148 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 



of a busy summer; and these observations, for 

 the most part unchecked by the comparison of 

 specimens, he prepared for the press during the 

 winter. To this manner of working, perhaps un- 

 avoidable in his case, many of Rafinesque's errors 

 and bhinders are certainly due. In one of these 

 note-books I find, among a series of notes in 

 French, the following remarkable observation in 

 English : '* The girls at Fort Edward eat clay ! " 

 In another place I find a list of the new genera of 

 fishes in Cuvier's *' Regne Animal" (18 17) which 

 were known to him. Many of these are designated 

 as synonymous with genera proposed by Rafi- 

 nesque in his *' Caratteri " in 1810. With this list 

 is the remark that these genera of Cuvier are iden- 

 tical with such and such genera ** proposed by me 

 in 1 8 10, but don't you tell it ! " 



Rafinesque was six months on the ocean in this 

 second voyage to America. Finally, just as the 

 ship was entering Long Island Sound, the' pilot let 

 her drift against one of the rocks which lie outside 

 of the harbor of New London. The vessel filled 

 and sank, giving the passengers barely time to 

 escape with their lives. " I reached New London 

 at midnight," says Rafinesque, *' in a most deplora- 

 ble situation. I had lost everything, — my fortune, 

 my share in the cargo, my collections and labors 

 of twenty 5^ears past, my books, my manuscripts, 

 and even my clothes, — all I possessed, except 

 some scattered funds and some little insurance- 

 money. Some hearts of stone have since dared 

 to doubt of these facts, or rejoice at my losses. 

 Yes, I have found men vile enough to laugh with- 



