ing entomology and he quotes from HARRIS as follows : « As there 
is no part of nature too mean for the divine Presence, so there is 
no kind of subject having its foundation in nature that is below 
the dignity of a philosophical inquiry ». 
He certainly did pioneer work, for when he became a member of 
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; in 1812, the col- 
lection consisted of « some half a dozen common Insects, a few 
corals and shells, a dried toad Fish and a stuffed Monkey ». 
It is said of him that he followed the maxim of SENECA, that «We 
have a sufficiency when we have what nature requires » and that 
the expenditure for his daily food for a considerable time amounted 
to no more than six cents a day. 
In addition to being a writer and teacher, he was also an explorer 
and in 1818 visited the Sea Islands and adjacent coast of Georgia, 
and penetrated into East Florida. This journey was shortened on 
account of hostile Indians. He was also zoologist to the expeditions 
sent out by the Government of the United States under major 
LONG. He died in 1834 at the early age of 47. It is difficult at thie 
present time to appreciate the greatness of a man who has to 
blaze the trail under every difficulty, and when we read the hundred 
years backward and see what has been accomplished, we can but 
feel grateful to and honor Say and the other pioneers. Of those 
who cultivated the study in the time of SAY we can only think of 
TITIAN R. PEALE, of Philadelphia, and JOHN F. MELSHEIMER 
with whom SAY corresponded. 
In 1833 PEALE published his « Lepidoptera Americana », an illus- 
trated work that was very creditable for that early day. SAy’s work 
was recognized abroad, and he had the honor to be a member of 
the Linnæan and Zoological Societies of London and the Société 
Philomatique of Paris. In his own city he was curator of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the American 
Philosophical Society, professor of natural history in the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania and of zoology in the Philadelphia 
Museum. 
Prof. S.S. HALDEMAN, whose articles appear in the publications 
of Academy of Natural Sciences from about 1842 to 1859, was 
another Pennsylvanian of note who did excellent work. He spoke 
of the character of the times and lamented the lack of general 
works adapted to the country and also said the student was retarded 
by the extent of the subject and the want of instruction in educ- 
