American conchologist, friend of Louis Agassiz, member of the National Museum staff, accompanying the personnel on the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, 1853-56, under the command of Capts. Ringgold and Rodgers. Later moved to Chicago where he planned a monumental work on mollusks, for which he borrowed material from a great many institutions. While engaged in that project, Mrs. Leary's cow set fire to the city and destroyed all Stimpson's specimens and work. He died soon after, perhaps from heartbreak or exposure at the time of the fire. The catalog, which includes some frog and salamander data is a gathering of 28 pages of collecting information about specimens amassed during the above-mentioned Pacific expedition. The initials W. S. appear frequently in the manuscript and the chirography has been assigned to William Stimpson. The information includes habitat, both geographical and ecological, the collector and date for each species listed. In some cases, notes are added about appearance and habits. [written on paper, watermarked JOYNSON 1852.]