BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ISAAC LEA, LL. D. XXV 



that he thon^lit it must have been mixed witii the Etheria, of which 

 this collection had many specimens. Dr. Chenu declared thiis could not 

 be so, or he would have seen it. As soon as he pulled out the drawer, 

 Mr. Lea saw at a glance the identical specimen which Ferussac had 

 described. He took it up and declared this to be it. Both the natural- 

 ists were surprised and delighted. The two valves of the young shell, 

 when it made its remarkable change, were plainly visible but some- 

 what eroded. Thus Mr. Lea's theory of the genus Acosiea of D'Orbigny 

 was complete — it was a Mulleria. 



Dr. Chenu went for Delessert, who was in another part of his hotel, 

 and soon returned and presented him to Mr. Lea. He expressed great 

 pleasure in meeting him, and was much pleased to tind that this speci- 

 men was recovered and was of so much interest. He said, "We must 

 bring it before the Institute."* Mr. Lea told him that it was not neces- 

 sary, as he had published his theory, which was now verified, before he 

 had left home. 



At Lyons he saw M. Tervier and his beautiful collection of Mollusca. It 

 was particularly fine in terrestrial shells, on which he had published much. 

 Leaving Lyons, with his family he descended the Ehone, and passing 

 through Avignon and Mmes, arrived at Marseilles. From thence they 

 traveled by private carriage through Italy for seven months until they 

 came to railroads again at Vienna in the following spring. At Florence, 

 where he remained over three months, he made the acquaintance of 

 several men of science and art, among whom were Powers, the American 

 sculptor, and Pentland, the English geologist. He had a letter of in- 

 troduction to Professor Corridi, director of the academy, who courte- 

 ously offered his services in every way possible. He also had letters to 

 the Marquis Torregiani, who had been in the United States and was 

 much interested in introducing the public-school system of the United 

 States into Tuscany. He made an excursion with the marquis and Mr. 

 Pentland 7 miles from the city to examine the Nummulite formation. 

 He asked Mr. Pentland if any other organic form had been found with 

 nummulite. He replied, " that none had been found." They examined 

 the quarry thoroughly and Mr. Lea found among the small j)ieces a 

 specimen with a favocite, which greatly surprised Mr. Pentland. 



After passing a month in Rome, they visited Naples, where they ex- 

 amined all the points of interest in this beautiful city. Mr. Lea having 

 letters to Professor Schacchi, called on him and saw the collection of 

 minerals belonging to the university. Those from Vesuvius were par- 

 ticularly interesting. He also met Signor Dolli Chiaji, successor of 

 the famous Poli, who finished his great work on the Mollusca of the 

 Mediterranean. While at Naples he visited Vesuvius, Pompeii, Baioe, 

 Posilippo, the Temple of Jupiter Serapis, PaevStum, and Herculaneum, 

 after which he embarked with his family in a steamer for Leghorn en 

 route for Florence, where they remained four or five weeks. 



*He was a member of the Institute. 



