204 AMERICAN JOURNAL 



of form, state and color. This has greatly arisen from the de- 

 scription and figuring of shells lately made known chiefly falling 

 into the hands of dealers, like Mr. Reeve and Mr. Sowerby, or 

 of persons employed by dealers, who select for their purpose 

 those who are ready to fall into their views and make as many 

 new species as possible ; and the dealers are ready to repay such 

 work with specimens to increase the describer's collection, or in 

 other ways. 



A shell with a new name is much more valuable in a pecuniary 

 point of view than one with an old and well-known name. 



The value dealers attach to new names is proved by an inci- 

 dent that occurred to myself a few days ago, when a dealer offer- 

 ed me a new Volute for ten guineas. I said it was not new, 

 only a slight variety of a well-known species. At length he ad- 

 mitted that he had nine specimens of the Volute, and ended by 

 offering to present me with the best of the series if I would de- 

 scribe it as a new species ! I am told that at length he found a 

 person to fall into his views, and sold all his specimens at or 

 above the price first mentioned. A short time ago a gentleman 

 was induced to purchase a Volute at a high price, on the under- 

 standing that if he purchased it it would be described, figured 

 and named after him. This was done, though the shell is only 

 a slight variety of a well-known not uncommon South Austra- 

 lian species. Fortunately the description was printed only on a 

 flyleaf with the plate, and it is not likely to be preserved. 



The paying for the description of species of animals is no new 

 source of trade, for it is recorded that John Reinhold Foster 

 was paid threepence a species for describing new British insects 

 for a scientific zoologist; but dealers can now afford to pay bet- 

 ter, as is shown by the offer that was made to me respecting the 

 new Volute ; and private collections have been much enriched by 

 such labors. 



No one knew better than Mr. Cuming the value of a new name 

 to his specimens, as shown by his enmity to any one who doubt- 

 ed the novelty of the species described. He would not allow 

 me to see his collection for many years after his return from 

 South America, because I had pointed out to him at one of the 

 meetings of this Society that some of the shells which Messrs. 

 Sowerby and Broderip had described as new were well-known 

 species, and well figured by Chemnitz. Indeed, I was not al- 

 lowed to see any part of his collection until it was first offered 

 to the British Museum for sale, during his illness about sixteen 

 years ago. 



Since that period Mr. Cuming refused a well-known concholo- 

 gist, who had previously described several shells from his cabi- 



