BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ISAAC LEA, LL. D. XVII 



From Geneva lie went to Chamouny aud visited the Mer de glace, 

 penetrating some distance under tlie ice. Here he saw the immense 

 blocks of granite brought from the upper part of Mount Blanc, lorming 

 the lateral moraine, and strewed over the plains below, following the 

 course of the Arveyron, was formed a terminal moraine, which was then 

 receding. Higher up the mountain continual avalanches were heard. 

 Returniuo- to Paris he found that Baron Eerussac had made a catalogue of 

 the Unimida; during his absence on Mr. Lea's plan. In the mean time 

 Mr Lea had received his boxes of shells from America and he carried 

 some of the finest to the Baron, who expressed himself greatly dehghted. 

 He had not seen anything like them before.* Wishing to see the Due 

 de Rivoli's collection, which contained all those of Lamarck, he called 

 upon the duke, who unfortunately was absent from the city, but his cu- 

 rator M. Kiener, had been instructed to give Mr. Lea access to the col- 

 lection of miionidcB whenever he should call. Mr. Lea took notes of 

 them all, and thus was able to define the whole of Lami.rck's species in 

 his subsequent memoir. He visited the Institute accompanied by M. 

 Blainville, who carried with him a copy of Mr. Lea's Memoirs on the 

 Uniomdce, which he presented to the Institute, paying many compli- 

 ments to the author on his production, who, on this occasion, had the 

 pleasure of meeting M. Audouin, M. Latreille ; and others. M. La Croix 

 presided, and there were about two hundred persons present, and the 

 meeting presented a remarkable assemblage of learned men, very 

 striking to a stranger. 



Mr Lea had letters to Brongniart, who was then director at bevres, . 

 and one of the great geologists of France. He invited him to a dinner, 

 where he met about a dozen gentlemen who were among the distin- 

 guished savants of Paris: M. Jaumard, M. Audouin, M. Cailliaud, the 

 traveler, and the director of the Musee Egyptienne, M. Dumas, and 

 M Gay, who had just returned from the "expedition to Brazil and Chili, 

 who afterwards published so many volumes on the natural history of 

 South America. At the dinner Mr. Lea sat beside M. Gay, who was 

 particularlv polite, and invited him to call upon him the following day. 

 Accepting the invitation, Mr. Lea was surprised to find that M.Gay had 

 brought out all the mollusca which he had collected in his travels, and 

 desired him to select a specimen of each, " first for the Mus6e, and then 

 for yourself." This was an unexpected kindness from so distinguished 

 a traveler, which Mr. Lea gratefully accepted, thus securing some rare 

 and fine specimens for his own cabinet. ,. , , 



While in Paris he called on M. Duclos,the author of a splendid work 

 on the genus Oliva, &c. His collection of Oliva, Purpura, and Co- 

 lumbella was truly magnificent, aud showed what persevering eflort in 

 one direction will accomplish. It was arranged in a manner to exhibit 

 all ages and varieties which could be obtained. M^Duck)s th ought t hat 



*Baron Fernssac'8 death occurred about two years afterward. 

 1748_Bull. 23 H 



