, who
hare mkde most Of tho collections and pre.
pared them for the occasion, during the pas1
| season.
Tho great chronological collection Of Mr.
Walsh, Of Rock Island, Exhibited here. com.
prizes twenty fire hundred distizct species ol
insects, all Of which, With the exception ol
nbous serenty-fve species, vera collected with.
In four miles Of Rock Islard. It IL estimated
that there are within tbs limits Of the Uni.ed
States at least thirty thous md distinct spe:es
50 thu: even the large collection on exhibition
does not comprise one.tenth part Of the in nsects
Of the United Sta!es. This collection is scien-
tidcally arranged in order aud families, and a
large portion Of it Is named By genera and s7e-
cies. We could scarcely have supposed that 80
many aud such larga aud beautiful insects
could have btea gathered up in one little H.
cality.
We understand from Mr, Walsh thai it il his
intention; 30 soon a the Presidential campaign
I is OVER, to take his entire collection through
The principal towns in the State Of 1linois, md
deliver COURSE OF two or th1ee lectures on tho
science Of Entomology, as bearing upon tho
practical purposes Of life. We sincerely wish
] him SUCCESS in this undertaking. The pockets
Of the farmers of Illinois are picked every year
of millions Of dollars By various insects; and
it is about time to make some effort to arres:
such enormous depredat:ons.
Mr. Walsh was educated at Trinity College,
Cambridge, for tEs Church, studying there
eouc twelve years, portion Of which time Ee
was resident Professor. Conscientious sc1uples
deserriDg hun from accepting orders, and the
a7eaues Of church preferment being thus closed
to hin, With the energy peculiar to him, Mr.
Walsh emigrated to this country, and settled in
Henry county, in this State, Tassing bis time il
the obscu1itT and retirement cf quiet flaming
pursuits. The Ralro.d bringing Rock Island
into notice. ho removed there three years ago.
aud has since devoted himself exclusively to The
pursuit OF his fago1ite science. Entomology
has been passion With him from early Years,
a-d he has pursued its study with snch erergT
and success that he now holds an eren r.Ik
with such men as Fitch and Harrist His en-.
ergy ia indomitable, and his enthusiasm ia the
insec: line ia-.wel, no adjective will gire it.
Representing Botany, We have large collec-
tion Of very carefully prepared specimens gath
cred within the last two OF three ears, collect
ed by II. s. Debb Of Marion county, occupying
large space in this exhibition. About oue
Thousand species are gathered ia this collection.
The number OF species represented in this State
is large, probably from fifteen hundred to two
thousand, owing 10 the peculiar shape Of ths
State, it being extended IN lergth, passing
through seven degrees Of latitude; but ihs ab.
stnce Of mountains, and pine forests with their
attendant swamps deprive US OF the species
peculiar to such retreats
Mr. lieob is q son of Gov. D.bb, and The pur-
suit ofthis branch Of Natural History is life.
work with him.
attractive collection Of woody plants, cons IT,
ing Of sections Of one hundred and two differ
en: species, all growing in The State Of Illinois.
This collection comprises all the trees. tue l1rc.
er shrubs Of Middle ILLINOIS, nud many OF tie
southern part Of tn, State which do not gro~
farther north. The leaves of oaehundred and
twenty -6ve species are represented by dried
specimens mounted ON pasteboard, lactir opiv
about twenty-five species, which mostly grow
in the extreme northern, rome in &he southern.
portion Of the state. The sectors Of wood
ara all labelled, ono side being stuooth one side
With the bark. aad the others left rough.
Dr. Breudel has made this subject epeciE1
study lie il one Of the pioneers in the sc;en-
ti6c pursuits Of our State, and several years
sgo directed tie ATTENTION Of natura!ists to our
territory. Having pro6ted By the best facilities
aaoTcel by the German Universities, and DOS.
sesslng most ardent loyt for his speciality, he
Is accomplishing great work in intu.ing 8
spirit Of thorough scientific Investigation ia
that department Of Natural history to which
be is devo.ing bis life.
The department Of ernithologv IL we'll ren.c-
eented by the collection Of Il. H. Holder, of |
Bloomington, consisting of scme two hundred |
specimens, prepared during the past year, |
maj j1fitJ Of which are found in this Stale.
We understand that this is no ephemeraf |
pursuit With Ar. Holden, but that 1ha d N of |
bis life will be the collection Of the birds Of |
North America. The OH =cs ia most noble. md |
Is entrusted to most ncbie hauds. The coi]e.. |
tion here, and other specimens, as fast as COL |
iected, will be deposited in the Natural History
Mueeum At Bloomington.
The collection of shells, by J. II. powe|t oe
Wheaton, DuPage county, Copcolosist for tie
Natural History Society, comprises about two
hundred aud fifty species Of The shells Of this
State. We have hero represented the shells of
the Ohio, Mississippi, Rock, Fox and Chicago
rivers, sod of two or three Of the inland takss.
also, thirty or forty speces Of terrestrial shells
taken from their retreats under roots Of trees,
among rocks, apd from river b;nff4. The lii.
nois waters are filled with shells. rich in coor
ned delicate in torm- Mr Powell. has here more
than six thousand she Is, all collected in tbs
state; and eolsc.en Of one hundred s: eces
of arooreal shells, (Achatine ells) from the S aud.
Hish Islands, and several hundred marine
shells.
This State furnishes large representation Of
the Interesting genus Unio. With the shells
of the great lakes represented on The North.
last, and those Of the Ohio and Mississippi y.I-
lies on the South aud West, this State sff,rda
rare oPpo1E*,nnit,es to the ooncho'cg;st In The
opinion Ct Mr. Powell tha collec'iua fairly rep.
Fesents tho species found in this State, with The
exception Of the Wabash Valley region, which
nav yield some thirty species in aud.tioa.
This is the second season devoted to the COL
eclion Of the display in this department, aided
1y local collectors ard systt ma!ie exchanges.
or Life, and has already traced cut for himself
, plan Of systematic labor requiring years for
It's acconp ishment.
The collection representing the Geology Of
llliaols was placed on exhibition by Sir. 4. II.
Norther, the State Geoogias, AID Mr, e. D.
~ AueTs CEE&ekA1f u L0e 1lu10!6 NaturAl Ills. |
'ory Society, who has devoted several weeks OF
he past summer TO this exhibition. Time vii;
1ot permit Us TO describe, IN detait, these ra1u.
able collections, but this exhibition shows
;'esrly that to the geologist there is not more
INVITING field On the continent than tho Prairie
State.
large array Of Minerals from the Stato of
Missouri, occupying haf of one s:6e Of tie
Hall, comprising various kinds Of iron ore,
'pecular, hesmat;c, ochreous, magnetic, DC. |
,evtral large masses we're sent from Pilot kutb.
Ind Iron Mountain, together with specimens OF
iron OF the same orc, from the
Lscled Iron Works at st. Louis.
Il collection Of the lead aud z nc ores from |
Northern 1llinotf, exhibited the usual varieties.
leriving their importance from the home trade
n these minerals, which is now oTer one mil.
lou of dollars Ier annum.
Occupying the shelves are cabinets of Fossiis
representing the Silorian. Dsvonian and Car
ooniferous farmations. James Shaw Of Ut.
Carroll, Dr.. Everett Of Dixon, and Dr.. Davis OF
Kendall County, contributed largely to this
department.,
ono Of the most attractive features in the hall
q a c1binet Of fossil ferns. collected near Nor
is, Grundy county, by Mr. Joseph Even. who
. mechanic, working twelve hours per day,
nd devotes his leisure, including holidays, to
be study Of nature.
Mr. Worihen's fossils hava been the admira-