Zoological Writings of Rafinesque, 285 
larly beg for complete sets of the natural orders and families of 
orchideous, ombelliferous, liliaceous, grasses, mosses, lichens , ma- 
ihe? Tine plants, labiated, leguminous, é&c., and for specimens, or the 
~~. eharacters of all the new genera..... I beg the coéperation of all 
++. my friends and correspondents; inviting it to communicate 
“every particular, even of the most trifling nature, or obsolete, re- 
lating to the properties, qualities, uses, employments, &c., of all 
plants and animals; provided they are unpublished, else it will 
be sufficient to let me know (or send me if rare) in which works 
“ae or pamphlets they are already published.” 
we These extracts show that our author was preparing to get as 
many materials from every quarter as possible, evidently with 
the intention of getting new genera, species, and observations, 
from the labors of others. That he had an especial interegt in 
getting assistance from all parts, is evident from the avidity with 
which he attacked every subject. 
There are two prizes offered on the cover of the Atlantic Jour- 
nal, which place the intention of these requests in a still stronger 
light. They are, “ Fifty dollars in books for the best memoir 
on the effects on the earth and mankind of the geological flood 
or floods, all over the globe as far as known; including all ac- 
counts without exception, preserved by history or traditions, among 
all the nations of the earth. Twenty five dollars in botanical 
books and herbariums, to the author of the best synopsis of all 
Native phenogamous plants of the U. S. as far as known; provi- 
ded that not a single one already described or published in Amer- 
ica or Europe be omitted ! !” 
», The absurdity of these prizes is sufficient to make one doubt the 
Sanity of the man ; for who could be induced to write a synopsis 
- Of American plants for such areward! Judging from the appear- 
ance of the specimens, his method of preserving plants was more 
Simple than any recommended in books, as it consisted in placing 
* Thus among his MSS. lost by shipwreck are the following, most of which he 
intended to re-write! A greater piece of presumption than this list indicates, can- 
Not be cited, when we consider the talents and the means of the man. His indus- 
trious habite would never have compensated for his extreme carelessness and want 
library containing scarcely any thing modern.— Critiques des genres, &c. 
Vestigation of all generic names of plants and animals.—menities. Nearly one 
red tracts on Zoology and Botany.—Fauna Sicula, with nearly four thousand 
*Pecies.— Genera of Birds, with many new genera.—Synopsis of all known species 
of quadrupeds and fishes. 
