Contributions Towards a Knowledge of the Marine Invertebrate Fauna of the Coasts of Rhode Island and New Jersey

Contributions Towards A Knowledge Of The Marine Invertebrate Fauna Of The Coasts Of Rhode Island And New Jersey by Joseph Leidy. This monograph compiles notices and descriptions of marine invertebrate animals observed during a two-week visit to Point Judith, Rhode Island, and additional collections at Absecom Beach near Atlantic City and Bevaley’s Point at the mouth of Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey. The work documents a broad survey of the coasts’ fauna, focusing on Porifera, Cnidaria, Bryozoa, Annelida, Echinodermata, and Crustacea, with detailed taxonomic notes, measurements, colors, attachment habitats, and anatomical features. Leidy discusses variability and taxonomic questions, sometimes comparing American specimens with European species, and notes the presence of living colonies, polypidoms, and other colonial forms, often with reference to plates. The text reflects 19th-century natural history practices, combining descriptive morphology, distribution notes, and observations from field collectors such as Samuel Ashmead. The work contributes foundational descriptions of Rhode Island and New Jersey marine invertebrates and serves as a reference for taxonomy and biogeography of the region.