OP CONCHOLOOY. 57 



REVIEW. 



Land and Fresh Water Shells of North America Part III. By W. G. 

 Binney. (No. 144, Smithsouiau Miscellaneous Collections.) 



BY JAMES LEWIS, M. D. 



Among the many useful labors of Mr. W. G. Binney are his 

 compilations on the Land and Fresh Water Shells of North 

 America, published under the patronage and by the authority of 

 the Smithsonian Institution. 



As a compiler Mr. Binney has performed a labor much 

 needed. His efforts have brought together, in a compact form, 

 the detached fragments which compose the descriptive literature 

 of those sections of North American Conchology, in which he is 

 specially interested. For this labor he is justly entitled to the 

 thanks of the scientific world. 



It is evident, however, that Mr. Binney's merit consists more 

 in his patient industry as a compiler than in the correctness of 

 his opinions as a generalizer of the facts and opinions which 

 have heretofore gone forth in relation to the subjects upon which 

 he treats. And that they who will resume those subjects at the 

 point where Mr. Binney leaves them may avoid some of his 

 most conspicuous errors, the following remarks are offered. It 

 is not claimed, however, that all the suggestions offered in review 

 of Mr. Binney's opinions are free from errors, as in some in- 

 stances it is too apparent that at present our knowledge is too 

 limited to warrant an opinion. Let us first have the facts. 



On page 13 of the volume above named, Mr. Binney says of 

 Valvata striata, "I have no doubt of its identity with V. 

 sincera." Mr. Binney probably does not intend to claim what 

 is not due to him ; and probably he forgot to credit this discovery 

 of identity to the late Tlios. R. Ingalls, M. D., of Greenwich, 

 N. Y. 



In the family Vioiparidce Mr. Binney is peculiarly unfortu- 

 nate. No doubt his studies of this somewhat perplexing family 

 were embarrassed with an immense multitude of specimens, re- 

 quiring, for their orderly arrangement, more time and patience 



