Annual Report.] 192 [Mayl, 



nute in particulars, and partly with the hope of using lan- 

 guage somewhat less technical than is ordinarily employed 

 by scientific men." The number of species described was 

 about two hundred and seventy-five of Molluscs and nearly 

 one hundred of Crustaceans and Radiates. 



As a contribution to zoological science, this report gave 

 him an honorable name among the the naturalists of Europe 

 and America, and so he attained to eminence. 



Dr. Gould edited the admirable work entitled "The Ter- 

 restrial Aii--breathing Molluscs of the United States," pre- 

 pared, but left unfinished at the time of his death, by his 

 intimate friend, Dr. Amos Binney, formerly the respected 

 president of this Society, and whose name we hold in grate- 

 ful remembrance, not only for his contributions to science, but 

 for the munificent bequest which fills so large a space on the 

 shelves of our library. 



The plan of this work was broad and philosophical, pass- 

 ing far out of the region of generic and specific technicali- 

 ties into the wider subjects of the principles of classification, 

 of the geographical distribution of genera and species, and 

 the causes influencing it, of zoological foci or points of origin, 

 geological relations, habits, faculties and anatomical structure. 

 Its incomplete state, the fact that many of the species col- 

 lected by Dr. Binney in the southwestern States and Texas, 

 had not been described by him up to the time of his death, 

 and the changes made by more recent observations rendered 

 the editorship of this work no sinecure. No one could be 

 found more fit for the task, or more worthy to bring before 

 the world the labors of a deceased friend. 



In 1848 he was associated with Prof Agassiz in the prep- 

 aration of the Principles of Zoology. 



His largest and most important contribution to natural 

 history was the description of the shells of the United States 

 Exploring Ex]:>edition. This was ])repared under circum- 

 stances somewhat embarrassing. The collection was not 

 made by himself, but by tlie late Capt. James P. Couthouy, 

 well remembered as one of the most zealous and active 

 members of this Society. Capt. Couthouy had drawn up 

 full notes on the external characters of the soft parts, habits, 



