XX BULLETIN NO, 23, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The late Sir Charles Lyell, Bart., thus wrote to him in November, 

 1834: 



I take the opportuuity of addiug to the thauksof the Geological Society, which I 

 am instructed to forward officially, my own acknowledgment of your very handsome 

 present of your splendid work on the Genus Unio, as also for the manner in which 

 you have endeavored to give publicity in your writings to some of my geological 

 views respecting the Tertiary strata, 



Mr. Lea, at this time being engaged in a large and prosperous busi- 

 ness, had no leisure in the day-time to pursue his studies in natural his- 

 tory. He was blessed with excellent health, and could devote from 

 three to five hours at night to writing his papers. 



He found on his return from Europe many boxes of specimens from 

 various parts of the country awaiting his insijection, and also a very 

 large correspondence. 



His first production after this was his "Contributions to Geology," it 

 being a description of the Tertiary shells of Alabama. This was fol- 

 lowed by a continuation of his "Observation on the Naiades, «&c." 



In 183(3, he published his " Synopsis of the Family Naiades," a small 

 octavo volume which in subsequent years was followed by a second, 

 third, and fourth edition, the last being enlarged tenfold in extent from 

 the first. The second, third, and fourth were in quarto. The first edi- 

 tion settled satisfactorily to most couchologists the synonymy of the 

 family, and was received almost unanimously as giving the true names 

 and synonymy of the species. He was congratulated by many zoolo- 

 gists, at home and abroad, upon settling tbe vexed question. Dr. Kirt- 

 land, Senator Tappan, Dr. Ward, Dr. Hildreth, Mr. Buchanan of the 

 West, -Judge Cooper, Dr. Jay, Mr. Haines, Dr. Budd, and many others 

 of the East, wrote him congratulatory letters upon the occasion. Prince 

 Charles Buonaparte, than whom there was no higher authority in Europe, 

 said in his letter: 



I have heen admiring yonr synoptical table, and should like to see all parts of 

 zoology treated in the same manner. 



And Mrs. Corrie,* the wife of the president of the Philosophical So- 

 ciety of Birmingham, in one of her numerous letters, said: 



" I hope the high reputation which these contributions have established, will stimu- 

 late you to further researches. You possess advantages unrivaled by those of any 

 other naturalist in your own hemisphere or ours. I trust, my dear sir, that you will 

 have health and time to exercise them fully for the universal benefit of science." 



Dr. Kirtland, who was appointed zoologist for the State of Ohio, 

 constantly consnlted Mr. Lea in regard to the mollusca of that St;i.te, 

 and in March, 1830, he writes that "the Western naturalists have come 

 to the determination not to adopt the species of Eafinesque, as given by 

 Mr. Conrad, but to adopt yours." 

 - Mr. Lea continued his work on the Vnionidw, and published a series 



*She had one of the best collections of the Unionkhe in Europe, and no one was 

 better acquainted with this branch of conchology. 



