302 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



illustrated by more than 200 figures skilfully drawn with his own 

 hands, and every species was described anew, — the whole in a man- 

 ner to attract the attention and admiration of naturalists, both at home 

 and abroad, and to secure for the author a prominent position in their 

 ranks. His largest and most important work was that upon the shells 

 of the United States Exploring Expedition under Captain Wilkes, the 

 text of which fills a large quarto volume, the illustrations an imperial 

 folio atlas. This was undertaken under peculiar difficulties, growing 

 mainly out of the fact that Captain Couthouy, by whom the collection 

 was chiefly made, had left the expedition before the voyage was fin- 

 ished ; that the shells were not well cared for, and were much confused 

 at Washington before Dr. Gould was called to the rescue of this very 

 valuable collection. The published results of his investigation are 

 comprised, not only in the generic and specific characters and descrip- 

 tions, but in some valuable generalizations and suggestions in the intro- 

 ductory part of the volume, upon geographical distribution, upon what 

 are called representative forms, urging also that animals from widely 

 distant or dissevered regions should be assumed to be different, however 

 close their resemblance, until their identity can be proved, — a rule, 

 the earlier recognition of which would have saved much labor and con- 

 fusion in the determination of synonymes. He also here indicates the 

 fact that shells of particular and separated regions have each a physi- 

 ognomy of their own, just as have the human races. 



Of Dr. Gould's numerous lesser scientific labors and writings the 

 most noteworthy are his completion of the admirable work on the 

 Terrestrial Air-breathing Mollusca of the United States, left unfinished 

 by the late Dr. Binney ; a portion of the Principles of Zoology, written 

 conjointly with Professor Agassiz ; accounts of collections of shells 

 received from Rev. Francis Mason, missionary to Burmah, from Doc- 

 tors Savage and Perkins, missionaries to Africa, and from Dr. Bates, 

 U. S. N., from the coast of Liberia ; also of collections made in the 

 Pacific Railroad Surveys and other expeditions. These papers all 

 relate to conchology, in which he was high authority. But that his 

 scientific interests and activities were not restricted is well known to 

 his associates in this Academy, and in the Natural History Society, 

 and may be seen from his communications upon a great variety of 

 topics, printed in their Proceedings, or often merely referred to ; for 

 he seldom wrote out his communications, and thus much of value has 

 been lost. 



