Norch American Helicidce. 79 



grouped allied species under one name, as with H. auriculata and avara, 

 and this is only another instance. He was certainly acquainted with 

 inornata By., our inornata Say, and fuUginosa, yet we have ov\y from 

 him the one name, inornata. 



" I have no doubt that I derived the name inornata Say, which I 

 used, from Mr. Stephen Elliott, who was in very frequent communication 

 with Mr. Say."* 



I may mention tliat I have letters?, dated in 1822, from Mr. 

 S. Elliott to Mr. Say, with copies, in his hand- writing, of the 

 replies, which give very full notes on the shells sent by the 

 former, but unfortunately not on the species now under con- 

 sideration. 



On the evidence thus brought together, I think myself not 

 only justified but called upon to pronounce H. IcBvigata E.af. 

 and H. inornata Say to be identical. The former name, with- 

 out description, was published by Ferussac in his Prodromus 

 at about the same time as the latter by Say in the Journal of 

 the Academy, but seeing that the shell is now better known as 

 H. laevigata, and that doubts may still exist in the minds of 

 some, it may be best to place Say's name in the synonymy of 

 that species. 



As the evidence with respect to glaphyra is somewhat less 

 conclusive, I propose to let it stand in the synonymy of H. inor- 

 nata By., retaining that name for the shell which Dr. Binney 

 determined to be the inornata of Say. 



Many of the species of this continent are extremely variable, 

 and the description of any one form is not only unsatisfactory, 

 but productive of much error. Say wrote under serious disad- 

 vantages as compared with authors of the present day, but his 

 descriptions are remarkably accurate ; and when I find a shell 

 to which one of his specific names has been affixed not agree- 



* Dr. Ravenel in another letter says, " I think that Say was cautious in his 

 communicationSjJbut that he would give his opinion of any species, when requested 

 to do 80. He was however very much more reserved in giving specimens away, 

 — he certainly gave them to Mr. Elliott, but I hare not a single specimen given 

 to me by Mr. Say^from his Cabinet.' 



