•34 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [NOV. 16, 



of labor done by Prof. Baird and bis corps of scientists, is well 

 set fortb in tbe numerous large volumes and bulletins already 

 published by the Commission. 



The special work done by Prof. Verril, S. I. Smith, and others 

 connected with the commission, is seen in tbe valuable reports 

 and tables of local faunas extant. 



In 1883, the Austrian Government as well as the Portuguese 

 and French sent out expeditions. That of the Talisnian, A. 

 Milne Edwards, naturalist in charge, obtained excellent results. 



Agassiz, Desor, Pourtales have opened rich mines at the deep 

 sea bottoms. 



In 179(3, when Barton published his memoir on the " fascina- 

 tion attributed to the rattlesnake" — there had been little to 

 entitle the country to a claim for original work in zoology. The 

 great revolution was enough for one generation to cope with — 

 without spending time in "bug-hunting," our most practical 

 peoi)le would say. 



Among the earlier writers on conchology, Say and Gould are 

 preeminent. 



The latter produced a beautiful volume as one of the reports 

 called for by the State of Massachusetts. It is an octavo, with 

 copper-]ilate engravings of each species of mollusk then known 

 as inhabiting the Massachusetts coast. No figures of natural ob- 

 jects have ever excelled those of this volume for accuracy and 

 artistic treatment. Say's woi'k was more elegant, and the engrav- 

 ings excellent. The finest of these copper-plates were executed 

 by the wife of Say, who learned the art and completed the plates 

 after the work was delayed by the want of a suitable engraver. 

 The venerable widow of Say is yet living; an exam])le of the 

 courtly, cultivated lady, worthy associate of tlie brilliant coterie, 

 literary and scientific, that formed an important element of 

 Philadelphia society. Audubon, AVilson, Prince Bonaparte, Isaac 

 Lea, Conrad, Lesueur, the eccentric Rafinesque, and others are 

 remembered with singular reflection, when we come to appreciate 

 the fact that very few have come forward to fill the places so 

 worthily occupied. 



"American Entomology" by Thomas Say, was published in 

 1824-28. His conchology was issued later. 



American works on mammals and birds were now appearing, 

 Harlan, Godman, Eachman, Ord, Audubon, Wilson; but those 

 on invertebrate forms were few, and mostly confined to transac- 

 tions of societies. Though the mollusks had received consider- 

 able attention, there had been little done in the study of their 

 anatomy. The other and lower forms of invertebrates occupied 

 in Dr. Gould's report on the " Invertebrata of Massachusetts" only 

 thirty-two pages, and most of the matter related to "noxious 

 animals." 



