Reports Of Explorations And Surveys, To Ascertain The Most Practicable And Economical Route For A Railroad From The Mississippi River To The Pacific Ocean. Volume XII, Book II.

NORTHERN U.S. ROUTE) Cooper, J. G.; Asa Gray; John L. Leconte; G. Suckley, G. Gibbs.; United States. War Department.

U.S. Government. Washington, D.C. 1860.

Volume 12, Book 2.  Quarto, 30 cm. Bound in contemporary leather over marbled boards.  Hinges cracked.  399 pages, [52] leaves of plates.  At least one of the plates heavily foxed.  Numerous zoological illustrations (some color), of reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, insects, etc.  Full title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean : made under the direction of the secretary of war, in 1853-6 ; according to acts of congress of March 3, 1853, May 31, 1854, and August 5, 1854, 1855. Vol. XII: Narrative and final report of explorations for a route for a Pacific railroad near the forty-seventh and forty-ninth parallels of north latitude from St. Paul to Puget Sound. "A second edition of this rather mixed and confusing record was issued as 12 volumes 1855-61 .the added Vol. XII (Books 1 and 2) giving chiefly a history of a (new) transcontinental route from St. Paul to Puget Sound. Book Two has the Zoological Report." (Wood).