XIV. MEMOIR OF THOMAS SAY. 



racters could hardly hope for general encouragement ; more 

 especially as works merely conchological, that is, without a 

 history and description of the singular animals which form 

 and inhabit the shells, can have little claim to the favour of 

 the public, except what is derived from their extrinsic quali- 

 ties. 



Of our author's numerous Papers, which are recorded in 

 the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Trans- 

 actions of the American Philosophical Society, and some 

 scientific periodicals, a variety of opinions are entertained ; 

 some persons maintaining that, as they are chiefly descriptive, 

 more care ought to have been exercised in discriminating 

 character ; especially as, from the want of plates, the insuf- 

 ficiency of our author's technical phraseology may lead to 

 confusion or doubt. That there is much uncertainty in 

 some of his descriptions of Insects, I was well assured by one 

 whose judgment in these matters was of no small weight ; — 

 the late learned French Entomologist, M. Latreille, one of 

 the professors of the Museum of the Garden of Plants, at 

 Paris ; who, after expressing a high opinion of Mr. Say's 

 acquirements, added, that it was to be regretted his Papers 

 had not been illustrated with plates, as there was ambiguity 

 in some of his descriptions, which figures might tend to 

 solve.* 



The time which systematic descriptions of objects of natu- 



* I am indebted to Dr. John L. LeConte for the following note : — 

 Erichson, the greatest master of the new school of Entomology, does not 

 coincide with Latreille, in the opinion above expressed, regarding the 

 clearness of Say's descriptions. In the Genera et Species Staphylinorum, 

 preface, page vii., occurs the following remarkable encomium: "Ver- 

 borum copiam descriptiones nequaquam distinctions reddere, Linnsei, 

 Fabriciique et Illigeri exemplo liquet, brevitate vero neminem prsecellere 

 video Sayum Americanum, qui descriptiones adeo edidit concisas, ut 

 diagnoseos volumen vix superent, nihilominus adeo lucidas ut vix 

 speciem quandam ab illo exhibitam unquam invenies dubiam. Sunt 

 autem auctores quoque plurimi, simili describendi modo usi, illis tamen 

 viris ingenio impares, qui descriptionibus abbreviatis species nonnisi 

 dubias et obscuras provulgant." Higher commendation could be given 

 to none and by none. 



