INTRODUCTION. 43 
were based. The leading fault of his character as a 
naturalist was, a belief in the specific difference of all 
natural objects which present any variations among them- 
selves, even of the most unimportant characters ; and a 
passion for combining into new groups, according to real 
and obvious afiinities, when such existed, or to fancied or 
trifling ones in their absence, all the objects which came 
within his observation. His groups consequently were 
of very unequal value ; and while some of them were 
combined according to their natural and fixed relations, 
others were brought together by resemblances perceived 
only by himself. He possessed, however, a peculiar 
facility hi the formation of the language of nomenclature, 
and his generic and specific terms might, with advantage 
to science, be imitated by some of the naturalists of the 
present day. The adoption in one of his works of this 
motto, 
"De TiinriB le genie il a choisi pour guide," 
shows that he imitated the brief and comprehensive style 
of Linnaeus ; but in his hands it often became obscure, 
and rendered it difiicult to recognize the subjects of bis 
descriptions. 
M. Rafinesque appears to have been well received in 
the United States. His claims to a standing as a natu- 
ralist were at once admitted, and he immediately com- 
menced taking an active part among the few who were 
investigating its natural history. His name frequently 
appears in the record of the early proceedings of the 
Lyceum of Natural History in New York, and many 
