A CENTURY OF ZOOLOGY IN INDIANA. 199 



in this work, it is certain that Say conceived the idea of writing an American 

 Conehology after he came to New Harmony. He no doubt wrote all of it 

 at New Harmony, He doubtless spent much time observing and collecting 

 the shells of that region. 



It is hardly conceivable that he could have lived nine years on the banks 

 of the Wabash without becoming deeply interested in the wonderfully rich 

 molluscous fauna of that river, a stream richer in the Unionidse (freshwater 

 clams) than any other river in the world; a river which has supplied more and 

 better shells to the pearl button manufacturers during the last two decades 

 than any other stream in the world. The Wabash has more species of fresh- 

 water mussels than any other stream. I recall with great pleasure many de- 

 lightful days spent with the late Dr. J. T. Scovell collecting Unios in the 

 Wabash near Terre Haute, and our pleasant evenings identifying our speci- 

 mens and arranging them in our cabinets. When I tell you that we obtained 

 at least 47 species within a few miles of Terre Haute, you can understand 

 how rich the Unio faima of the Wabash really is. And we can appreciate 

 with what delight Thomas Say entered upon the study of this wonderfully 

 interesting fauna at a time when most of the species were new and unde- 

 scribed. 



It will ever remain a matter of profound regret that Say died prematurely, 

 before he had completed his studies of the mollusks of the Wabash valley. 



The house in which Say first lived was still standing in 1888 when I had 

 the pleasure of visiting New Harmony. It has since been remodeled and is 

 said to be now not recognizable. In this house Say doubtless did much of 

 the work on his "American Conehology," and here Avere written many of 

 his later entomological papers. 



Thomas Say died at New Harmony, October 10, 1834. In the yard at 

 the rear of the house in which he died is a monument of white marble about 6 

 feet high, erected in 1846 by Alexander Maclure at the request of his brother 

 Wilham Maclure, the life-long friend of Say. 



On a beautiful day in September, 1888, Dr. Richard Owen took me to 

 view this monument. Although in his seventy-ninth year, Dr. Owen, with- 

 out the aid of glasses, read to me the inscriptions on this simple but beautiful 

 shaft. It is worth while to record them here. On the east face: 



Thomas Say. The Naturalist. Born in Philadelphia, July 27, 1787. ' 



Died at New Harmony, October 10, 1834. 

 On the south face: 



One of the founders of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 



January 25, 1812. 

 On the west face: 



The friend and companion of William Maclure whose surviving brother 

 erected this monument, 1846. A. M. 

 And on the north face: 



