A national treasure: Accounting for the natural history specimens from theLewis and Clark Expedition (western North America, 1803-1806) in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Nearly all of the natural history specimens now surviving from the Lewis an d Clark Expedition across western North America in 1803-1806 are in the Aca demy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. These specimens encompass geology (two rocks and seven minerals), paleontology (one vertebrate fossil), bota ny (226 herbarium sheets), and herpetology (one specimen). This is a brief accounting only, but it is the first such summary ever of the Academy's Lew is and Clark holdings. Also included here are the first illustrations of th e rock, mineral, and reptile specimens. Data accompanying the snake specime n indicate that it is from the expedition-an uncertain association-and this paper provides a circumspectual analysis of these data.